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Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs)

Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) provide a process for all partner agencies to identify the lessons that can be learned from particularly complex or serious safeguarding adults cases, where an adult in vulnerable circumstances has died or been seriously injured and abuse or neglect has been suspected.

The SAR process provides an opportunity for extended learning beyond single organisations, to allow changes/improvements to be made in policy, practice and procedures, where identified.

The SAR protocol and guidance has been developed to help provide clarity and definition of the roles, responsibilities and processes for undertaking a SAR; and improve awareness, understanding and confidence in the use of the review process, as a means of extended learning.

Click here to download a copy of Warwickshire Safeguarding’s SAR Protocol and Guidance


s44 of the Care Act 2014 states that:

A Safeguarding Adults Board must arrange for there to be a review of a case involving an adult in its area with needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority has been meeting any of those needs) if—
(a) there is reasonable cause for concern about how the SAB, members of it or other persons with relevant functions worked together to safeguard the adult, and
(b) condition 1 or 2 is met.

Condition 1 is met if—
(a) the adult has died, and
(b) the 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).

Condition 2 is met if—
(a) the adult is still alive, and
(b) the SAB knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect.

A Safeguarding Adults Board may arrange for there to be a review of any other case involving an adult in its area with needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority has been meeting any of those needs).




Any agency or professional body, elected members, MPs, the Coroner or the individual concerned, or a family member may refer cases to Warwickshire Safeguarding for consideration of a SAR. Referrals must be made in writing using the SAR referral form.

Upon receipt of a SAR referral the Chair of the Safeguarding Reviews Subgroup will determine whether or not additional scoping information is to be requested from partner agencies, this takes the form of a Rapid Review.



Warwickshire Safeguarding has adopted the Rapid Review process introduced within Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) for all new SAR Referrals which are to be progressed for further scoping and information gathering from partner agencies.

The purpose of a rapid review is to:
• gather the facts about the case, as far as they can be readily established at the time
• discuss whether there is any immediate action needed to ensure the adults safety and share any learning appropriately
• consider the potential for identifying improvements to safeguard and promote the welfare of adults with care and support needs
• decide what steps they should take next.

All agencies who have been involved with the subject adult or will be required to contribute to the rapid review. An initial scoping of agencies’ intervention will be completed, and other relevant information will need to be rapidly gathered.
To support this, agencies are asked to produce an Individual Agency Summary.

The purpose of the initial scoping and information sharing is to gather the basic facts about the case, including determining the extent of agency involvement with the adult.

More detailed information will be sought if the rapid review concludes the case has the potential to identify national or local learning and a decision is made to recommend a Safeguarding Adult Review.




The safeguarding partners are responsible for commissioning and supervising reviewers for local reviews.

The safeguarding partners should agree with the reviewer the method by which the review should be conducted. The methodology should provide a way of looking at and analysing frontline practice as well as organisational structures and learning. The methodology should be able to reach recommendations that will improve outcomes for adults.

Safeguarding partners should seek to ensure that:
• Practitioners are fully involved in reviews and invited to contribute their perspectives without fear of being blamed for actions they took in good faith;
• Families, Carers including surviving adults, are invited to contribute to reviews.



The responsibility for learning lessons from Safeguarding Adult Reviews lies with safeguarding partners at a local level (local authorities, chief officers of police and clinical commissioning groups).

Within Warwickshire, the Safeguarding Reviews Subgroup leads this work and produces Lessons Learned Briefings and 7 Minute Briefings, which sit alongside the published report. These briefings provide a summary overview of the story of the adult, what we learned and advice for practitioners and the community to support wider learning across the County.



Safeguarding partners must ensure that the final report includes:
• A summary of any recommended improvements to be made by persons in the area to safeguarding and promote the welfare of adults;
• An analysis of any systemic or underlying reasons why actions were taken or not in respect of matters covered by the report.
Safeguarding partners must publish the report to support wider learning, unless there are compelling circumstances, where it may not be considered appropriate to do so.


