These terms of reference were last reviewed in August 2025
Purpose
To ensure that the Board undertakes Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) when appropriate, that agreed processes are followed and that lessons are learned.
Remit
The Safeguarding Adults Review Subgroup is a formally constituted arm of the SSASPB. It fulfils the following responsibilities and will:
- Implement the agreed West Midlands SAR Guidance and local SAR Procedures for conducting reviews.
- Consider cases that do not meet the criteria for a formal review but from which lessons can be learned and recommend how this might be achieved.
- Use the agreed selection process to appoint a SAR reviewer, or appoint a reviewer who has experience in a specific type of review e.g. the Review in Rapid Time process using the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). Agree the type of review process to be utilised.
- Establish the lessons learned from the review and submit a draft action plan to the Board via the Executive and monitor its implementation.
- Be responsible for the dissemination of lessons learnt across the partnership and ensuring that action plans are implemented.
- Quality assure the final report before submitting to the Board for approval.
- Liaise with the other Subgroups via the Executive to progress agreed delegated actions.
- Consider published national SARs and ensure learning is promoted among local front line practitioners.
- Contribute to the National SAR Library hosted by the National SAB Chairs Network
- Review procedures against regional and national policy changes and amend if necessary.
- Provide an update on current progress against workstreams to the Executive subgroup meetings which occur prior to Board meetings.
- Contribute to the Annual Report by producing an overview of the SARs finalised in the relevant year (specifically the learning) and also what has been achieved during the reporting period.
Membership and accountability
The Subgroup will;
- Be comprised of named representatives of key partner agencies of the Board who have the skills and knowledge of conducting case reviews.
- Be extended to include other organisations by agreement of the Board.
- Be chaired by a member or officer of the Board and the Subgroup will elect a Vice Chair. The chair will be a member of the executive group and will attend Executive meetings.
- Meet a minimum of six times a year.
- Be accountable to the Executive via the Chair and Vice Chair.
- Be attended by the Board Manager and the Administrator to the Board
Principles
The Subgroup will;
- Recognise that SARs are not inquiries into how an incident happened or who is culpable. This is a matter for Coroners and criminal courts respectively to determine.
- Act in a manner that promotes the confidentiality of all of those involved in the process and which recognises the sensitivity of the information being shared.
The subgroup will retain an adult at risk (as defined by the Care Act 2014) focus to its work and have a regard for racial diversity, language, culture, sexual identity, age and gender