Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) Learning Event Learning Brief: Evidence, Legal Powers and Safeguarding Interventions

In 2025, the Keeping Bristol Safe Partnership (KBSP) received a Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) referral relating to a resident of Bristol. Although the case did not meet the statutory criteria for a SAR, it highlighted several recurring themes that have been discussed across KBSP subgroups, raised at the Keeping Adults Safe Board, and reflected in previous reviews.

A multi-agency learning event was held in November 2025 to explore the following key themes: 

• Evidence-led prosecutions and the role of professionals.
• Self-neglect and professional responses, sources of support and intervention.
• Information sharing under inherent jurisdiction and the Mental Capacity Act.
• Legal powers, including those related to anti-social behaviour, and Court of Protection proceedings.
• Overriding consent in safeguarding contexts.

A comprehensive learning brief has been created to assist practitioners in embedding the learning arising from the event and help ensure that key findings are disseminated widely across workforces and partnerships.