Making Safeguarding Personal: developing responses and enhancing skills
| Date | 08 April 2014 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-07-2013-0027 |
| Pages | 96-103 |
| Published date | 08 April 2014 |
| Author | Jill Manthorpe,Deborah Klee,Cathie Williams,Adi Cooper |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Adult protection |
Making Safeguarding Personal:
developing responses and enhancing skills
Jill Manthorpe, Deborah Klee, Cathie Williams and Adi Cooper
Dr Jill Manthorpe is
Professor, based at Social
Care Workforce Research Unit,
King’s College London,
London, UK.
Deborah Klee is an
Independent Management
Consultant, based at Deborah
Klee Consultancy Ltd,
Clacton, UK.
Cathie Williams is the Adult
Safeguarding Principal Adviser,
based at Local Government
Association, London, UK.
Dr Adi Cooper is the Strategic
Director, based at Adult Social
Services, Housing and Health,
London Borough of Sutton,
Sutton, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to contextualise and summarise the Making Safeguarding Personal programme
and to place this in the context of early developments in research-based evidence.
Design/methodology/approach – A programme of sector led improvement in local council adult
safeguarding arrangements was carried out in four English local councils by the Local Government
Association and other stakeholders. Support was provided to four local council test bed sites to assist them
to test and adapt different approaches to adult safeguarding that placed emphasis on outcomes and
on approaches to mediation to assist vulnerable adults to improve their circumstances.
Findings – Key findings from the test bed sites are that it may be possible to consider the outcomes of
safeguarding interventions from “user”perspectives and that it appears that practitioners may welcome
support with taking forward methods of mediation and work with family networks. These activities reflect an
interest in developing practice responses and measures of effectiveness.
Originality/value – Councils will need to develop measures of the effectiveness of safeguarding
arrangements and sector led improvements can contribute to these from a “bottom up”perspective.
Practitioners often welcome opportunities to reflect on and to invest in responses to cases of alleged and
proven abuse and neglect.
Keywords Safeguarding, Practice
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The Making Safeguarding Personal (MSP) development project was set up in response to
concerns from some safeguarding stakeholders and practitioners in England that the focus
on process and procedure in adult safeguarding was too great. The project is an example of
responses to recent government emphasis on the importance and effectiveness of sector led
improvement rather than central direction and regulation. The first MSP project aimed to explore
the potential for new approaches to adult safeguarding practice with user outcomes as a key
focus. Four MSP projects from local councils were chosen by a project board to receive support
and a small amount of funding. This paper presents a summary of the projects that took part in
England 2012-2013 and reflects on the potential that they highlighted for changing adult
safeguarding practice. MSP is a continuing and evolving initiative; its future plans are presented.
Background
The MSP development project was set up by and directly funded by the Local Government
Association (LGA) and supported by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
(ADASS) in 2011 (Local Government Group/Association of Directors of Adult Social Services/
Care Quality Commission/Department of Health/Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2011).
The overall project of which MSP was in part established and co-funded by the Towards
Excellence in Adult Social Care Project Board (the board steering sector-led improvements in
The authors are most grateful to the
practitioners and managers who
took part in the MSP projects and
those who contributed to the
workshops. The MSP programme
could not have taken place without
funding and support from the Local
Government Association and the
Association of Directors of Adult
Social Services (ADASS) and the
support of the wider programme
board. Professor Manthorpe’s
contributions are part of the work
programme of the Social Care
Workforce Research Unit that is
funded by the Department of
Health’s Policy Research
Programme. The views expressed
in this paper are those of the
authors alone and should not be
interpreted as necessarily those of
the Department of Health or other
stakeholders.
PAGE 96
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
VOL. 16 NO. 2 2014, pp. 96-103, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203 DOI 10.1108/JAP-07-2013-0027
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