Mr. Phelim Quinn:

We have, and it has been raised with us on a number of occasions by concerned residents and their relatives. Our key approach must be through the contracts. I mentioned governance, management and leadership, and one of the core issues is the contract of care. To some extent the provider has the right to levy additional charges, but it must be open and transparent and cannot go beyond the contract agreed nationally or with the individual resident. We approach it from that perspective.

We do not have a remit to consider the reasonableness of those charges, and that is a problem or restriction. Financial abuse comes within the concept of vulnerable adult abuse and, under revised safeguarding legislation, one could technically examine the reasonableness of charges and whether they could be perceived as being abusive.