Making safeguarding personal
The Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) approach started in 2010, with the principles later integrated into The Care Act 2014 guidance, which requires safeguarding adults practice to be person led and outcome focused.
“Nothing about me without me”
It aims to give more choice and control to the person, keeping them central to the enquiry, with a focus on improving their quality of life, well-being and safety.
The key focus is to develop a real understanding of what the person wishes to achieve, recording their desired outcomes and seeing how well these have been met.
It may not always be possible to achieve those expressed outcomes, and it is important to be realistic with the person about what the safeguarding process may or may not involve or conclude with. There may be wider public interest issues, or risks to others, that have to be considered despite an individual view. The point is to have the discussions from the beginning and keep these going throughout.
Where an adult lacks capacity then then the principles of the Mental Capacity Act must be followed to be clear about what the adult would have considered important to them in terms of the safeguarding concern and decisions that might need to be made.
The 6 key principles of the Care Act including safeguarding adults:
| Empowerment – Presumption of person led decisions and informed consent. | “I am asked what I want as the outcomes from the safeguarding process and these directly inform what happens.” |
| Prevention – It is better to take action before harm occurs | “I receive clear and simple information about what abuse is, how to recognise the signs and what I can do to seek help.” |
| Proportionality – Proportionate and least intrusive response appropriate to the risk presented. | “I am sure that the professionals will work in my interest, as I see them and they will only get involved as much as needed.” |
| Protection – Support and representation for those in greatest need. | “I get help and support to report abuse and neglect. I get help so that I am able to take part in the safeguarding process to the extent to which I want.” |
| Partnership – Local solutions through services working with their communities. Communities have a part to play in preventing, detecting and reporting neglect and abuse. | “I know that staff treat any personal and sensitive information in confidence, only sharing what is helpful and necessary. I am confident that professionals will work together and with me to get the best result for me.” |
| Accountability – Accountability and transparency in delivering safeguarding. | “I understand the role of everyone involved in my life and so do they.” |
MSP framework / toolkit
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and the Local Government Association (LGA) asked the Institute of Public Care (IPC) at Oxford Brookes University and Research in Practice for Adults (RiPfA) to develop a national MSP outcomes framework. The purpose of the framework is to provide a means of promoting and measuring practice that supports an outcomes focus and person led approach to safeguarding. IPC and RiPfA worked with the sector in early 2018 to develop this outcomes framework. More detail about the activities undertaken and the councils involved in the development of the framework can be found in the accompanying report.
The framework consists of seven questions in total. The questions are detailed below. Questions 4, 5, 6 and 7 are about the individual’s – or their representative’s - experience of the safeguarding activity. Different versions of questions 4 to 7 are given below depending on whether the adult at risk or their representative (whether a friend, carer, family member or an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate) is being asked. These questions can be asked using an interview method by an independent person (i.e. not the person leading the enquiry) after the case was closed, but within eight weeks of the case closing. Alternatively the person leading the information gathering or enquiry can ask the questions at case closure. There are pros and cons of either method.
You can find the framework here - LGA/ADASS MSP framework
The Voice of the Person
In March 2023, Hillingdon Safeguarding Partnership published a report about the voice of the person in safeguarding.
The Partnership, as part of its role in quality assuring local safeguarding arrangements, sought to understand how effectively and consistently the voices of children, and adults with care and support needs, are captured during their contact with safeguarding partners.
They identified five key things that professionals can do to help people feel listened to:
- Make dedicated time and space to listen
- Find ways to communicate that make sense to individuals and families, including using interpreters where needed
- Build relationships with people, often over time
- Act on what people say and communicate what is being done, and
- Show genuine care and compassion
You can read more here in this short (4 page) summary:
Executive Summary - Exploring Practice: Voice of the Person 2022-2023
