Seven-minute briefings
Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP)
1 What
Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) means adult safeguarding is person-led, outcome focused, engages the person and enhances involvement, choice and control, improves quality of life, wellbeing and safety. MSP must not simply be seen in the context of a formal safeguarding enquiry but also in the whole spectrum of safeguarding activity and across all agencies. Ensure the adult is aware of the process and is fully involved, “safeguarding is what we do with someone not too someone”.
2 Background
The 6 Safeguarding Principles
Empowerment
presume person led decision and informed consent
Prevention
initiate and take action before harm occurs or risk escalation
Proportionality
support in the least intrusive way and proportionate to presenting risk
Protection
represent and support those in greatest need of protection from harm
Partnership
think about the relevant organisations/practitioners to involve including local communities, who have a role in detecting and reporting abuse
Accountability
be accountable and always transparent in safeguarding matters with those involved
3 Why it matters
MSP is fundamental to adult Safeguarding. It is embedded in the Care Act and ensures that the views of the adult are central to any action or inaction. It is about understanding what they want to happen and how they want it to happen (this may differ to what professionals think is right).
MSP requires an individualised approach to adult safeguarding, keeping them at the forefront of all intervention. It is essential to ensure that the adult is central and in control throughout. What do they want? What do they need? How can you help?
4 Information
Professionals need to have a degree of caution in their judgements and triangulate information. This means seeking independent confirmation of individuals’ accounts and weighing up details from a range of sources or practitioners, particularly when there appear to be discrepancies.
5 Information continued
Consider family and wider support networks and involve them as far as wanted and helpful for the person at risk. This needs to take into account the impact (and also possible risk) on the adult at risk. Support family and relevant others to access support.
6 What to do
Clarify and record the person’s wanted outcomes, to support them making choices and feel empowered.
- Ensure outcomes have been understood
- Think about ways of working with the Person to achieve the desired change/ outcomes
- It is the person’s personal outcomes, which practitioners need to check at the start, middle and end of the safeguarding process
- Ensure the adults wanted outcomes are met. This might not necessarily be to feel safer, as they might not wish to take any action
- If a crime is committed the adult may need support to report this and understand what this means
7 Questions
Consider culture/ethnicity and possible language barriers and organise support as needed. Where a person has care and support needs consider if the person presents as having substantial difficulty to engage in the safeguarding process, or aspects of it.
Do they need someone appropriate to act on their behalf or an independent advocate?
Ensure you invite the adult to meetings and think about what this practically means in terms of location, access, communication etcetera.
Ensure you share relevant information with other professionals and make referrals as appropriate