What is a Safeguarding Adults Review
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).
SARs may also be used to explore examples of good practice where this is likely to identify lessons that can be applied to future cases.
The purpose of Safeguarding Adults Reviews is to ‘promote effective learning and improvement action to prevent future deaths or serious harm occurring again’. The aim is that lessons can be learned from the case and for those lessons to be applied to future cases to prevent similar harm re-occurring.
The purpose of a SAR is not to hold any individual or organisation to account. Other processes exist for that purpose, including criminal proceedings, disciplinary procedures, employment law and systems of service and professional regulation run by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Health and Care Professions Council, and the General Medical Council, etc.
Further information can be found in the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, Chapter 14, paragraphs 14.133 and 14.134.
It is the responsibility of all partner agencies to make a referral for an Safeguarding Adult Review where there are reasonable grounds to consider the criteria for an Safeguarding Adult Review may be met. Partner agencies should not draw their own conclusions on whether the criteria is met in borderline or unclear cases, but should make a referral to the Safeguarding Adult Review Group.
The Safeguarding Adult Review Group will receive all SAR referrals and consider whether the referral meets the criteria to conduct a review, or whether any other action should be carried out to ensure learning takes place.
IMPORTANT – do not use the SAR Referral form to make a safeguarding adult referral. To make a referral please ring 01733 747474
