NMC Safeguarding Vulnerable People 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which legislation provides the primary legal framework for safeguarding adults in England?
- Mental Health Act 1983
- Children Act 1989
- Care Act 2014 (Correct answer)
- Human Rights Act 1998
Correct answer: Care Act 2014
The Care Act 2014 established a statutory framework for adult safeguarding in England, defining duties and the six safeguarding principles.
Question 2: Under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, what is the primary guiding principle when making decisions on behalf of a person who lacks capacity?
- Follow the family's wishes
- Act in the person's best interests (Correct answer)
- Apply the least restrictive option regardless of outcome
- Follow the clinical team's recommendation
Correct answer: Act in the person's best interests
Acting in the person's best interests is the core principle of the MCA 2005, requiring consideration of all relevant factors including the individual's past wishes.
Question 3: Section 47 of the Children Act 1989 places a statutory duty to investigate child welfare concerns on which body?
- NHS Trust
- Police service
- The child's school
- The local authority (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The local authority
Section 47 places a duty on the local authority to investigate when there is reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm.
Question 4: The 'Making Safeguarding Personal' (MSP) approach in adult safeguarding primarily emphasizes:
- Standardized procedures applied uniformly to all cases
- Prioritizing professional judgment over individual preferences
- Person-centered outcomes and meaningful engagement with the individual (Correct answer)
- Rapid removal from the abusive situation as the first step
Correct answer: Person-centered outcomes and meaningful engagement with the individual
MSP shifts the focus from process compliance to achieving the outcomes that matter to the person, keeping them central to the safeguarding process.
Question 5: Under the Children Act 2004, which body coordinates multi-agency safeguarding for children at a local level?
- Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)
- Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships (LSCPs) (Correct answer)
- NHS Safeguarding Boards
- Police and Crime Commissioners
Correct answer: Local Safeguarding Children Partnerships (LSCPs)
LSCPs replaced Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) in 2019 under Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance.
Question 6: A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is primarily used to:
- Verify a healthcare worker's professional qualifications
- Confirm the identity of a new healthcare worker
- Identify individuals who are barred from working with vulnerable groups (Correct answer)
- Check financial records for employment clearance
Correct answer: Identify individuals who are barred from working with vulnerable groups
DBS checks reveal criminal history and whether an individual is on the barred list for working with children or vulnerable adults.
Question 7: What is the FIRST key presumption of the Mental Capacity Act 2005?
- Capacity assessments must always be conducted by a psychiatrist
- Healthcare staff must override patient decisions when safety is at risk
- A person without capacity must have a court-appointed deputy
- Every adult must be presumed to have capacity unless proved otherwise (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Every adult must be presumed to have capacity unless proved otherwise
The first and foundational principle of the MCA 2005 is the presumption of capacity — it must never be assumed that someone lacks capacity without proper assessment.
NMC Safeguarding Vulnerable People 3
Which legislation provides the primary legal framework for safeguarding adults in England?