The local authority received a call from an anonymous person concerned for Des, an elderly man apparently being exploited by his neighbour, Claire. The claim suggested Des was afraid of Claire and often had no food in his cupboards. An n-compass advocate was appointed to support Des during the inquiry.

The advocate met Des at his day club to discuss his views and wishes and what outcome he would want from the inquiry. The day club was chosen, hoping Des would feel at ease and to avoid undue interference from any third party. Des informed the advocate that he and his wife were friends with Claire and her husband; they used to socialise together until his wife died. Claire had taken care of his wife, for which he was very grateful and had recently begun caring for him informally. She brings him food and helps him with housework. Des said he pays for his shopping.

Des and his advocate talked about his routine and how he manages his money. Des said he lives simply and relies on the support of Claire and others, including those at the day club. He spoke about leaving his house to Claire as he had no family, as she cared for his wife and was very good to him.

With Des’s permission, the advocate spoke with the day centre manager, who informed them that Claire often drops Des off at the centre. Sometimes, at the end of the day, Des becomes overwhelmed, not wanting to go home, and sits on the floor. The staff call Claire, who comes and reassures Des that it’s time to go home, and he gets in the car. They felt that Claire was a good friend who did a lot for Des.

The advocate fed back the above information from Des to the social worker, who advised that a visit had been made to Des’s flat, where they had seen plenty of food in his cupboards. Through the advocate, Des was able to express his views and feelings and inform the outcome of the inquiry, which found no evidence of abuse.