Emeritus Professor Keith Brown has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to adult safeguarding and fraud and scams prevention.
Professor Brown, an expert in social work and prevention of financial scamming in vulnerable adults, worked at Bournemouth University from 1994 until his retirement in 2020 and retains an emeritus position at the university.
He led the National Centre for Cross Disciplinary Social Work while at Bournemouth University, with a depth of research in financial scamming and fraud, and supported many students in furthering their social work education.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Professor Brown was the Independent Chair of the NHS Safeguarding Adults National Network and intervened to ensure that blanket ‘do not resuscitate’ orders were not placed on residents in care homes. He was part of the team that developed covid-vaccine protocols for care home residents and vulnerable people.
Keith is best known for his work within the fields of fraud and scams. He was a founding member of the Financial Vulnerability Taskforce set up by the then Home Secretary Theresa May MP and has worked tirelessly for over 10 years in this area leading the national research and response from the National Trading Standards scams team.
His work helped in the development of the Banking Protocol which is used by all UK banks and building societies to notify the police and prevent vulnerable people from being escorted into banks to fraudulently withdraw funds. He also led the national campaign for reimbursement of funds to victims of fraud, which has subsequently become standard banking policy.
Speaking of his MBE award, Professor Brown said, “I am really thrilled to have received this honour. It represents years of work within this field that was facilitated and initially undertaken whilst I worked at Bournemouth University. I hope that members of my team at the time, and indeed the wider Bournemouth University community, can be proud that we have been able to make such a significant and important contribution to preventing and reducing the impact of fraud and scams in vulnerable adults in the UK.”
Keith retains a number of positions on national boards and councils, including chairing the Safeguarding Adults National Network, the Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults Board and the West of Berkshire Safeguarding Adults Board.
Congratulations to Professor Brown from all at Bournemouth University.
