| Macintyre launches campaign for new law. |
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Five's investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre last night spear-headed a major campaign to create a new law to protect vulnerable adults in care, it was announced today (THURS).
A seminar of learning disabled groups, professionals and legal experts in the disabilities sector voted unanimously in favour of a new criminal law to protect the elderly and disabled from institutional neglect. The event, attended by Five's Senior Programme Controller of News and Current Affairs, Chris Shaw, comes as Five broadcasts a two-part series - produced by Films of Record - investigating standards at care homes for the elderly and learning disabled. "The things we found and reported on in our films are much more about institutional lack of care and neglect which, sadly, appears to be a common condition in our residential care homes," said Chris Shaw. MacIntyre UK Undercover: Who Cares for Granny? was transmitted on Friday, October 10th on Five and will be followed by MacIntyre UK Undercover: Who Cares for Gary? on Sunday, 21st December at 21:00, also on Five. The event, chaired by film maker and criminologist, Roger Graef, who produced the MacIntyre UK Undercover series for Five, called for a legal change that would ensure all assaults, abuse and neglectful care practices come under the banner of one Care Home Assault Law. Donal MacIntyre also made a personal appeal to all of those present, including the National Care Standards Commission, to make a joint appeal to the government to address the shortcomings in current care practice. "It is up to bodies like the NCSC and social services to be a little angrier and upset and to ask the right questions and get the right answers," said MacIntyre. At the moment, there seems to be a cotton wool approach to inspections and a culture of watching your back when inspectors are around." In response, the NCSC called on all sections of the community to take responsibility for addressing the issue of elderly and disabled care. "We are not the only people who should be looking at these concerns, " said John Paul Maytum from the NCSC. "Councils and the medical profession should be monitoring whether the homes are delivering what they should." Also on the panel of experts was Allan Levy QC, who specialises in children's rights. He looked to laws adopted in California and Canada as a possible template for a new law in the UK. "I think what is called for is a focus and an act of parliament that concentrates on the abuse of dependent adults," said Levy. Describing the recent Climbie case as "a national scandal," Levy looked to the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adults Civil Protection Act" as an appropriate tool to protect against the neglect, abandonment and mental suffering of vulnerable adults in the UK. Also present at the event were representatives from social care charity Turning Point. The group's Chief Executive Lord Victor Adebowale said: "Turning Point thinks it is outrageous that abuse of this nature is happening in the 21st Century. Society and communities must take responsibility for making sure abuse is reported and that any evidence is collected and used to prevent it happening. But we also must make sure that the law does justice when people are ill-treated and neglected. At the moment, I don't think it does. " The event closed with a unanimous vote in favour of campaigning for a new and enforceable criminal law to protect dependent adults in residential care.
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