Learning from safeguarding adults for Transitional Safeguarding practice

Abstract

Chapter 6 explores learning from adult safeguarding provision, which is very different to children's safeguarding. Adult safeguarding enquiry processes apply where adults have care and support needs and are unable to protect themselves because of those needs. For some young people, who have had safeguarding support as children, this can mean that there is a 'cliff edge' when they become 18 because they are not considered to have care and support needs, or because these are not deemed to prevent them being able to protect themselves. Despite the enabling preventative powers of the Care Act 2014 and underpinning 'well-being' principle, lack of legal literacy, pressures on services, and limited resources and capacity can all serve to limit the support offer to young people. MSP is the key approach that underpins adult safeguarding practice. It prioritises the involvement of the person in identifying their outcomes and focuses on what they want to achieve to be safe. MSP provides a way of working with young adults that can adapt to their personal developmental needs, ensures their active participation, and provides an inclusive safeguarding response. It is aligned to the principles of Transitional Safeguarding and can be 'drawn down' to use as an approach to safeguard young people aged 16-plus who are able to evaluate the risks that they face in their lives.