Preventing the abuse of vulnerable adults: Social policy and research

While emerging UK policy in relation to adult protection confirms the theor etical primacy of prevention, the meaning thereof is unevenly elaborated. I n residential and nursing care, prevention is explicitly promoted via a com bination of transparent standards and rigorous regulation. In the domestic and civil spheres, however, the limits of public law protection mean that p revention cannot be conceived in terms of such a unitary model. Drawing on tentative messages from research, this paper explores a range of policies w hich, while diverse in their explicit aims, could claim to pursue an implic itly preventive objective in relation to abuse. These include community car e provision, both generally and with an eye to national service objectives, together with specific funding for the promotion of independence, extendin g into wider self-help and social inclusion initiatives.