SCIE Report 36: Enabling risk, ensuring safety: Self-directed support and personal budgets

Introduction

'There is no 'magic bullet' solution. However, there are mechanisms of support, empowerment, training and education... which could help reduce risk' (Kalaga, Kingston et al, 2007)

Practice issues

At local level, adult safeguarding is often a complicated, technical task. There are many relevant pieces of law and regulation which practitioners need to know about and use (human rights case-law and good practice, recent legislation about mental capacity, guidance on information-sharing and equality and diversity legislation).

But there is currently little research evidence on effective interventions that prevent and respond to harm against adults in all care environments.

The Action on Elder Abuse study (a large UK prevalence study of the abuse and neglect of older people) suggests that older people, who are often seen as a vulnerable group, rarely have contact with adult safeguarding systems.

This suggests the need for further inter-agency co-operation and multi-professional working.

It has also been recommended that all support for decision making in relation to self-directed support should be in line with core statutory principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Further reading

• Action on Elder Abuse (2007) Briefing Paper: The UK study of abuse and neglect of older people London: AEA
• SCIE Mental Capacity Act resources
• Kalaga H & Kingston P (2007) A Review of Literature on Effective Interventions that Prevent and Respond to Harm Against Adults Edinburgh: Scottish Government Social Research

Points for reflection

How do you rate your own knowledge in the areas below? Which do you feel most/least confident about?

• legislation about mental capacity
• human rights case-law and good practice
• guidance on information-sharing
• equality and diversity legislation