What is a SAR?

A Safeguarding Adults Board (SAB) must arrange for there to be a review of a case involving an adult in its area with care and support needs (whether or not the local authority has been meeting any of those needs) if:

1. There is reasonable cause for concern about how the SAB, members of it or persons with relevant functions worked together to safeguard the adult, and
2. either of the following conditions are met:

Condition 1 is met if:

1. the adult has died, and
2. the SAB knows or suspects that the death resulted from abuse or neglect (whether or not it is known about or suspected there was abuse or neglect before the adult died).

Condition 2 is met if:

1. the adult is still alive, and
2. the SAB knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect.

A SAR for any other reason (Discretionary)

1. The circumstances do not meet either Condition 1 or Condition 2 (above)
2. The SAB should consider arranging for a SAR regarding an adult in Surrey with care and support needs.

The overall purpose of a Safeguarding Adult Review is to promote learning and improve practice, not to re-investigate or to apportion blame.
The objectives include establishing:

• Lessons that can be learnt from how professionals and their agencies work together
• How effective the safeguarding procedures are
• Learning and good practice issues
• How to improve local inter-agency practice
• Service improvement or development needs for one or more service or agency.

Anyone is able to submit a SAR Referral to the SAB (please note this is not a safeguarding concern referral to the local authority. To report a safeguarding concern to the local authority  Concerned about an Adult; Surrey Safeguarding Adults Board.  At times this may include a joint review being commissioned by the SSAB/ Community Safety Partnership (CSP).

The SSAB has developed a Safeguarding Adult Review procedure (currently under review) and Safeguarding Adult Review process.