What are the Six Principles of Adult Safeguarding?
The six core principles of adult safeguarding were introduced by the Care Act 2014 and provide the foundation for all effective safeguarding practices. They represent a person-centred approach, ensuring that the health, wellbeing, and human rights of individuals are protected. These principles are not isolated concepts but a holistic framework that ensures vulnerable people are kept safe from harm, abuse, and neglect. Every health and social care professional, along with community members, must understand and apply these principles consistently.
The Six Key Principles:
- Empowerment: Supporting and encouraging individuals to make their own decisions and give informed consent. The focus is on the person's wishes, goals, and outcomes, rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. This means providing individuals with the necessary information and support to feel confident in their choices.
- Prevention: Taking proactive action before harm occurs. This involves identifying and addressing potential risks early and ensuring that individuals have clear information about abuse, how to recognise it, and what to do if they are concerned.
- Proportionality: Ensuring that the least intrusive response is appropriate to the risk presented. Interventions must be proportionate and respectful of the individual's rights and liberties, avoiding overly restrictive measures where possible.
- Protection: Providing support and representation for those in the greatest need. This includes having robust reporting mechanisms and ensuring staff are trained to act effectively to stop danger from escalating.
- Partnership: Encouraging local solutions through services and communities working together. Collaboration between different agencies, professionals, and the community is crucial for effective safeguarding. This multi-agency approach ensures all relevant parties are involved in safeguarding decisions.
- Accountability: Ensuring accountability and transparency in all safeguarding practices. Everyone involved has a responsibility to keep people safe and to act transparently. Clear roles and responsibilities must be established within organisations.
Comparison: Old vs. New Safeguarding Principles
The introduction of the Care Act 2014 significantly shifted the approach to adult safeguarding. The focus moved away from simply protecting a 'vulnerable' population towards a more person-centred approach that respects an adult's independence and choices.
| Feature | Before Care Act 2014 | With Care Act 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | On protecting 'vulnerable adults' based on their perceived fragility. | On the individual's wellbeing, empowerment, and self-determination. |
| Terminology | Used the potentially stigmatising and disempowering term 'vulnerable adult'. | Uses the more respectful and person-centred term 'adult at risk' or 'adult with care and support needs'. |
| Approach to Intervention | Often prescriptive, with an emphasis on professional-led safety measures. | Emphasises 'Making Safeguarding Personal' (MSP), focusing on outcomes determined by the person themselves. |
| Role of the Individual | Limited involvement in decision-making processes. | Full participation and involvement in the safeguarding process as much as they wish. |
| Prevention | Less emphasis on proactive prevention, more on reacting to issues. | Strong focus on early identification and prevention of potential abuse and neglect. |
| Scope | Often focused on institutional settings. | Applies across all settings and recognises the role of the wider community and informal networks. |
Applying the Safeguarding Principles in Practice
Effective safeguarding relies on the practical application of these principles by all professionals and services, as well as the wider community. Putting these principles into practice requires a cultural shift towards transparency, collaboration, and a deep respect for individual autonomy.
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For Healthcare and Social Care Professionals: Training on the six principles is mandatory for many roles, but their application goes beyond policy knowledge. It requires thoughtful, person-centred judgment. For example, a social worker dealing with a case of self-neglect must balance the principle of Protection with Empowerment and Proportionality, working with the individual to find the least intrusive solution. Decisions must be made in the individual's best interest, always considering their capacity to make their own choices. For those lacking capacity, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 must be followed, potentially involving an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate.
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For Organisations and Management: Organisations must embed the principles into their policies and procedures. This means appointing designated safeguarding leads (Accountability), ensuring clear reporting pathways, and fostering a culture of openness. Strong Partnerships with other agencies, such as the police and housing services, are vital for a coordinated response. For example, when an allegation is made against a staff member, clear disciplinary and reporting procedures must be followed, and local authorities must be notified, demonstrating Accountability.
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For the Community: The principle of Partnership extends beyond professional bodies to the community. Family, friends, and neighbours all have a part to play in noticing signs of abuse or neglect and reporting concerns. Awareness campaigns and making information about safeguarding easily accessible and clear (Prevention) are crucial for empowering the public to act.
The Importance of a Person-Centred Approach
The most significant element of the modern approach is 'Making Safeguarding Personal' (MSP). This initiative emphasizes that safeguarding must be outcome-focused and centred around what the person wants to happen. Instead of professionals prescribing a solution, MSP ensures that the individual's own voice is at the forefront of the process. This aligns perfectly with the principle of Empowerment by ensuring that individuals are active participants, not passive recipients, of safeguarding efforts. The process involves clear, accessible communication and working collaboratively with the individual and their trusted network to achieve the best possible outcome for them. This approach leads to more positive outcomes and helps to build trust and confidence.
Conclusion
The six key principles of adult safeguarding—empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership, and accountability—are essential for creating a society where all adults at risk can live free from abuse and neglect. By understanding and applying these principles, professionals, organisations, and communities can work together to ensure that safeguarding is a person-centred, collaborative, and transparent process. The shift from simply reacting to abuse to proactively preventing it and empowering individuals is a hallmark of modern, ethical care, demonstrating a commitment to protecting the human rights and well-being of every person.
