Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs)

The aim of a Safeguarding Adults Reviews(SAR) is a multi-agency review process which seeks to determine what relevant agencies and individuals involved could have done differently that could have prevented harm or a death from taking place.
The purpose of a SAR is not to apportion blame. It is to promote effective learning and improvement to prevent future deaths or serious harm occurring again, and for agencies to work together to aim towards positive outcomes for the adult and/or family involved.
Safeguarding Adults Reviews are commissioned by the CSAB when:

• There is reasonable cause for concern about how CSAB members or other agencies providing services, worked together to safeguard an adult

and

• The adult has died, and CSAB knows or suspects that the death resulted from abuse or neglect (whether or not it knew about or suspected the abuse or neglect before the adult died)

or

• The adult is still alive, and CSAB knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect.

Further information can be found in the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, Chapter 14, paragraphs 14.133 and 14.134.

SAR Referral process

Any organisation can make a SAR referral to the Safeguarding Adult Board.

The referral for consideration of a SAR should be made on the appropriate form (SAR Case Consideration Request Form). Once completed, the form should be submitted to the Chair of the SAR Sub Group (via CSAB Business Support). All such referrals should be sent securely in line with the referrer’s organisational policy.

The National Safeguarding Adults Board has produced guidance in repect of the interface between SARs and Coronial Processes in response to feedback for Safeguarding Adults Boards and learning from SARs. Interface Between SARs and Coronial Process Best Practice Guidance.