Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) are commissioned by local Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) when there has been serious abuse or neglect, most often when an adult has died, and there is concern that partner agencies could have worked more effectively to safeguard the adult.
The aim of the SAR is not to attribute blame, but for organisations to work together to learn from what has happened. However, we are not aware of any national mechanism to identify and share relevant learning from SARs with care providers. SABs often reach out proactively to care providers in their area when there is relevant learning from a SAR in that area, and some SABs have established regular links with local care associations. While these actions are to be welcomed, the question remains:
How would a care provider be expected to know about and learn from the findings of SARs from other parts of the country?
We have written this paper to prompt discussion as to whether (and how) there should be a national mechanism to identify and share with care providers the most relevant learning from SARs.
