Gary Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of Action on Elder Abuse has informed us that after three and a half years of campaigning, and the excellent report from the Law Commission, Adult Safeguarding Boards are to be put onto a statutory footing. Gary reported that "it is not clear how the Boards will be constructed, and we still have the thorny subject of powers of intervention to address, but this current announcement will provide the first major statutory foundation for safeguarding in England and it is well worth applauding. 

In addition to the above, the Government has announced principles by which agencies (such as LA's, police etc) should operate, as well as indicators of anticipated safeguarding outcomes. The intention is to establish a national framework of expectations, to be met by a 'localist' approach, a model which is going to need close scrutiny".