Procedure for Safeguarding Adult Reviews
Introduction
The Care Act 2014 provides a statutory basis for learning and review processes. Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SARs) provide an opportunity to learn lessons when abuse or neglect is suspected to be a factor in the death or serious harm of an adult with care and support needs.
It is the responsibility of all partner agencies to make a referral for a SAR where there are reasonable grounds to consider the criteria for a SAR are likely to have been met.
All partner agencies have a responsibility to ensure that staff know the criteria for a SAR, their purpose and function. All partner agency staff must know how to refer a case for consideration via the City of York Safeguarding Adults Board (CYSAB) Business Unit.
The SAR related meeting structure can be seen below.
The quarterly SAR Subgroup maintains oversight of and monitors progress of all SARs. Underneath this, SAR referrals are received into individual SAR Decision Panels. These will consider whether the referral meets the criteria to conduct a SAR, a decision which is ultimately ratified by the CYSAB Independent Chair.
A SAR Decision Panel must include an appropriate senior representative from the following agencies:
- City of York Council (CYC) Adult Care Services (ASC)
- North Yorkshire Police
- Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (ICB)
A SAR Decision Panel will be considered quorate with representation from the three statutory agencies (North Yorkshire Police, Local Authority and Integrated Care Board), who are required to be of appropriate seniority and experience.
Other relevant representatives that have had involvement with the case will be invited as required, to assist with decision making around S44 criteria.
The CYSAB, via its Independent Chair, is the only body in the City of York that commissions SARs.
The policy and practice undertaken by the CYSAB strives to reflect the SARQuality Markers published by the Social Care Institute for Excellence.
In addition, the Essential Guide to SARs, published in May 2026 by the National Network for Chairs of SAB’s, is used locally as a reference point to navigate the SAR process.