Safeguarding adult reviews
A safeguarding adult review (SAR) is carried out when an adult dies as a result of abuse or neglect, whether known or suspected, and there is concern that partner agencies could have worked more effectively to protect the person at risk.
A SAR may also be conducted when a person has not died but it is known or suspected that they have experienced serious abuse or neglect, sustained a potentially life threatening injury, serious sexual abuse or serious or permanent impairment of health or development.
All relevant board agencies should contribute to the review, sharing information and implementing and disseminating the lessons learnt.
The SAR brings together and analyses the findings from individual agencies involved, in order to make recommendations for future practice where this is necessary and also highlights good practice.
Derbyshire Safeguarding Adults Board (DSAB) has a SAR sub group which meets quarterly to discuss and make decisions regarding new referrals, oversees current reviews and ensures learning is implemented from Derbyshire reviews into multi-agency practice. The group also monitors reviews from other safeguarding adults boards to ensure any relevant learning for Derbyshire is distributed.
Attached to this page is a leaflet for families, friends and carers to help explain the SAR process.
National Safeguarding Adults Board Manager Network guidance on the interface between safeguarding adult reviews and coronial processes
The National Safeguarding Adults Board Manager Network has developed this guidance, which is attached to this page.
The guidance aims to help identify how, when, and why joint working might be requested and/or be required and helpful. The intention is to minimise delays in respective statutory processes, as well as keeping relevant parties informed.
This briefing contains an overview of legislative guidelines, good practice guidance, helpful tools and templates, and examples of local protocols, and has been developed to inform local working arrangements and support a joined-up approach.
Learning from multi agency reviews
Multi agency learning reviews take place where the criteria set in the Care Act for a safeguarding adult review to be undertaken is not met, but where it is felt that there may be valuable learning for a number of organisations about the way in which they work together to safeguard adults with care and support needs.
Summary reports and recommendations from completed DSAB multi agency learning reviews are attached to this page.
The DSAB SAR sub group is responsible for overseeing the implementation of recommendations and providing assurance to the Board that this has been achieved.
Statement for publication of the SAR24A learning brief for ‘Bob’
"The Derbyshire Safeguarding Adults Board (DSAB) commissioned a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) following the death of Bob in April 2022. The review process has now concluded. On behalf of the Board, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude to Bob’s son and daughter for their valuable contributions, and to thank the Independent Reviewer, as well as the practitioners and managers from agencies across Derbyshire who supported this important work.
"To support learning and improvement, a learning brief and a ‘Learning on One Page’ (LOOP) summary have been published on the DSAB website. These documents provide an overview of the circumstances, examples of good practice, key learning points, and recommendations arising from the review.
"Although the SAR is complete, our commitment to embedding the learning across our partnership continues. I encourage all colleagues to reflect on how the learning from Bob’s review applies to your own agency and role. Please take the opportunity to discuss the findings within your teams and supervisions and consider how this information can be incorporated into your training and practice.
"The Independent Reviewer has made five recommendations, and an action plan is in place. The Board will continue to closely monitor progress to ensure that all necessary actions are delivered.
"Thank you for your ongoing commitment to safeguard people in Derbyshire."
Amanda Clarke, Independent Chair, Derbyshire Safeguarding Adults Board.