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Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs)

What is a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR)?

A Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) is a multi-agency learning process that considers:

  • Why and how serious abuse or neglect happened to an adult and what could have been done to prevent it happening
  • Could partners work together differently to protect the adult and prevent the abuse that leads to the death or serious harm of an adult with care and support needs?

When is a SAR needed?

The Care Act 2014 states that: 

  • 14.133. Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) must arrange a SAR when an adult in its area dies as a result of abuse or neglect, whether known or suspected, and there is concern that partner agencies could have worked more effectively to protect the adult.
  • 14.134. SABs must also arrange a SAR if an adult in its area has not died, but the SAB knows or suspects that the adult has experienced serious abuse or neglect.

Who are the Coventry Safeguarding Adults Board (CSAB)?

Coventry Safeguarding Adults Board (CSAB) is a formal body whose objective is to ensure that adults who have care and support needs and who are unable to protect themselves are safeguarded. 

November 2023 SAR summaries

The executive summaries of two published reports were made by the Coventry Safeguarding Adult Board (CSAB) following two Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SAR). The SARs followed the deaths of ‘Carol’ in October 2020 and ‘David’ in July 2021 

David’s review led to recommendations being made by CSAB:

  • The Coventry Safeguarding Adults’ Board should promote the positive use of the stages of the Escalation and resolution of professional differences policy
  • Coventry Adult Social Care needs to ensure that where domiciliary care providers are engaged in a complex case there is suitable oversight and support.
  • Consideration should be given by commissioners of domiciliary care to refreshing and re-enforcing the information given on self-neglect and escalation of concerns

Further information

Coventry Safeguarding Adults Board (CSAB)

This team cannot take calls related to individuals or families. To discuss an individual or a case please contact Adult Social Care Direct on 024 7683 3003 or email ascdirect@coventry.gov.uk. Remember, if it's an emergency, dial 999.

Address: PO Box 15
Council House
Earl Street
Coventry
CV1 5RR

Telephone: 024 7697 5477 [tel:02476975477]

Safeguarding Adults: Information Sharing and Data Protection

Sharing the right information, at the right time, with the right people, is fundamental to good practice in adult safeguarding.  We know that there can be concerns and challenges associated with this, especially in relation to concerns about data protection breaches.

The Care Act 2014, section 45 ‘supply of information’ covers the responsibilities of others to comply with any requests for information for the purposes of progressing a safeguarding enquiry. Sharing information between organisations as part of day-to-day safeguarding practice is covered in the common law duty of confidentiality, the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) the Human Rights Act and the Crime and Disorder Act. The Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enables the lawful sharing of information.

Organisations need to share safeguarding information with the right people at the right time to: 

  • prevent death or serious harm
  • coordinate effective and efficient responses 
  • enable early interventions to prevent the escalation of risk
  • prevent abuse and harm that may increase the need for care and support
  • maintain and improve good practice in adult safeguarding
  • reveal patterns of abuse that were previously undetected and that could identify others at risk of abuse
  • identify low-level concerns that may reveal people at risk of abuse
  • help people to access the right kind of support to reduce risk and promote wellbeing
  • help identify people who may pose a risk to others and, where possible, work to reduce offending behaviour
  • reduce organisational risk and protect reputation

Further information

If you have any questions or queries about information sharing, please contact Belinda Kirk, Safeguarding Adults Coordinator: Belinda.kirk@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:Belinda.kirk@coventry.gov.uk]

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