The Hampshire Safeguarding Adults Board (HSAB) has today published a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) into the circumstances surrounding the death of Gillian.
Firstly, the HSAB would like to express its sincere condolences to Gillian’s family for their loss.
The HSAB would also like to thank the practitioners who were actively involved in the review process and to acknowledge the contribution from a carers charity to represent carer perspectives.
Gillian lived with her adult children and the family had little contact with services. Gillian’s son went on holiday and neighbours were alerted by Gillian’s daughter that help was needed. Gillian was found in a poor state of neglect and admitted to hospital. Sadly, Gillian died in hospital a short period after being admitted. The coroner concluded that Gillian died of natural causes to which a lack of care had significantly contributed. Following Gillian’s death, it was identified that both Gillian’s son and daughter potentially had a level of care and support needs themselves.
The Safeguarding Adults Review into Gillian’s death was undertaken to gain learning and support positive change within the safeguarding system.
The key areas of systemic learning that are explored in the review include:
1. To explore how we can use the Family Approach to inform assessment of risk and assessment of needs in cases where there are adult children involved in family caring arrangements.
2. Given the national context of increasing pressures on unpaid family carers, to explore the learning that emerges about how we can identify and better support unpaid family carers.
The agencies involved will now develop a detailed action plan to address the areas of improvement identified. Progress will be reviewed and monitored by the Board.
Graham Allen
Hampshire Safeguarding Adult Board Chair.
Slingshot