Promoting autonomy and managing risk: Social Workers’ decision making in safeguarding adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities experiencing domestic abuse

Aim- In England, under the Care Act 2014 social workers have a key role in providing a statutory response in cases of abuse against adults with IDD. This presentation aims to explore social workers’ decision making in interventions to safeguard individuals with IDD who experience domestic abuse.

Method- The research was conducted with 15 practicing social workers who were asked to participate in a two-stage interview process. The first was a semi-structured interview which explored their casework, focusing on decisions and interventions employed in the process of working with this group of victims. They were then invited to a follow up interview which discussed vignettes of scenarios involving domestic abuse against an adult with IDD.

Results- Social workers responses to managing risk were often located at the level of individual responsibility with either the practitioner or the victim having responsibility for monitoring and managing the risk and making changes to the abusive relationship.

Conclusion/Application- Interventions would benefit from seeking collective strategies for managing risk including developing community networks to support adults with IDD at risk of abuse and developing collaborative strategies which seek to promote shared decision making.