Plans to
strengthen the protection of vulnerable adults by making it a
legal requirement for all local authorities to have a Safeguarding
Adults Board were today announced by Care Services Minister Paul Burstow.
Safeguarding Adults Boards provide vital leadership to those
involved in adult safeguarding work across the full range of
safeguarding issues. These range from serious incidents in
hospitals and institutional abuse in care settings to financial
abuse and “scams”, bullying and victimisation.
Speaking at the Capita Conference on Adult Safeguarding, Mr
Burstow will also outline the new Government guiding principles on
safeguarding which seek to increase the protection for those most
at risk in society.
The principles outline the Government’s objective to prevent and
reduce the risk of harm to vulnerable people and set out the key
issues, which must inform local arrangements including:
Empowerment – supporting people to make decisions and have a say
in their care; Protection – support and representation for those
in greatest need;Prevention – it is better to take action before
harm occurs;Proportionality – safeguarding must be built on
proportionality and a consideration of people’s human
rights;Partnership – local solutions through services working with
their communities; andAccountability – safeguarding practice and
arrangements should be accountable and transparent.
Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said:
"I am determined that we strengthen the law to protect
the most vulnerable people in our society.
“By making Safeguarding Adults Boards mandatory, we aim to make
them more effective and ensure those at risk of harm or
exploitation will be safer.
“Today, on behalf of the Government, I have set out six key
principles which must underpin safeguarding arrangements. I want
to see local agencies use these as a basis to develop and test
their own actions to ensure that vulnerable people receive the
protection they need regardless of where they live."
Safeguarding Adults Boards are made up of the local social
services authority, the police, the NHS and working with all other
groups involved in protecting at risk adults. They also include
members of the local community, giving the public a voice and
enabling them to hold local organisations to account for what they
are doing on safeguarding.
The Boards already exist in each local authority but are
currently not mandatory and their effectiveness is variable. By
making Boards mandatory, the Government is sending a strong signal
about their importance and the need to work in partnership with
collective accountability to local communities.
The Law Commission’s report to the Government on reforming social
care law, published on May 11, recommended placing Safeguarding
Adult Boards on a statutory footing.
Notes to Editors
1. For further information, please contact the Department of
Health press office on 020 7210 5221.
2. The statement of Government policy on adult safeguarding will
be published on the Department of Health’s website at the link
before at 2pm, Monday 16 May. For copies before 2pm please contact
the Department of Health press office.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_126748
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk