The Safeguarding Adults Review Process

A Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) is a multi-agency review which seeks to determine what relevant agencies and individuals involved could have worked differently, that could have prevented abuse or neglect or a death from taking place.

Safeguarding Adult Boards (SABs) have a statutory responsibility that they must arrange a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) when the following criteria is met under the Care Act 2014 for 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 of not it is know 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 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.

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
• how to improve local inter-agency practice
• service improvement or development needs for one or more service or agency.

Lessons learnt are shared to maximise the opportunity to better safeguard adults with care and support needs, who are or may be at risk of abuse or neglect. The Care Act 2014 requires that lessons learnt are published in the Annual Report following the conclusion of the review.

If you think an adult has died or is experiencing serious abuse or neglect and that local partner organisations could have worked more effectively to prevent this, please complete a SAR referral.

The Surrey Safeguarding Adult Board have published guidance materials for members of the public.

SSAB Guide to Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SAR)

The Surrey Safeguarding Adults Board publishes SARs following completion of its review Published SARs.