500 signatures reached
To: Gillian Keegan MP
Protect vulnerable older people in law by checking and registering private carers
Under UK law, private carers are not subject to the same safeguarding measures as care professionals who work for an agency or in residential settings. They do not need to register or go through any checks. It is estimated there are around 140,000 private carers, or ‘personal assistants’ in the UK. This petition is calling on the UK government to close this gap in the system by making it a requirement for all carers to register and to be subject to background checks though the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Why is this important?
My 96 year old grandfather, Eric, was financially abused by his private carers. They manipulated him and stole his life-savings - nearly £200,000 from him. Sadly, he passed away shortly after finding out that the people he trusted had robbed him. Most people wouldn’t dream of doing something like this, but in an unregulated part of the care system, without safeguarding measures in place to protect vulnerable elderly people, there are always going to be those who seek to exploit that vulnerability.
Let’s do more to protect our vulnerable older people, to recognise the important work of all carers, and to keep these criminals out of the profession.
You can find out more about Eric’s story, from the professionals who helped to get him justice and from other agencies here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000ytns
Let’s do more to protect our vulnerable older people, to recognise the important work of all carers, and to keep these criminals out of the profession.
You can find out more about Eric’s story, from the professionals who helped to get him justice and from other agencies here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000ytns
