The Covid-19 pandemic exposed significant weaknesses in how some of the most at risk people in our society were protected, supported and heard.
The publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry's Module 6 report on 20 October 2026, examining the impact of the pandemic on adult social care across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, provides an important opportunity to reflect on what happened, why it happened and, crucially, what must change.
While the inquiry focuses on the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic, the safeguarding questions it raises are far from historical.
They go to the heart of how organisations understand risk, uphold people's rights, exercise professional judgement and maintain accountability when services are under pressure.
The fundamental question is this: have we genuinely embedded the learning, or are we at risk of repeating the same mistakes in a future crisis?
What Did the Covid-19 Inquiry Find?
The inquiry identified serious shortcomings in pandemic preparedness, decision-making and the protection of people receiving adult social care.
Its findings highlight several areas of particular concern.
1. Adult Social Care Was Insufficiently Prioritised
The inquiry found that adult social care entered the pandemic facing longstanding pressures, including workforce shortages, financial challenges and inadequate emergency preparedness.
The sector was not sufficiently prioritised in national pandemic planning, leaving people receiving care and those supporting them particularly vulnerable.
This raises fundamental questions about whether safeguarding risks are adequately considered within organisational and national emergency planning.
2. Hospital Discharge Arrangements Exposed Residents to Avoidable Risks
The inquiry examined the discharge of patients from hospitals into care homes during the early stages of the pandemic.
Inadequate testing and isolation arrangements increased the risk of infection within care settings.
The findings highlight weaknesses in communication, risk assessment and coordination between health and social care services.
For safeguarding professionals, this reinforces the importance of effective multi-agency working and ensuring that decisions made within one service do not inadvertently expose individuals to harm elsewhere.
3. Visiting Restrictions Had Devastating Consequences
Restrictions introduced to reduce the spread of infection resulted in prolonged separation between many people receiving care and their families, friends and advocates.
For some, this meant significant emotional distress, loneliness and deterioration in wellbeing.
Others were unable to spend their final moments with loved ones.
The inquiry's findings demonstrate the importance of considering the wider consequences of restrictive measures, including their impact on dignity, relationships, independence and human rights.
4. Care Workers Were Not Adequately Protected or Supported
The report highlights significant workforce challenges, including shortages of personal protective equipment, staffing pressures and insufficient support for care workers.
Staff were required to provide care in extraordinarily difficult circumstances, often while managing risks to their own health and wellbeing.
The inquiry also recognised the considerable pressures experienced by unpaid carers.
These findings reinforce the importance of workforce planning, supportive leadership, safeguarding supervision and effective escalation arrangements.
5. Serious Concerns About End-of-Life Decision-Making
The inquiry examined concerns about Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions, including situations where individuals and families were not appropriately consulted.
These concerns highlight the risks associated with blanket approaches to care and decisions that fail to consider an individual's circumstances, wishes and rights.
End-of-life decisions must remain individualised, appropriately informed and consistent with relevant legal and professional requirements.
What Has the Inquiry Recommended?
The report makes eight principal recommendations aimed at strengthening the resilience of adult social care and improving preparedness for future emergencies.
These cover important areas including:
Improved pandemic planning and preparedness across adult social care.
Stronger arrangements for infection prevention, isolation and visiting.
Better financial and practical support for care workers during emergencies.
Maintaining effective regulatory oversight and inspection arrangements.
Improved collection and reporting of deaths in adult social care.
Mandatory end-of-life care training for relevant health and social care professionals.
Development of a voluntary adult social care workforce register in England.
The recommendations are intended to inform future government and sector action. They should not be confused with new statutory safeguarding requirements already in force.
For organisations, however, there is no need to wait for further legislation before reflecting on the findings and identifying improvements.
When Protection Becomes a Safeguarding Concern
One of the most difficult lessons from the pandemic is that measures introduced to protect people from harm can themselves create additional risks.
Restrictions on visiting, reduced access to families and advocates, changes to care arrangements and prolonged periods of isolation had profound consequences for many people receiving care.
For some, these measures affected not only emotional wellbeing but also independence, dignity and the ability to maintain meaningful relationships.
This presents an important safeguarding challenge.
Protecting someone from infection cannot be considered in isolation from their other needs, rights and circumstances.
Safeguarding requires organisations to recognise competing risks and make proportionate, person-centred decisions.
It also requires us to ask whether the voices of people receiving care were sufficiently heard when decisions affecting their lives were made.
Leadership, Governance and Accountability Matter
The inquiry's findings reinforce the importance of effective leadership, preparation and oversight.
Safeguarding is not simply the responsibility of a designated safeguarding lead or an individual practitioner.
