When conducting an SAR, we will be primarily concerned with establishing a ‘review’ process that will help us determine what actions we need to take to prevent future death or harm.
The review may, for example, provide useful insights into the way organisations work together to prevent and reduce abuse and neglect of adults. Or they maybe used to explore examples of good practice that will identify lessons that can be applied to future cases.
We will hold early discussions with the adult and their family and friends to agree how they wish to proceed. The subject of any SAR will not need to have been in receipt of care or support services for a review to be arranged.
SARs should reflect the six safeguarding principles. We will agree to Terms of Reference before proceeding. These will be published and openly available if appropriate.
SAR records can either be anonymised through redaction, or consent to use any names obtained from the individual in question.
The council and our partner organisations will apply the following principles to any SAR:
- we will apply a culture of continuous learning and improvement across all safeguarding organisations
- we will pursue a drive to identify opportunities to improve and promote good practice
- we will create a review approach proportionate in scale and complexity to the issues in question
- we will appoint individuals independent to the organisation or individual under review to manage the investigation
- we will encourage professionals to contribute their opinions to any review without fear of retribution for actions taken in good faith
- we will encourage families to contribute to the review. We will keep them adequately and sensitively informed at every step of the process.
