Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs)

The Care Act 2014 places a duty on Safeguarding Adult Boards to arrange a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) when:

• The case involves an adult with care and support needs (whether or not the local authority was meeting those needs).

• There is reasonable cause for concern about how the safeguarding Adults Board, its members or organisations worked together to safeguard the adult.
  AND

• The adult died(including death by suicide) and the Safeguarding Adults Board knows/suspects this resulted from abuse or neglect (whether or not it knew about this before the adult died).
  OR

• The adult is still alive but the Safeguarding Adults Board knows or suspects they have experienced serious abuse or neglect, sustained potentially life threatening injury, serious sexual abuse or serious impairment of health or development. a result of abuse or neglect.

The purpose of a SAR is to establish whether there are any lessons to be learnt from the circumstances of the case, about the way in which local professionals and agencies work together.

Safeguarding Adults Boards can also decide to carry out SARs where they feel a review may promote learning, improve services or prevent future deaths. These reviews may not meet criteria for safeguarding adults but they could prevent future abuse or neglect from occurring.

• SAR Guidance (PDF 747KB)
  
  
• SAR Referral and Decision Form (Doc 1.07MB)
  
  
• SAR Information Sheet for Families and Carers (PDF 76.3KB)

• SARs Information for Practitioners (PDF 85.51KB)

Please contact csab@cumbria.gov.uk to request a copy of our previous SAR report's or related learning brief.