How do I access copies of Warwickshire Safeguarding Adult Reviews
Provided below are links to the Safeguarding Adult Reviews, Alternative Learning Reviews and their linked Briefings published by Warwickshire Safeguarding:

A Thematic Learning Review has been undertaken in relation to Self- Neglect.

Please see below for the full report and its findings:

Self-Neglect Thematic Learning Review – Report

7-Minute Briefing – Adult Self-Neglect

7-Minute Briefing – The Mental Capacity Act, a Basic Overview

Webpage – Warwickshire VARM Guidance and Tools

Training – WS Multi-Agency Training Programme

A Learning Review has been undertaken in relation to self-immolation.

Please see below for the full report and its findings:

Self-Immolation Learning Review - Report

7-Minute Briefing - Mental Health Sections, an Overview

Briefing - Mental Health Sections guidance for Professionals

Briefing - The Importance of Language

Flowchart - Fire and Rescue Safe and Well Referral process

Webpage - Fire Safety Guidance 

An Alternative Learning Review has been undertaken in relation to the case of 'Anna’.

Please see below for the full report and its findings:

Anna Alternative Learning Review – Report

Anna Alternative Learning Review - Lessons Learned Briefing

7-Minute Briefing - Escalation Protocol

7-Minute Briefing - The Importance of History in Assessments 

7-Minute Briefing - Children of parents with Mental Health problems

7-Minute Briefing - Early Help

7-Minute Briefing - New partners joining households

7-Minute Briefing - Parental Capacity to Change

7-Minute Briefing - Suicide Awareness

7-Minute Briefing - The links between child/vulnerable adult and animal abuse



A Safeguarding Adult Review has been undertaken in relation to the case of 'CJ’.

Please see below for the full report and its findings:

CJ Safeguarding Adult Review – Report

CJ Safeguarding Adult Review - Lessons Learned Briefing

7-Minute Briefing - Escalation Protocol

7-Minute Briefing - The Importance of History in Assessments 

A Safeguarding Adult Review has been undertaken in relation to the case of ‘Alan’ published November 2021.

Please see below the full report and a statement issued by Warwickshire Safeguarding Partnership:

'Alan' Safeguarding Adult Review - Full Report 

'Alan' - Lessons Learned Briefing

A Safeguarding Adult Review has been undertaken in relation to the case of ‘Peter’ published September 2020.

Please see below the full report and a statement issued by Warwickshire Safeguarding Partnership:

'Peter' Safeguarding Adult Review - Full Report

'Peter' Safeguarding Adult Review - WSP Statement

'Peter' - Lessons Learned Briefing 

Self-Neglect - 7-minute Briefing

 

Quarterly News Bulletin

Welcome to Warwickshire Safeguarding’s quarterly news bulletin. The news bulletin has been designed to introduce you to relevant pieces of information which can be accessed in more detail via the links embedded within each of the articles. We will be producing the bulletins on a quarterly basis here onwards to:

1. Promote learning from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPRs) and Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) which supports improvement in practice
2. Inform you of any changes/updates to safeguarding policy and procedures; and
3. Publicise forthcoming safeguarding events and seminars across the partnership

We hope you find the information helpful. Please do take the time to read this and help us to promote these bulletins across your respective organisations.

Quality Assurance Framework

Warwickshire Safeguarding’s new partnership arrangements published in June 2019 set out proposals for the scrutiny and assurance of safeguarding practice throughout Warwickshire, as illustrated below. This work will be delivered through the work of the Quality Learning and Improvement Hubs. These Hubs will provide independent scrutiny and challenge. The Hubs will use a range of methodologies to scrutinise and examine multi-agency practices which will be aligned to one of Warwickshire Safeguarding’s strategic priorities. They will consider successes and challenges, identify learning, make suggestions and recommendations for improvement and monitor the progress of these improvements to ensure they are embedded into future practice across partner agencies.

