Safeguarding Adults consultation

This page provides the latest information on the consultation of the Department of Health's review of the 'No Secrets' guidance and asks for views from the NHS.

In 2000, the Department of Health, Home Office and the Ministry of Justice jointly issued No Secrets: Guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse.This document provides guidance to local agencies that have a responsibility to investigate and take action when a vulnerable adult is believed to be suffering from abuse. It offers a structure and content for the development of local inter-agency policies, procedures and joint protocols which will draw on good practice nationally and locally; and encourages partnership working between all statutory, voluntary and private agencies that work with vulnerable adults.

Safeguarding Adults: consultation on the review of the 'No Secrets' guidance

Since the publication of the 'No Secrets' guidance in 2000 there has been a steady move towards using the broader term 'safeguarding adults' and in summer 2007, Ivan Lewis, Minister for Care Services, announced a review of the 'No Secrets' guidance.

On 16 October, 2008, the Department of Health, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice launched the national consultation on the review of the 'No Secrets' guidance, seeking views from the public, the NHS, Social Care and the Criminal Justice system.

There are three main reasons for this review:

• The policy environment has changed considerably since 2000 and it is important that policies on safeguarding are fit for purpose
• Key stakeholders involved in safeguarding have identified weaknesses in implementation of the 'No Secrets' guidance and this review is to address these issues
• There is a lack of legislative provisions around safeguarding adults in comparison to those in place for safeguarding children. A specific objective of this consultation is therefore to examine the case for legislative change

Why is this an issue for the NHS?

There is a common misconception that abuse is something that happens in care homes and is an issue for Social Care to investigate not the NHS. The 'No Secrets' guidance envisaged that NHS organisations would work actively within an inter-agency framework and that they would carry out joint investigations and actively promote the empowerment and well-being of vulnerable adults.

Safeguarding has now begun to be taken seriously in the NHS and there is an increasing recognition that the NHS does have responsibilities for safeguarding. The Healthcare Commission is also starting to give safeguarding more prominence. The Darzi Report, 'High Quality Care for All' identifies patient safety as an increasing priority for all health services, as an essential component of quality.

As safeguarding develops further in health organisations, it is important that it builds on, and is integrated with the governance systems that already exist in order to promote quality, gather relevant information and maintain oversight up to board level. The new regulated Care Quality Commission will also regulate the NHS. The Department of Health has recently consulted on the registration requirements that will apply across health and social care, and these include a requirement on safeguarding that all providers, including the NHS, will need to comply with.

To take part in the consultation review

It is important that the NHS is fully engaged in this consultation. As part of the review, NHS Employers will be providing a collective response to the Department of Health and would encourage organisations to read the consultation document and to complete our on-line questionnaire.

The consultation document raises many questions, however Chapter five, which identifies some of the levers which are leading the development of safeguarding in health services and asks what more needs to be done to integrate safeguarding into high-quality healthcare for all, is the area we are focusing on in our response.

Who should respond?

HR Directors, and/or anyone who has an interest and responsibility in safeguarding vulnerable groups such as older people, adults with a learning disability, and adults with mental health difficulties.

The closing date for sending responses directly to NHS Employers is 16 January, 2009.

The Care Services Improvement Partnership will be running a series of regional and national events, workshops and meetings, further details will shortly be available on the Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk

Outcomes

After we have collected your views, we will update this page with our response to the consultation.

The Department of Health together with the Home Office and Ministry of Justice will use the responses to the consultation in the development of further guidance and other measures to improve the safeguarding process.

A summary of the response to this consultation will be made available in February 2009 and will be published on the DH website.