How do I deal with false accusations?

[ernestrome]

As counterintuitive as it may be, in practice consent is required in the vast majority of safeguarding cases before proceeding. Strictly speaking you don't need it to refer but without it there's normally very little that can be done and it's obviously a major barrier to investigation.
It is really only in the most serious risk of harm cases that they will proceed without the person to be safeguarded's consent. It's also not very clear to me what mum needs to be safeguarded against and what any protection that might be put in place would look like.

It goes like this...

Mrs Mum, we've received a safeguarding referral for you. Are you happy for us to investigate?

Oh no, sorry I don't really think I need to be safeguarded from my daughter. She only means for the best.

Oh, ok, thanks for your time.

[Bluemoon7]

Many thanks for your help, - and from someone in your position it's much apprecitated.

To be clear, you're suggesting that I make a 'vulnerable person safeguarding referral' in regards to my Sister, yes? Or about my Mum? Or simply just all them and explain the situation?

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social...erable-adults/

Your mum to protect her from the actions of your sister, or at least get on file that she is making accusations about you regarding your care of your mum / that you may have harmed her that are unfounded. They will be able to offer advice and document so that any future allegations will
build a picture of your sisters behaviour and possible impact on your mum (and you). They will also be able to reassure police or any other interested party that they have investigated and any allegations are unfounded. You do not know where this will end with your sister or what her next allegation may be.

[Bluemoon7]

I don’t disagree but from my experience SC is in crisis. For what you describe there simply aren’t the resources, it won’t happen.

My experience is with children’s services but it is widely known that adult services are probably more stretched. Some of the cases I see, I genuinely cannot believe don’t meet threshold for help. It really is unbelievable at times.

In most cases they are looking for reasons not to get involved, they simply have too many cases.

However, in reality I see no reason real harm if the OP makes a referral. But there aren’t going to be any silver bullets. Just lots of dialogue between the family, which looks like is always underway.

Absolutely. Social care is stretched all over the place. However, care, support and safeguarding are separate issues. You mentioned above the issues around thresholds for help. That is different to safeguarding which is a duty to investigate. People often get the two mixed up in both children’s and adults referrals.

[Bluemoon7]

As counterintuitive as it may be, in practice consent is required in the vast majority of safeguarding cases before proceeding. Strictly speaking you don't need it to refer but without it there's normally very little that can be done and it's obviously a major barrier to investigation.
It is really only in the most serious risk of harm cases that they will proceed without the person to be safeguarded's consent. It's also not very clear to me what mum needs to be safeguarded against and what any protection that might be put in place would look like.

It goes like this...

Mrs Mum, we've received a safeguarding referral for you. Are you happy for us to investigate?

Oh no, sorry I don't really think I need to be safeguarded from my daughter. She only means for the best.

Oh, ok, thanks for your time.

Pretty disparaging about all of the dedicated people that work in safeguarding and the good work that they do which goes totally unacknowledged. Also wildly inaccurate in terms of consent when it comes to safeguarding. If you needed consent to make a safeguarding referral we would have a much higher death rate. If you really think that is how it works or is approached there is little to debate. We are probably wasting the OPs time and adding to his worries.

As an aside, mum is in the middle of a situation where a daughter with possible mental health issues is waging an alleged vendetta against a brother and has alleged that he is maltreating her and has allegedly assaulted her. Mum is the ball in this particular game. There has already been a police call out to do a welfare check because of said allegations and people are advising the OP to go to police, solicitors, recording visits, asking about wills, taking a go pro camera on visits to see his mum, getting impartial people to take statements from his mum to say she is ok. What could possibly go wrong? The way it is going the police will make a safeguarding referral to social services if there are any more allegations or call outs.

Good luck OP. Hope it gets resolved.

[ernestrome]

That is my professional experience of making safeguarding referrals. The person's consent or lack thereof is a standard and early question on the referral forms as you should know. No disparaging intended.

It's really a fairly simple pragmatic issue, if the person is willing to engage with the process and recognises bring harmed much can be done. If they don't then there's a higher threshold for taking the referral forward and it's obviously much more complex to intervene.

[Rodder]

Absolutely. Social care is stretched all over the place. However, care, support and safeguarding are separate issues. You mentioned above the issues around thresholds for help. That is different to safeguarding which is a duty to investigate. People often get the two mixed up in both children’s and adults referrals.

Sorry, but they a very much related. What is it you think Social Care do? SC use thresholds for SG issues all the time to determine if support is needed. Ultimately is the issue bad enough to meet threshold for SC support. Trust me, there are lot’s of families struggling as a result of a SG issues, or just struggling that then creates a SG issue that SC will not support.

