Better protection for the ‘at-risk’

Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) are in-depth multidisciplinary studies of the circumstances that have preceded the death of an ‘at-risk’ adult who died as a result of abuse or neglect. SARs can also be arranged if the ‘at-risk’ adult has not died, but they have suffered permanent harm or a reduced quality of life and there are unknown factors about the ways that the local partner agencies worked together to protect the adult.

The Care Act (2014) made it the statutory responsibility of the local safeguarding adults boards (SABs) to coordinate a SAR when it is known or suspected that the agencies involved in protecting an ‘at-risk’ adult, such as social work departments, GPs, practice nurses and community nurses, could have worked more effectively to prevent harm to the adult.