Practitioners' involvement

Questions to consider for:

• Open Those ultimately accountable; Safeguarding Adult Board members and Chair

  1. Have you communicated directly with practitioners invited to participate in the SAR, stressing the importance of their input, acknowledging their possible fears, clarifying the support that will be available, and the intention of creating a constructive and valuable experience for them?
  2. Are you planning to attend any of the practitioner events in whole or part, to reiterate your messages about the value of an open learning culture and the importance of their being able to 'tell it like it is'?
  3. Are there arrangements for the Chair to write to thank practitioners personally for their involvement once the SAR is completed?

• Open Those with delegated responsibility; the SAR subgroup or similar

  1. Have the right practitioners and managers been identified to contribute given the precise form, focus and approach that has been agreed for this SAR?
  2. Have arrangements been made to secure the endorsement of leaders and managers in each agency and profession of their staffs’ engagement, and to achieve the relevant support and protections for individuals contributing?
  3. Has an adequate duty of care to all participants to be involved in this SAR been secured?

• Open Those conducting the review; Independent Reviewers

  1. Is the purpose of practitioners’ input clear, and understood by everyone, including that gained through interviews, conversations, meetings or events?
  2. Are participants being provided with clear information about this SAR and their role in it?
  3. Are agencies encouraging their staff to contribute their experiences and views to the SAR ‘warts and all’?
  4. Does the planning for the SAR include careful consideration of how to support all individual practitioners, including for example, those who played key roles in thecase, or those who are not part of core Safeguarding Adult Board (SAB) agencies, or are from agencies rarely involved in SARs?
  5. Have you confirmed how all practitioners are being provided with adequate support and protections within their own organisations to take part in the SAR process?
  6. In your planning of group events, how have you considered the support and protection of all involved practitioners?
  7. Has there been adequate consideration of whether there are any implications of the review for people now in senior management positions and if anything needs to be done to support them?

• Open Those providing practical support; SAB Business Managers/Unit

  1. Are participants being provided with clear information about the form and focus of this SAR and their role in it?
  2. How will you gather feedback from participants about their involvement?