Seven-minute briefings
Safeguarding Adults Review
1 What
The aim of a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) is to carry out a multi-agency review to determine what agencies involved could have done differently that could have prevented harm of a death from taking place. The aim is not to apportion blame, it is to promote effective learning and improvement to prevent future deaths or harm occurring and to improve how agencies work together towards positive outcomes for adults and their families
2 Background
SAR’s are commissioned when There is reasonable cause for concern about how RSAB partners or other agencies worked together to safeguard an adult
and
The adult has died and the RSAB knows or suspects that the death resulted from abuse or neglect (weather or not it knew about of suspected the abuse or neglect before the adult died)
or
The adult is still alive and the RSAB knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect
3 Why it matters
SAR recommendations are used to agree an action plan for making changes of improvements to services to reduce the risk of future harm. Action plans are agreed and monitored to ensure recommendations made are carried out and changes are made. Learning from the review is shared across the partnership.
4 Information
If a case meets the SAR criteria then a referral form should be completed by the referring agency.
Information will be gathered from partners to ensure the SAR subgroup can consider all factors when deciding if the SAR criteria has been met.
The SAR subgroup will make a recommendation to the Independent Chair of the Safeguarding Board as to whether a SAR should take place. The Board will be informed when a SAR has been agreed.
5 Information continued
When a SAR is agreed by the RSAB an independent reviewer will be commissioned to write the review. Terms of reference are agreed with the author, the SAR subgroup and the Independent Chair, family may also be involved.
All agencies involved provide chronologies of their involvement and by taking part in learning and reflection events. Draft reports are shared for comment and the final report is presented at the RSAB and signed of for publication.
SAR’s are published on the RSAB website at http://www.rsab.org.uk
6 What to do
If you believe a case should be considered for a SAR, request a SAR referral form from the RSAB manager Jackie.scantlebury@rothehram.gov.uk Complete the referral form including as much information as possible. If the referral does not meet SAR criteria another course of action may be agreed to ensure learning is captured and lessons are learnt.
7 Questions
Do you know and understand the SAR criteria?
Do you know how to refer a case to the SAR subgroup for consideration?
Do you know where to find SAR’s published by the RSAB?