The Care Agency has represented Gibraltar in the Five Nations Conference relating to Adult Support, Protection and Safeguarding.

The Care Agency’s CEO, Mr Carlos Banderas was joined by Senior Crown Counsel Damian Conroy and the Head of Adult Services, Ms Jennifer Poole in the first online conference of the five nations which is composed of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland and have now also been joined by others such as the Channel Islands and Gibraltar.

This platform will entail a series of online seminars during the course of 2021 dealing with adult protection and safeguarding activity across the nations. This enables care-providing professionals to build a network between practitioners, researchers and policy drivers in these jurisdictions. It offers an excellent opportunity to share and draw from published research and reports as well as a stage to debate on wider aspects of adult protection and safeguarding frameworks.

The main speaker for the February 2021 edition was Mr John Scott QC recognised, jointly, as Silk of the Year at the 2018 Law Awards of Scotland. Mr Scott chaired the Scottish Human Rights Centre from 1997 to 2005, and was Convenor of the Howard League for Penal Reform in Scotland and was elected President of the Society of Solicitor Advocates. Mr Scott has completed work in chairing three independent reviews for the Scottish Government in relation to the impact of certain areas of Policing as well as chairing the Independent Advisory Group on the use by Police Scotland of emergency coronavirus powers. Mr Scott is also currently chairing a major review of mental health capacity and associated rights legislation in Scotland.

The Minister for Health and Care, the Hon Samantha Sacramento MP said: “The Care Agency has taken a great initiative by joining this forum, demonstrating, as true professionals, that they are always striving to develop themselves and their services. Working alongside all other British Nations through these conferences will give the Care Agency insight into what frameworks works best within the area of Adult protection.”