[Rodder]

Pretty disparaging about all of the dedicated people that work in safeguarding and the good work that they do which goes totally unacknowledged. Also wildly inaccurate in terms of consent when it comes to safeguarding. If you needed consent to make a safeguarding referral we would have a much higher death rate. If you really think that is how it works or is approached there is little to debate. We are probably wasting the OPs time and adding to his worries.

As an aside, mum is in the middle of a situation where a daughter with possible mental health issues is waging an alleged vendetta against a brother and has alleged that he is maltreating her and has allegedly assaulted her. Mum is the ball in this particular game. There has already been a police call out to do a welfare check because of said allegations and people are advising the OP to go to police, solicitors, recording visits, asking about wills, taking a go pro camera on visits to see his mum, getting impartial people to take statements from his mum to say she is ok. What could possibly go wrong? The way it is going the police will make a safeguarding referral to social services if there are any more allegations or call outs.

Good luck OP. Hope it gets resolved.

I mean no disrespect, but your coming at this from a completely hypothetical perspective. It simply doesn’t work the way you think it does. It would be great if it did.

From experience it would go exactly the way he described.

Also, I don’t think it’s disparaging, social workers have a thankless job, they simply don’t have the resources.

[ernestrome]

Much of this really comes down to what your mum makes of the recent incidents. In your posts you have set out some very concerning behaviour by your sister which your mum is aware of, particularly the false accusation of strangling and her falsely calling the police. If your mum shares the view that her behaviour is bizarre and you can explain the predicament it puts you in as being at risk of arrest, prosecution and loss of reputation then various options are possible. If your mum does not share the view and/or is unwilling to endorse it to third parties then you remain in a very very precarious position. Your options then are too get professional advice from an expert on how to best protect yourself (if it's possible at all) or reduce the risk and then pay their bill, reduce unsupervised contact to avoid the risk or cross your fingers and hope for the best. I think you would be best to work with the people in your family and your mum's friends who are honest and trustworthy to support her in general and with respect to any risk of financial or other abuse by your sister. If your mum does come to share the view that this is a real problem then many things including safeguarding processes could be utilised.

It may well be that the money is only incidental to your sister and that knocking you down is the bigger win for her.

Good luck with it.

[Bluemoon7]

I mean no disrespect, but your coming at this from a completely hypothetical perspective. It simply doesn’t work the way you think it does. It would be great if it did.

From experience it would go exactly the way he described.

Also, I don’t think it’s disparaging, social workers have a thankless job, they simply don’t have the resources.

Hypothetical? I’ve worked in safeguarding for the past 29 years. My partner has worked in adult safeguarding for the past 25. She now trains in adult safeguarding. She is still with a Local Authority. I am now independent and mostly commissioned by the courts or Local Authorities.

[Bluemoon7]

Sorry, but they a very much related. What is it you think Social Care do? SC use thresholds for SG issues all the time to determine if support is needed. Ultimately is the issue bad enough to meet threshold for SC support. Trust me, there are lot’s of families struggling as a result of a SG issues, or just struggling that then creates a SG issue that SC will not support.

I know what SC do as I worked in it for many years. Still do, although currently commissioned by 3 LAs and a number of IFAs as an independent consultant. My partner 25 years in adult services with a LA, now responsible for training in adult safeguarding and me in children’s services. I was and still am responsible on occasion for deciding whether a S.17 route (support) is needed, or a S.47 route which is protection or as we now call it safeguarding in children’s services. The two are different and are treat very differently. Austerity has hit support services very badly (S.17)..However, when thresholds for safeguarding are met (S.47) there isn’t a choice. You have to intervene. Adults is slightly different but again, when it comes to safeguarding the LA has a duty to investigate under S.42 of the Care Act which is safeguarding. Support services are looked at under other sections and are hardest hit. Thresholds for support services and thresholds for safeguarding are different. Related, as you say, but different.

Anyway, we are mucking up the OPs thread. My advice would be to discuss with adult social services. What is surprising is that the sister hasn’t already made an allegation to them. Anyone googling what to do if an elderly person is being mistreated will see what comes up. That may be her next step, or if the police are called out again they may refer. If I was the OP I would contact them myself and discuss what is going on with the sister and possible impact on his mum.

[Rodder]

Hypothetical? I’ve worked in safeguarding for the past 29 years. My partner has worked in adult safeguarding for the past 25. She now trains in adult safeguarding. She is still with a Local Authority. I am now independent and mostly commissioned by the courts or Local Authorities.

Well, I’m sure you’re aware the landscape has changed immeasurably in 29 years! More so in the last 5 and even more since COVID. I still don’t think there is any chance of support, but let’s just agree to disagree and as you noted hope OP gets it sorted