Guidelines for care protection

Those in care are set to receive even better protection from potential abuses by care workers.

The care services minister Ivan Lewis yesterday launched a guide detailing the procedures to be taken by care providers' when reporting abuse.

Mr Lewis stipulated that providers now have a statutory obligation to report abuses to the authorities.

"Abuse of vulnerable adults in any form is intolerable," he told Community Care Live.

"We are determined to stamp it out. This guidance will help care providers uncover abusers and help us ban them from the workplace. It is the latest in a series of measures we have introduced to help keep vulnerable adults safe."

In addition, Mr Lewis said that the department of health's website was set to carry a new section called "Dignity in Care". The feature will allow people to air their views on how they believe older people are treated, which the minister insists he will use to shape future policy.

"Your comments are valuable and will help us discover where we need to focus our efforts next if we really want to make a difference and improve dignity in care for older people," he said.