Safeguarding Workbook for those at risk of financial abuse from scamming

Mike Lyne
Dr Sally Lee
Professor Lee-Ann Fenge
13th December 2018

The National Centre for Cross Disciplinary Social Work (NCCDSW) has recently undertaken a research project funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing.

This has developed a new learning tool for community nurses and healthcare professionals to help them safeguard those at risk of financial abuse from scamming.

Community nurses are likely to be in daily contact with adults made vulnerable by their circumstances, and are therefore ideally located to identify and support the victims of financial abuse. Every healthcare practitioner, whatever their role, has responsibility for safeguarding the people in their care, and this learning tool provides staff with key knowledge to meet their safeguarding responsibilities.

Although financial abuse from scamming has been a long-term social issue it is only recently that the true range, reach and impact of personal fraud on health and wellbeing has been recognised. Advances in technology have increased the opportunities for scammers to reach beyond national boundaries, but ‘old tech’ fraud (relying on face-to-face encounters, mail or telephone contact) remains prevalent, often targeting the lonely, socially isolated and people in vulnerable circumstances.

The launch event was attended by Dame Christine Beasley and Shirley Baines from the Burdett Trust, and Professor John Vinney, Vice Chancellor of Bournemouth University. An invited audience was given the opportunity to interact with the learning tool and digital stories, as well as some of the other learning resources developed by staff within the NCCDSW

The event included an address from Bournemouth University’s Professor Keith Brown, and a discussion on the development of the learning tool and future scam awareness initiatives using gamification given by Professor Lee-Ann Fenge and Dr Sally Lee. The tool itself has been written by Dr Sally Lee and designed by the NCCDSW design team of Caroline Jones and Emily Rosenorn-Lanng. The digital stories are drawn from the experiences of individuals involved with scams who took part in the research project. Chris Petrou, second year film student at BU, filmed and directed the stories which use the voice and performance talents of volunteer actors.

This tool will be circulated to all NHS Trusts in the country and represents an important learning aid for all community health care practitioners supporting adults at risk from financial abuse from scams.

Meet the author(s)

Mike Lyne

Senior Lecturer in mental health social work
Michael Lyne is a senior lecturer in social work and mental health at Bournemouth University. He has a dual qualification and registration in nursing and social work, with 15 years of experience in the NHS and various client groups. He is an expert in mental capacity, adult safeguarding, and advance care planning.
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Dr Sally Lee

Programme Lead for the MA and BA Social Work programmes
Sally completed her Post-Doctoral Research in 2016, exploring social work practice, physical disability and sexual well-being. Sally is Programme Lead for the MA and BA Social Work programmes and teaches across both programmes leading the Professional Practice with Adults units and the First Placement unit with the BA students.
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Professor Lee-Ann Fenge

Director of the Centre for Seldom Heard Voices
Lee-Ann is Professor of Social Care in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. She is a Registered Social Worker and has always been committed to advancing the professional evidence base of social care practitioners.
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