A Merton Safeguarding Adults Board (MSAB) review has revealed that a breakdown in family relationships can significantly impede the coordination of care for vulnerable individuals. The MSAB is taking forward recommendations from the Beatrice Palmer Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) to improve practice. The review, conducted for the period of 2024/25, examined the case of Beatrice Palmer and found that fractured relationships between her family and service providers negatively impacted her care during a critical decline in health, mobility and independence.
The MSAB Annual Report for 2024/25 was presented to the Merton Council Health and Wellbeing Board on Tuesday 11 November 2025. The report highlights the importance of multi-agency collaboration in complex, high-risk cases, particularly those involving self-neglect and capacity assessment challenges.
The Beatrice Palmer SAR underscored the detrimental effects of strained relationships between families and services. The review noted that this breakdown affected the coordination of care and support when Ms. Palmer experienced a significant deterioration in her health, mobility, and independence.
The MSAB is taking steps to address the review's findings and improve practices. The board is an independent entity that strategically oversees safeguarding arrangements in Merton, ensuring adults at risk receive support and protection from neglect and abuse, as outlined in the Care Act 2014.
Key highlights from the MSAB's work include:
- A focus on multi-agency approaches for complex and high-risk cases.
- Expansion of learning and development opportunities.
- Continued development of the Community Safeguarding Adults Champions Network. The network hosted a successful event to celebrate National Safeguarding Week in November 2025. The event brought together a range of different organisations with information and advice available on important safeguarding topics such as cybercrime, transport safety, domestic abuse, mental health, and support for carers. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the meaningful connections made and helpful information shared. Attendees included residents, social workers, service providers, and representatives from the faith sector, offering a valuable opportunity for our Community Champions to encourage more people to get involved.
The MSAB Annual Report also provides a detailed analysis of safeguarding data, including breakdowns by ethnicity. The report indicated an increase in safeguarding concerns, coupled with a decrease in the proportion of inquiries taken forward. According to the MSAB Annual Report 2024/25, this reflects changes introduced by the local authority in January 2024, providing a fuller picture of safeguarding across Merton, rather than a significant increase in abuse and neglect.
The Health and Wellbeing Board was asked to note the contents of the MSAB Annual Report 2024/25 and the ongoing efforts to support and protect adults at risk in Merton. The agenda for the meeting is available online.