The county council has told a coroner that appropriate policies are in place to prevent adults dying in similar circumstances to a 40-year-old Furness woman.

An inquest heard that Charlotte Duffield, from Barrow, died from self-neglect after family members had not heard from her for weeks.

Expressing serious concern over her death, coroner Dr Nicholas Shaw wrote to adult safeguarding bosses in Cumbria in a bid to prevent future fatalities.

Dr Shaw said he was 'particularly concerned' that after Ms Duffield was referred to adult social care services no efforts were made to follow-up unanswered telephone appointments in person.

Ms Duffield's body was discovered when police forced entry to her home on February 4 in response to concerns that she had not been seen for several weeks.

The inquest heard it appeared she had been dead for a significant period of time.

Evidence heard at the inquest suggested that she lived a reclusive lifestyle and was l not caring for herself, particularly after her father, with whom she lived, had died three months earlier.

Responding to a letter from the coroner, Cumbria County Council said it had reviewed its safeguarding policies.

It said a systematic review of Cumbria Safeguarding Adults self-neglect policy and procedure documentation has been completed to clarify the roles, responsibilities, and duties across the safeguarding system had been carried out.

And that guidance in relation to self-neglect concerns has been reviewed and revised. The guidance 'reinforces the council’s position that a face-to-face visit, in order to complete assessment and ensure the safety of the person at risk, must be undertaken'.

The county council has also implemented a countywide Safeguarding Adults service 'to ensure a consistent and compliant' response for all safeguarding concern.

Responding, John Readman, the council's Executive Director of People, said: "The safety of service users is of the utmost importance to CCC.

"We take your finding that there were matters giving rise to concern, and your l opinion that there was a risk that future deaths may occur, extremely seriously.

"I wish to assure the Coroner that we proactively review our processes, and that the actions set out in this letter have been in place for many months."