Adults are at risk of and experiencing harm and abuse all over Ireland, and for a variety of reasons including psychological, physical and financial abuse. According to a report commissioned by the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), entitled ‘Financial Abuse in Ireland, 2019’, 20% of adults have experienced financial abuse and physical abuse of vulnerable adults has been witnessed/suspected by 1 in 3 adults. Last year there were 11,780 safeguarding concerns received by HSE Safeguarding and Protection Teams across Ireland according to the National Safeguarding Office Annual Report.

‘Falling Through The Cracks’ has composite case studies gathered from real life situations reported from the frontline. The nine case studies feature people with intellectual disabilities, older people, people with acquired brain injuries, people with dementia and the gaps and cracks in support, safeguards and protection which they are falling through. It’s clear that practitioners need better means to support and intervene to end the abusive circumstances in which large numbers of people find themselves. So there are recommendations in this report from the frontline for specific actions and suggestions to improve adult safeguarding law, policy and practice in Ireland.