Report Writing for Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) and Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs)

Course Outline:

This practical course is for professionals who contribute to, or write, agency reports for Safeguarding Adult Reviews (SARs) and Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs).

SARs are arranged by Safeguarding Adults Boards under section 44 of the Care Act 2014. DARDRs, formerly known as Domestic Homicide Reviews, are held under section 8A of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, as amended by section 19 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, and must now be conducted in line with the Domestic Abuse Related Death Review Statutory Guidance published in September 2026.

The new statutory guidance applies to death notified to a Community Safety Partnership after 15th September 2026. It includes a mandatory Scoping Review process, new templates and extends reviews to cover deaths by suicide and neglect, as well as deaths in unexplained circumstances where the victim had experienced domestic abuse.

The course opens with a focused briefing on the legal and statutory guidance frameworks for both types of review, so delegates have a broad understanding of their and their organisation’s legal obligations. The rest of the two days are devoted to the practical skills of writing Scoping Reviews and Individual Management Reviews (IMRs), building a chronology based on fact, moving from description to analysis, writing in a victim-centred and trauma-informed way, handling sensitive information lawfully and drafting recommendations which lead to change.

Please note: Throughout the course, delegates will be asked to work on realistic case material which some might find upsetting. Delegates will also have their own draft reports assessed against the standards required by the Home Office Quality Assurance Board by the trainer, which may include open discussion and challenge.

Key Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to:

Framework

Describe the legal and statutory guidance frameworks for SARs and DARDRs, including the changes from the DHR regime and the transitional arrangements.
Explain the criteria for a DARDR, including deaths by suicide, neglect and in unexplained or unclear circumstances, and how DARDRs relate to SARs and other parallel reviews.
Explain the roles of the key bodies in each review and where the agency report author fits in the process.

Report writing

Identify the features of a high-quality review report, using the Home Office Quality Assurance Board criteria as a benchmark.
Write a Scoping Review contribution that meets the requirements of the statutory guidance and the Annex C template, including early learning and immediate actions.
Apply victim-centred, trauma-informed language and approaches in written reports, including challenging "did not engage" narratives and perpetrator narratives.
Construct a factual, sourced chronology of agency involvement within the Terms of Reference.
Analyse practice against guidance, internal policy and legislation, distinguishing analysis from description and including equality and diversity factors.
Write an IMR that follows the DARDR template (Annex D), and adapt an agency contribution to the methodology used by a Safeguarding Adults Board.
Draft focused, specific recommendations and outcome-focused SMART actions, directed to the correct organisation.
Apply data protection (Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR), confidentiality, anonymisation and disclosure requirements when drafting and handling reports.
Present an IMR to a review panel and respond constructively to challenge.

Course Details:

Duration: 2 days
Public course format and fee: Virtual | £595 + VAT
In-house course format and fee: Virtual or face-to-face | Call for details

Book below if you want to attend a public course. Please call 020 7549 2549 or email info@bondsolon.com to discuss or book an in-house course.

Public Course Dates

Training for Your Team

Tailored in-house training provides a unique opportunity to deliver customised learning experiences that align with your organisation’s specific needs and goals.

By bringing training directly to your workplace, you can maximise the relevance, efficiency, and impact of your team’s development.

Customised Content - Training designed to address your organisation’s unique challenges and objectives, ensuring that every session is directly relevant to your team’s needs.
Convenience and Flexibility - In-house training can be scheduled at times that suit your team’s availability, minimising disruption to your daily operations.
Cost-Effective - By training multiple employees at once, you can reduce the cost per participant, making it a more economical choice compared to external training.
Team Cohesion - Bringing your team together for training fosters collaboration and a shared understanding, which can strengthen team dynamics and improve communication.
Immediate Application - With training conducted in your own environment, employees can immediately apply what they’ve learnt to real-world scenarios, enhancing retention and effectiveness.