•
everyone involved in research and data
collection must use shared, agreed language,
as outlined above
•
legislation be investigated and developed for
Safeguarding Adults, similar to the United
Kingdom Care Act, 2014
•
appropriate methodologies are employed
to ensure that data is gathered from those
who are currently excluded from research
– people in residential services (including
retirement homes), and people who require
support to communicate.
•
urgent attention be given to addressing the
digital divide
o
3. Enshrine protections in legislation
We recommend that:
•
proposed legislation to ‘accelerate
accessibility’, be immediately progressed
o
•
•
•
Passing legislation to create more
equitable access to the community will
significantly improve the health and
wellbeing of tāngata whaikaha Māori and
disabled adults and children
any legislation to address incitement of
hatred and discrimination arising from
proposals under consideration must
specifically address harmful speech directed
at disabled people
o
Hateful actions prevent disabled
people from fully accessing community
and social spaces, and can result in
avoidance, loneliness, isolation and
physical and emotional harm
o
Data must be gathered about such
incidents irrespective of whether they
are categorised as crimes
legislation be advanced to prohibit:
o
non-therapeutic sterilisation
o
non-consensual pharmaceutical and
surgical interventions
o
non-consensual treatment and seclusion
and restraint including repealing the
legal authority to detain, restrain and
force treatment on the basis of disability,
(Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment
and Treatment) Act 1992
in proposed adoption law reform underway,
ensure Section 8; (1 b) and (6) of the
Adoption Act 1955, which permits the
adoption of a child of a disabled person
without their consent, is revoked
As disabled people, those in social
housing, Māori, Pacific peoples and
people over 75 are among those who
are the most digitally excluded – and all
of these groups include disabled people
- this is creating inequity and increased
lack of access to information and
services including welfare, education and
health.
4. Upscale and fully resources responses that
are already proven to enhance safety and
response
We recommend that:
•
government resource the national
implementation of the Safeguarding Adults
From Abuse (SAFA) integrated community
response for adults at risk
•
the Enabling Good Lives principles and
Safeguarding Framework inform systems,
policy and processes for promoting
wellbeing and preventing and responding
to violence towards adults at risk, tāngata
whaikaha Māori and disabled people.
•
the recommendations of the evaluation of
the SAFA pilot be implemented which are:
o
police training in recognition of, and
responses to, adults at risk
o
improved police systems to monitor
incidence and to help police recognise
and engage with adults at risk
o
to codify leadership and partnerships
between police and DHBs
o
to have SAFA coordinator roles
established with appropriate expertise,
in each (geographical) area. This was an
essential success factor.
As to the first point above, rolling out a
nationwide safeguarding integrated response
fulfils responsibilities under the Crimes Act
to address violence against adults at risk.
Currently, the Safeguarding Framework
Acting now for a violence and abuse free future
53