All Wales Basic Safeguarding

Hand-outs Awareness Training

Financial

Activity 5: Indicators of abuse / harm / neglect

Category of Abuse: Financial Abuse
• having money or other property stolen; • lax financial recording / monitoring in a
• being defrauded; care setting.
• being put under pressure in relation to money or • online transactions when the person does not
other property; have necessary skills.
• having money or other property misused. Emotional
Financial abuse in relation to children and young • confusion, distress or fear when financial anomalies
people could include: are discussed.
• child workers without pay • person expresses worries about theft, threats,
• EMA taken by family without child’s consent coercion, or disappearance of possessions.
• child’s belongings sold or missing Behavioural
• benefit claims for the child, which are not real and • unusual concern by abuser that too much money
fabricated illness is being spent on the care of the person.
• misusing allowances/grants for children’s care • vulnerable person echoes the abuser’s unlikely
• inappropriate cars that have been supported by explanations.
allowances and Motability
• children looked after payments being spent, but not to Social
the benefit of the child, by foster carer or kinship carer. • deliberate isolation by abuser / carer from friends
or family, resulting in them taking financial control.
INDICATORS
• lack of normal amenities such as tv, appropriate
Physical clothing, personal grooming items.
• pension or benefits are cashed but the individual • prevention by abuser / carer from spending money
has no money, especially when the person needs on cultural / social activities
assistance to spend money. • unreasonable use of social benefits
• unexplained or inappropriate withdrawals from e.g. motability car, by abuser / carers.
bank accounts.
• unpaid bills or overdue rent when another person WHERE MIGHT THIS HAPPEN?
has taken responsibility.
• person’s own home
• creation / changes to enduring power of attorney,
• residential care home
will or insurance beneficiaries when the person is
• nursing home
incapable of making such decisions.
• sheltered accommodation
• entry into residential / nursing home care is
• relative’s home
prevented by relatives concerned about losing
inheritance of property. WHO MIGHT BE INVOLVED
• disappearance of financial documents, e.g. bank / OR CAUSING THIS?
building society records, payment / order books, • domiciliary carer
or benefits papers. • residential carer
• financial signatures, e.g. cheques, unlike the person’s • relative / parent / child / spouse / other carer
signature, or when they cannot write.
• support worker
• missing personal belongings such as silverware,
• professional
jewellery, or other valuable items.
• family friend / neighbour.