Lutter contre les maltraitances envers les adultes en situation de vulnérabilité

These factsheets are designed to support reflection and action aimed at structuring cooperation in the management of abuse cases involving vulnerable adults. Although numerous local actors — such as town halls, departmental social services, regional health agencies, police forces, public prosecutors, and non-profit organizations — are involved in addressing abuse, this issue was not the focus of a coordinated national public policy until 2024. The TACT (Traitement des Alertes de maltraitance en Coopération sur les Territoires – Treatment of Allegations of Abuse in Cooperation with Local Authorities) action-research project sought to gather and compare field-tested practices promoted by frontline professionals across several regions. The findings highlight two main challenges in managing reports of abuse involving vulnerable adults: Coordinating the various actors who receive and process reports; and Ensuring ongoing collaboration among stakeholders who contribute to local policies and follow-up on individual cases. These two challenges are often blurred in practice, as the same public authorities and professionals are involved in both missions — sometimes in overlapping and poorly defined ways. This situation was particularly evident before the adoption of the "bien vieillir - Ageing Well" Act in April 2024. While the need for coordination was frequently stressed in political discourse — in response to strong social demand — no single, clearly identified institution was given the authority to take the lead. The recent inclusion in the law of dedicated units for collecting and processing reports aims to address this lack of coordination. Previous efforts in this area had already been undertaken, but they were neither fully implemented nor sustained over time. Based on the findings of the TACT project concerning current practices in handling abuse reports, these nine reference sheets aim to support the implementation of the provisions introduced by the "bien vieillir - Ageing Well" Act of April 8, 2024. We refer to "TACT commissions" as collegial bodies whose mission is to coordinate operational work among all actors involved in the follow-up of abuse cases. These commissions are not mandated by law, nor do they require the creation of new structures. Instead, they build on existing collegial forums that local stakeholders have already established and tested. Their composition, scope, operations, and name are not pre-defined; they are shaped by local decisions. These factsheets are intended to support the recognition and improvement of cooperative practices, by guiding stakeholders through key questions and areas of reflection.