Website of the Department of Health

In 2000, the Government published a national framework, "No secrets", so that local councils with social services responsibilities, local NHS bodies, local police forces and other partners could develop local multi-agency codes of practice to help prevent and tackle abuse. Codes of practice were to be in place by October 2001.

The multi-agency codes of practice, developed in response to "No Secrets", have been evaluated by the Centre for Policy on Ageing on behalf of the Department of Health.

Provision for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) scheme is made in Part VII of the Care Standards Act 2000. At the heart of the POVA scheme is the POVA list. The POVA scheme will act like a workforce ban. Individuals will be referred to, and included on, the POVA list if they have abused, neglected or otherwise harmed vulnerable adults, or placed vulnerable adults at risk of harm, whether or not in the course of their employment. Once on the list, by making checks against the POVA list, providers of care must not offer such individuals employment in care positions. POVA checks will be requested, as appropriate, as part of Disclosures from the Criminal Records Bureau.

The POVA checks will add significantly to current pre-employment checks, including requesting Disclosures and obtaining references, that providers of care should carry out before offering individuals employment in care positions.

The Government intends to implement the POVA scheme from June 2004 in England and Wales. It will be commenced in the social care sector in the first instance. This approach is sensible, as there is strong evidence that most abuse of vulnerable adults occurs either in their own homes or in care homes. Several important issues need to be addressed in the NHS and independent health care sectors before POVA can be successfully extended into those sectors. However, this extension will follow as soon as is practically possible.

Draft practical guidance to help providers of care and other stakeholders understand and implement the POVA scheme is issued for consultation. The consultation period runs from 11 December 2003 to 4 March 2004. All comments are welcomed. The consultation guidance, together with a questionnaire that may be completed and returned to the Department of Health and an assessment of the impact on providers of care, can be accessed by following the links below.

Please remember that comments on the draft POVA guidance should reach the Department of Health by 4 March 2004 at the latest. The consultation questionnaire may be used to make your comments.