Makaton for Safeguarding and Speaking Up in Learning Disability Services
Makaton can support safeguarding and speaking up in learning disability services when people need clearer ways to show worry, ask for help or identify who they trust. Safeguarding conversations can be difficult when staff rely only on spoken questions. Some people may not use words such as abuse, neglect, bullying, exploitation or complaint, but they may still communicate that something is wrong.
Strong providers include Makaton within wider communication and accessibility in learning disability support and connect safeguarding communication with learning disability service pathways and support models. This matters because people must be supported to understand safety, express concerns and take part in protection planning wherever possible.
Concept explained clearly
Makaton uses signs, symbols and speech together to support understanding and expression. In safeguarding, it may help people communicate help, stop, no, worried, sad, hurt, safe, unsafe, friend, staff, home or finished.
The purpose is not to force disclosure or lead someone towards a particular answer. The purpose is to give the person a clearer communication route, while staff listen carefully, record accurately and escalate concerns proportionately.
Why it matters in real services
Safeguarding risks can be missed when communication is unclear. A person may avoid someone, reject an activity, become distressed after contact or repeatedly seek a trusted worker. Without the right communication support, these signs may be dismissed as mood or behaviour.
Providers should be able to evidence that Makaton is used carefully, respectfully and alongside wider observation. This protects people while preserving dignity and choice.
What good looks like
Good safeguarding use of Makaton is calm, non-leading and person-specific. Staff use familiar signs and symbols, give time, avoid pressure and record exactly how the person communicated.
Strong services demonstrate a clear line of sight from communication evidence to safeguarding action, advocacy, risk review and outcome.
Operational Example 1: Helping someone identify trusted people
Context: A person became anxious before visits from an acquaintance. Staff noticed sleep changes, reduced appetite and increased reassurance-seeking, but the person did not explain verbally what was wrong.
Support approach: The provider used Makaton signs for safe, worried, help, friend, staff and home, alongside photos of trusted people and known contacts.
Five practical steps:
- Staff reviewed patterns before and after visits.
- The safeguarding lead agreed a non-leading communication approach.
- Workers used signs and photos during calm one-to-one time.
- The person’s selections, rejection and emotional responses were recorded.
- The concern was escalated with communication evidence and risk context.
Day-to-day delivery detail: The person signed help when shown the keyworker photo and pushed away the acquaintance photo after staff signed worried. Staff did not treat this alone as proof of harm, but recognised it as significant communication requiring follow-up.
How effectiveness was evidenced: Safeguarding records showed the concern, the communication method used and the person’s response. Contact arrangements were reviewed, and the person showed reduced anxiety after changes were made.
Deepening safeguarding through total communication
Makaton should sit within total communication beyond spoken language. A person may use signs alongside facial expression, movement, silence, withdrawal, object use, avoidance or changes in routine.
This means staff should not rely only on whether the person signs clearly. They should understand the wider pattern and record communication in context, especially where safeguarding concerns are possible.
Operational Example 2: Supporting someone to say no
Context: A person often agreed to social contact but later became distressed. Staff were concerned that the person did not have a clear way to refuse unwanted interaction.
Support approach: The provider introduced Makaton signs for no, stop, finished, help and later, practised during everyday choices before being used in more sensitive situations.
Five practical steps:
- The team identified situations where the person appeared unable to refuse.
- Staff practised refusal signs during low-risk daily choices.
- Workers responded immediately when the person used no or stop.
- The person’s communication profile was updated with refusal cues.
- Risk plans were reviewed to support safer social contact.
Day-to-day delivery detail: Staff first used the signs around food, music and activity choices. Once the person understood that no was respected, they began using the stop sign when a visitor stood too close.
How effectiveness was evidenced: Records showed clearer refusal communication and improved staff response. The provider evidenced that Makaton supported rights, boundaries and safer relationships.
Systems, workforce and consistency
Safeguarding-related signs must be used consistently and carefully. Staff need to know which signs the person understands, how to avoid leading questions and when to escalate concerns to managers or safeguarding leads.
Supervision should review whether staff recognise communication changes and whether concerns are recorded factually. Handovers should share relevant risks without unnecessary detail, protecting confidentiality and dignity.
Operational Example 3: Speaking up about staff conduct
Context: A person appeared unsettled after support from a particular staff member. They avoided eye contact, moved away during handover and signed finished when the worker entered the room.
Support approach: The provider used Makaton-supported speaking-up materials aligned with accessible information standards in learning disability services. The approach focused on trusted people, worry signs and what happens next.
Five practical steps:
- The manager gathered factual observations from different staff.
- A trusted worker used signs for worried, help, staff, stop and safe.
- The person was supported to identify who they wanted present.
- The concern was escalated through safeguarding and HR routes.
- The person’s wellbeing and support confidence were reviewed afterwards.
Day-to-day delivery detail: The person repeatedly signed worried when shown the staff member’s photo and selected the manager as safe. Staff recorded the communication exactly and avoided asking repeated closed questions.
How effectiveness was evidenced: The provider evidenced timely escalation, communication support, management action and wellbeing monitoring. The person became more settled after changes to staff allocation.
Governance and evidence
The audit trail may include communication profiles, Makaton sign lists, safeguarding records, factual observations, supervision notes, advocacy involvement, risk assessments, management actions and outcome reviews.
Data may show earlier concern identification, clearer refusal, reduced distress after protective action or improved speaking-up confidence. Qualitative evidence should explain how the person communicated and how staff responded.
Commissioner and CQC expectations
Commissioners expect providers to evidence safeguarding, rights, involvement and personalised communication. Makaton can help demonstrate that people are supported to raise worries and influence protection planning.
CQC expects safe care, protection from abuse, effective communication, dignity, staff competence and good governance. Inspectors may look at whether staff recognise communication as part of safeguarding and act on concerns.
Common pitfalls
- Using signs in a leading or pressured way.
- Ignoring avoidance, rejection or adapted signs as possible communication.
- Teaching yes without teaching no, stop or help.
- Failing to record the person’s exact communication.
- Not escalating patterns because there is no verbal disclosure.
- Sharing safeguarding information too widely in handovers.
Conclusion
Makaton can strengthen safeguarding when it helps people show worry, identify trusted people, refuse unwanted contact and ask for help. Strong providers demonstrate that signs and symbols are used carefully, respectfully and without pressure. When Makaton is linked to safeguarding governance and outcome evidence, people are more likely to be heard, protected and involved.