Safeguarding Adults Board

What are Safeguarding Adult Reviews?

With the implementation of the Care Act 2014 there is a statutory requirement to undertake Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR). These were previously known as serious case reviews.

A SAR is a multi-agency review process which seeks to determine what relevant agencies and individuals involved could have done differently that could have prevented harm or a death from taking place.

The purpose of a SAR is not to apportion blame. It is to promote effective learning and improvement to prevent future deaths or serious harm occurring again.

A SAR is about:

  • Learning lessons for the future
  • Making sure that Safeguarding Adults Boards get the full picture of what went wrong
  • Improving the practice of all organisations involved.

Further information can be found in the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, Chapter 14, paragraphs 12.133 and 14.134.

When is a SAR carried out?

A SAR is commissioned when there is reasonable cause for concern about how Newham SAB members or other agencies providing services, worked together to safeguard an adult if:

  • The adult has died, and 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 SAB knows or suspects that the adult has experience serious abuse or neglect.

Making a SAR referral

Any individual (member of the public or professional) or agency, may refer a case using the referral form on the right. Please read the guidance before making a referral.

Pan London Adult Safeguarding Procedures

The aim of the Pan London Procedures is to:

  • Better safeguard adults at risk of abuse throughout London
  • Encourage the continuous development of best practice.

All organisations involved in safeguarding are asked to adopt this policy and procedures in respect of their relevant roles and functions, but may wish to add local practice guidance, protocols and organisation operation manuals.

Under the Care Act,  each member of the SAB must co-operate in and contribute to the carrying out of a review. The board has set out a process for board members, managers and practitioners, in order to clarify the different roles and responsibilities of individual agencies, the Safeguarding Adults Board and its sub-committees.