It is an organisational responsibility that must be reflected in governance arrangements, risk management, workforce planning and operational decision-making.
During periods of significant pressure, organisations need clear arrangements for identifying concerns, escalating risks and challenging decisions that may compromise people's safety or rights.
Leaders should be able to demonstrate not only that safeguarding policies exist, but that they remain effective when normal operating arrangements are disrupted.
This raises several important questions:
Are safeguarding risks considered within business continuity and emergency planning?
Can staff raise concerns and challenge decisions without fear of negative consequences?
Are restrictions on people's freedoms regularly reviewed for necessity and proportionality?
Do senior leaders receive sufficient information to identify emerging safeguarding risks?
Are people receiving care, their families and advocates meaningfully involved in decisions?
These questions should form part of ongoing safeguarding assurance rather than being considered only after a serious incident.
The Workforce Must Be Supported to Safeguard Effectively
The pandemic placed extraordinary demands on the adult social care workforce.
Staff were required to make difficult decisions, respond to rapidly changing expectations and provide care in circumstances that were often emotionally and physically challenging.
Effective safeguarding depends on a workforce that is appropriately trained, supported and confident in exercising professional judgement.
Training alone, however, is not enough.
Staff also need access to reflective supervision, clear escalation pathways, supportive leadership and opportunities to discuss ethical dilemmas.
Where professionals are overwhelmed, isolated or unclear about their responsibilities, safeguarding risks may be harder to identify and address.
Organisations should therefore consider whether their supervision and workforce support arrangements provide meaningful opportunities to recognise and respond to concerns, particularly during periods of increased pressure.
Human Rights Must Remain Central to Safeguarding
Perhaps one of the most important areas for reflection is the relationship between safeguarding and human rights.
The principles of the Care Act 2014, including empowerment, prevention, proportionality and accountability, remain central to adult safeguarding practice in England.
Alongside these principles, organisations must consider relevant duties under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and equality legislation.
Decisions about restrictions, contact with family members, access to services and personal autonomy require careful consideration.
A decision may be intended to protect someone, but that does not automatically make it proportionate or appropriate.
Person-centred safeguarding requires organisations to consider the individual's wishes, feelings, circumstances and rights, while recognising and managing the risks involved.
This is particularly important for adults who may face barriers to expressing their views or challenging decisions made on their behalf.
What Should Organisations Be Doing Now?
The inquiry's findings provide an opportunity for adult social care providers and other organisations supporting adults with care and support needs to review their existing arrangements.
At RLB Safeguarding, we would encourage leaders to consider five practical priorities.
1. Review safeguarding governance and oversight
Ensure safeguarding responsibilities, reporting arrangements and escalation procedures remain effective during emergencies and periods of operational pressure.
2. Strengthen person-centred decision-making
Review how individuals, families and advocates are involved in decisions, particularly where restrictions may affect rights, dignity or wellbeing.
3. Examine emergency and business continuity plans
Consider whether plans adequately address safeguarding risks, workforce pressures, isolation, access to services and the potential consequences of restrictive measures.
4. Invest in reflective supervision and workforce support
Ensure staff have opportunities to discuss concerns, challenge decisions and receive guidance when faced with complex safeguarding situations.
5. Test whether learning has been embedded
Move beyond policy reviews by using safeguarding audits, case discussions, staff feedback and governance assurance to evaluate what happens in practice.
Learning Must Lead to Meaningful Change
Public inquiries, Safeguarding Adult Reviews and other statutory investigations repeatedly demonstrate the importance of listening to people, recognising emerging risks, maintaining effective oversight and challenging poor practice.
The real value of these findings lies not simply in acknowledging what went wrong, but in translating that learning into meaningful improvements.
For safeguarding leaders, this means being prepared to ask difficult questions about organisational culture, decision-making and accountability.
It also means recognising that safeguarding is about more than preventing immediate harm.
It is about protecting people's rights, promoting their wellbeing and ensuring that dignity, choice and autonomy remain central to the support they receive.
The ultimate test of safeguarding is not simply how organisations operate when everything is going well, but how effectively they protect people's rights and wellbeing when circumstances become difficult.
The learning from the Covid-19 Inquiry should encourage every organisation working with adults at risk to reflect on that responsibility.
How RLB Safeguarding Can Help
RLB Safeguarding works with organisations across the UK to strengthen safeguarding practice, governance and organisational accountability.
Through independent safeguarding audits, consultancy, training and reflective safeguarding supervision, we support organisations to identify risks, embed learning and develop practical, proportionate safeguarding arrangements.
To discuss how your organisation can strengthen its adult safeguarding arrangements, contact RLB Safeguarding.