advice re vulnerable adult

[sweetgirl]

we are looking for advice please if anybody can help as i know there are many knowledgeable forumites

this is about a young person considered to be a vulnerable adult who is planning to travel abroad on their own, without no consultation of any responsible adult.

it turned out this person was due to get a flight to america today with only $80 in their pocket! (they missed their flight)

the young person has a key worker, a mencap support worker , a social worker & lives in supported accomodation.

concerns were raised with the social worker & it seems the social worker has allowed this trip to go ahead.

it seems this person is being manipulated by their friend in america & is possibly being told what to do.

does anybody know if there is any way to stop this vulnerable adult from travelling abroad on their own unless they are accompanied by a responsible adult?

there are concerns raised with this young person who is refusing to listen to anybody......

Thanks in advance

[peckham_ryu]

You?re apparently talking about an adult (someone 18 years old or over) who has some issues, but those issues are not severe enough to stop them successfully booking travel and a visa waiver. So far it sounds like you?re trying to stop an adult from making an error of judgement: you can?t akways stop people from making mistakes.

You seem to be saying the social worker is supportive. If you strongly feel that?s not appropriate, you could speak directly to the Adults Social Care section of the council. Of course they can?t discuss the person?s case with you, but they can listen to your concerns and you can follow up in writing to make sure they will actively consider what you?re worried about.

[Robert Poste's Child]

This sounds like a safeguarding issue. The law says that safeguarding children and vulnerable adults is everyone's responsibility so you should go ahead and voice your concerns to any or all of the people you listed, plus the person's family (if that's not you). If you've already tried them and been rebuffed, you could try another healthcare professional. The local authority must investigate safeguarding concerns.

That said, it sounds like the social worker has decided the person has mental capacity so there may not be much you can do.

Best of luck with what sounds like a worrying situation for you.

[Angelina]

Personally, if you think the social worker has made an error of judgement, put it in writing to their manager and the head of department. Social Workers can be very dangerous and need to be held to account. Ideally a third party who is not connected to the SW team, as in a safeguarding issue many professionals will need to be consulted.

I would even talk to the police - they will have a community officer and they will give you good advice.

[sweetgirl]

Thanks guys any other advice welcome.....

Yes I would say it's more a safeguarding issue!

[IlonaM]

Cambridge House offer advocacy services including under the Care Act. You could contact them for initial advice and may find them helpful:

http://ch1889.org/our-work/advocacy/advocacy-services-southwark/

[sweetgirl]

Advice has been sought from a friend whom is a social worker & it seems there's not a lot that can be done about the situation once the young person is able to answer all questions confidently, posed by their own social worker.

It's clear the young person is being "groomed" but yet still nothing can be done.

Quite sad if you ask me.....

Edited to add yes the person is over 18

[Pugwash]

If you have evidence that this is a grooming situation, the social worker and all those involved may not be aware of all the facts. However, you will need to provide evidence and not hearsay.

Mental Capacity Assessment may have indicated that the young person has the capacity to understand, retain and weigh up the situation and possible risks involved, so very little can be done.