For more details about the new Quality Assurance Framework, please click on the link here.

QA framework

 

'Exploitation' - Warwickshire Safeguarding's first Strategic Thematic Review

As part of our new Quality Assurance Framework, Warwickshire Safeguarding has now completed its first Strategic Thematic Review on the topic of 'Exploitation' of children and adults. The final full report, which captures learning identified from single agency self-evaluations, case file audits, professionals surveys, conversations with professionals and service users. This has proved to be a very insightful and valuable exercise which has helped highlight areas of work which exemplify good practice, as well as, identify areas of work which require further development, both at multi-agency and single agency levels.

The responsibility for the delivery and oversight of the multi-agency summary action plan contained within this report will now sit with the Exploitation Subgroup, who will provide WSEB with regular updates on performance against these actions. To assist with the process of sharing and learning from this review we have also developed an Executive Summary which can be downloaded using the link below, along with a copy of the full report.

WS Strategic Thematic Review on 'Exploitation' - FULL REPORT / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 

'Core Safeguarding Practice' - Warwickshire Safeguarding's Latest Strategic Thematic Review

Warwickshire Safeguarding has now completed its second Strategic Thematic Review focusing on the topic of 'Core Safeguarding Practice' of children and adults. The final full report details learning identified from single agency self-evaluations, case file audits, professional surveys, conversations with professionals and feedback gathered from service users/carer's/families through the statutory reviews work.

25 agencies from statutory and voluntary organisations and service providers engaged in this strategic thematic review. A significant amount of information has been gathered and processed to provide an insight into all aspects of safeguarding work. areas of work which exemplify good practice, as well as identify practice where further development is required, both at multi-agency and single agency levels.

Appendix.1 at the end of the report provides a summary overview of the key strengths and areas for improvement requiring further development which have been identified through this review. Sitting alongside this are single-agency actions which have been identified and will be implemented by individual agencies. The Warwickshire Safeguarding Executive Board will oversee the delivery of the multi-agency action plan emerging from this review.

To view a copy of the full report on Warwickshire Safeguarding's Strategic Thematic Review on 'Core Safeguarding Practice' please click on the following link - FULL REPORT

Warwickshire Safeguarding; Exploitation Strategy (2020-2023)

Tackling the Exploitation of Children and Adults in Warwickshire

The safeguarding of children, young people and adults with care and support needs from the psychological and physical harm caused by exploitation is a priority for Warwickshire Safeguarding.

A multi-agency and collaborative view of safeguarding is required when considering exploitation, therefore this strategy crosses the domains of sexual exploitation, missing children, gangs, criminal exploitation, organised crime, cuckooing, trafficking, hate crime and prevent/extremism.

This document
provides the strategic framework to further develop and strengthen our response in the identification, assessment and intervention of children, young people and adults with care and support needs who are experiencing or may be at risk of exploitation.

Information Sharing Agreement

The Warwickshire Safeguarding Information Sharing Agreement provides a framework to facilitate the appropriate sharing of information between the Warwickshire Safeguarding Partner Agencies in order to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults in Warwickshire and to protect them from harm.

The Information Sharing Agreement recognises that the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (together, the “Data Protection Legislation”) are not barriers to justified information sharing but rather ensure that information sharing is necessary, proportionate, relevant, adequate, accurate, timely and secure.

The Information Sharing Agreement recognises that information sharing decisions should be recorded by the disclosing Partner Agency.

To download a copy of the Agreement click here.

Latest News

Keep up to date with the latest safeguarding news.


Safeguarding Adults News

Safeguarding Children News
Safeguarding Family News

Safeguarding Briefings

Click below for the latest briefings from Warwickshire Safeguarding!

7-Minute Briefings
Lessons Learned Briefings
Quarterly News Bulletin

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Warwickshire Safeguarding 
Warwickshire County Council
Shire Hall
Market Place
Warwick
CV34 4RL

Tel:
Adults/Children's: 01926 410410

 

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