What is a Safeguarding Adults Review
Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SAR’s) are a statutory review process, under Section 44 of the Care Act 2014, for adults with care and support needs who have died or been seriously harmed through abuse or neglect. The review aims to find out what agencies did well and what they could’ve done better as a partnership.
The aim of the process is to learn lessons and make improvements, not to apportion blame to individual people or organisations.
A SAR is about promoting effective learning and improvement to prevent future deaths or serious harm occurring again.
Further information can be found in the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, Chapter 14, paragraphs 14.133 and 14.134.
More information on Safeguarding Adults Reviews and how they are undertaken across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough can be found in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Safeguarding Adults Boards Safeguarding Adults Review Guidance
Referring a case for a Safeguarding Adults Review
Referring a case for a Safeguarding Adults Review: The referral form for a SAR can be found here: SAR Referral Form 2025 Completed forms should be returned to the Safeguarding Board Team Mailbox: safeguardingboards@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
IMPORTANT – do not use the SAR Referral form to make a safeguarding adult referral. To make a referral please visit Professionals – Making a Referral
Safeguarding Adults Review Criteria
There are three broad circumstances under which the Care Act 2014 legislation suggests a Safeguarding Adults Review may take place. The legislation makes a distinction between those circumstances where the SAB must or may arrange a SAR.
The SAB must arrange for there to be a review of a case involving an adult in its area with needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority has been meeting any of those needs) if:
- There is reasonable cause for concern about the SAB, members of it or other persons with relevant functions worked together to safeguard the adult; and
- Either
- The adult has died and the SAB 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 the SAB knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect
A SAB may arrange for there to be a review of any other case involving an adult in its area with needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority has been meeting any of those needs).
