Inquiry into elder abuse in New South Wales

Details

This inquiry is a current Legislative Council inquiry conducted by the General Purpose Standing Committee No. 2.  

Referred: This inquiry was established on 1 September 2015 to inquire into and report on elder abuse in New South Wales.

Key dates:

  • Call for submissions: 2 Sep 2015    
  • Submissions close: 15 Nov 2015

Inquiry Terms of Reference

Inquiry into Elder Abuse

That the General Purpose Standing Committee No. 2 inquire into and report on matters relating to elder abuse in New South Wales including:

  1. The prevalence of abuse (including but not limited to financial abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse and neglect) experienced by persons aged 50 years or older in New South Wales
  2. The  most  common  forms  of  abuse  experienced  by  older  persons  and  the  most  common relationships or settings in which abuse occurs
  3. The types of government and/or community support services sought by, or on behalf of, victims of elder abuse and the nature of service received from those agencies and organisations
  4. The adequacy of the powers of the NSW Police Force to respond to allegations of elder abuse
  5. Identifying any constraints to elder abuse being reported and best practice strategies to address such constraints
  6. Identifying  any  strength  based  initiatives  which  empower  older  persons  to  better  protect themselves from risks of abuse as they age
  7. The effectiveness of NSW laws, policies, services and strategies, including the 2014 Interagency Policy Preventing and Responding to Abuse of Older People, in safeguarding older persons from abuse
  8. The  possible  development  of  long-term  systems  and  proactive  measures  to  respond  to  the increasing numbers of older persons, including consideration of cultural diversity among older persons, so as to prevent abuse
  9. The consideration of new proposals or initiatives which may enhance existing strategies for safeguarding older persons who may be vulnerable to abuse, and
  10. Any other related matter.

Committee membership

  • The Hon Greg Donnelly MLC - Australian Labor Party - Chair
  • The Hon Paul Green MLC - Christian Democratic Party - Deputy Chair
  • Ms Jan Barham MLC*  - The Greens
  • The Hon Sophie Cotsis MLC  - Australian Labor Party
  • The Hon Matthew Mason-Cox MLC - Liberal Party
  • The Hon Dr Peter Phelps MLC - Liberal Party
  • The Hon Bronnie Taylor MLC  - The Nationals

* Ms Jan Barham is substituting for Dr Mehreen Faruqi as a member of the committee for the duration of the inquiry.

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