Court of Protection - Thanks for all the replies.

Manxman_in_exile

fallen121  -  I'd like to say that while I have nothing but 100% admiration for your and your husband's sense of responsibility in wanting to help your father-in-law, I'm very sorry to say that I agree with most of the posters above and the responses to your earlier thread - it really isn't your problem.

As Elsien and others have said, social services will have practices and procedures in place to deal with precisely this sort of situation and it won't be the first time they have dealt with people in your father-in-laws position who have no family or "next of kin".  In the family circumstances you described in your other thread, I don't see that you have any responsibility in this matter at all, and it really is a problem for social services to deal with - and they are more than qualified to do so.

In particular, I would agree with Elsien's earlier comments:

elsien said:

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You have no obligation to take this on if you don’t want to or can’t afford to. The LA will have a mechanism for a paid professional to apply for deputyship if there isn’t anyone else able to do so.

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elsien said:

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Again, if you want to. You are perfectly entitled to just walk away if you want to.
 I’m with keep_pedalling - if this is FIL then tell the professionals to sort it and leave you alone. The LA will make arrangements if they have to - it’s easier for them to just dump it all on a relative.  

elsien said:

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All we are saying is don’t be guilt tripped by professionals hoping for a family member to step in. They can make the necessary decisions without you. Do what is right for you. 

And as regards your sister-in-law and the five man gang, make sure you inform social services of your concerns (and ask them to speak to your fil's neighbours for a first hand account from them as to what has been happening) and then leave it to them to investigate - they are on the ground and are trained to investigate the exploitation of vulnerable people (that's what they are there for) whereas you are 400 miles away.  Again, as Elsien said:

elsien said:

fallen121 said:

elsien said:

Also to add, if relative is getting a state pension you can access that by applying to be their DWP appointee while waiting to sort all the other stuff. This is quicker - 12 weeks ish in normal circumstances- which will give you access to some money on their behalf in the meantime. 

Again, if you want to. You are perfectly entitled to just walk away if you want to.
 I’m with keep_pedalling - if this is FIL then tell the professionals to sort it and leave you alone. The LA will make arrangements if they have to - it’s easier for them to just dump it all on a relative.  

If we don't step then the LA will then go after my SIL (as the next nearest relative) to provide the care and take control and we don't believe that is in my FILs best interests and this is why.

My SIL is appears to have fallen in with and be living with a female partner who we think she has just recently taken up with based on the fact that she moved from East Sussex to Lincolnshire only 3 weeks ago to set up home with this person. We don't know this woman and she is nothing to do with the family but she seems to be trying to take financial control. She has talked repeatedly about how it is "expensive to visit" and they "need expenses".

The two of them visited a week ago, my FIL wasn't there so they went to a female neighbours house where he usually goes. Whilst there they tried to extract the debit card from my FIL "because we need to get you stuff" . He resisted. They then "took him out for lunch" and got him to agree to pay and (as we now know) retained the debit card. They then returned him home and left. Another male neighbour who helps with finances and bill paying visited later to see if FIL needed anything and noticed the debit card was not in its usual place, couldn't locate it anywhere, phoned us. I phoned the Bank and was able to get the card cancelled. Two days later my SIL and her partner drove some considerable distance from their house elsewhere in Lincolnshire to the female neighbour's house. Not a social call to see my FIL who was at home that day. In fact they never went to his house but went direct to the female neighbour where they banged on the front and back doors and called her repeatedly from their mobile phones. The conversation went something like this "We hope you're ok and haven't had a fall or anything but we need to know what has happened about the debit card because we tried to use it on Amazon last night and it seems that someone has cancelled the card. Was that you and why are you doing this? We really need that card." Neighbour was hiding under the stairs. Once they had gone she went to the male neighbour's house she was so distressed (she's 88) and he called us. Later he visited my FIL and discovered all the financial information cleared out. They had also vacuumed, cleaned the toilet and put some washing on. Very weird as on the previous 3 visits haven't done any housework at all.

It was a few days later that a gang of 5 random people turned up and took my FIL to the Bank. Nobody saw these people or knows who they were but apparently the police know. When we have them SIL's partner's phone number (obtained from female neighbour's phone using 1571) there was a sharp intake of breath and they said that there might be others involved.

We have NO IDEA what is going on but financial abuse was a factor in the safeguarding.

Now SIL can possibly claim she knows nothing about any of this but either way, if we walk away LA will take the easy route and leave it all to her. How can we stand by and allow an old man's savings to be !!!!!! away by criminals?

Not necessarily. The safeguarding should investigate these concerns, and the LA can liaise with the police. The outcome of the safeguarding could be that it is in his best interests to have a paid professional dealing with his finances. You could raise the concerns with social services and flag up what you have said here, and ask them to speak to sensible  neighbours about what happened. 

It’s a horrible thing to happen - I’d still suggest pushing the LA to check out all the concerns about SIL and her partner, and the gang and reiterating that he needs someone impartial sorting out his finances. Doesn’t prevent you from stepping back in if you feel you have to, but as it only really kicked off this morning the LA haven’t had time to do any formal safeguarding processes as yet. A safeguarding investigation needs to come up with protective measures. That’s the point at which decisions really need to be made. Give yourselves a bit more time to see what happens next.

Of course nobody can stop you getting involved, but I doubt it will give you any peace and will probably bring more distress, frustration and upset to your husband and you.  And if you do get involved it will need 100% committment from both of you, and it doesn't really sound as if either of you are in a position to give that.

Skiddaw1

Have to say, OP, I'm with the majority. Raise your concerns (via email) with SS but make it clear that you/your husband have been estranged from FIL for many years and are not now in a position to take on any responsibility for him. Having done that, don't engage with any of it any further. Block calls/change your email address if it comes to it.

theoretica

I agree with others - it sounds what is needed is to ensure that professionals step in.  The charity Age UK might have useful advice on any ways you can ensure this happens and police and SS join the dots as needed.