Work has begun to understand how the Statutory Guidance for the Single Unified Safeguarding Review (SUSR) is operating in practice, a year after being implemented. To support this early review, an independent Reviewer has been commissioned to gather views from professionals across the safeguarding and community safety landscape.
This review represents an important opportunity to shape how the SUSR continues to evolve. Your experiences, reflections and suggestions will help ensure the guidance remains effective, proportionate, and sensitive to the needs of those affected by the tragic events that trigger a review.
Seeking professional perspectives
Feedback is being invited from all professionals involved in, or connected to, the SUSR process. Contributions will not be attributed to individuals; however, comments may be referenced by professional role (for example, Police Officer, Social Worker, Health Practitioner) to support transparency and learning.
Family involvement is being managed through existing feedback routes. While hearing directly from families is invaluable, there is a strong recognition of the need to avoid doing more harm by yet again asking them to talk about their experiences. If, as a Reviewer or professional, you are aware of a family who wishes to be consulted, you are encouraged to facilitate this with great sensitivity. Contact details for the Reviewer are provided below.
Areas for feedback
Professionals are invited to share their insights across the following six areas:
1. What works well and what needs improvement. Reflections on implementation challenges and successes, including communication, training, experiences of Chairs and Reviewers, resourcing, and any areas where further clarity or support would be beneficial.
2. Experiences of the SUSR compared with previous review processes. This includes experiences of Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR), Mental Health Homicide Reviews (MHHR), Adult Practice Reviews (APR) and Child Practice Reviews (CPR), focusing on benefits, improvements, missed opportunities, and how the integrated approach is working in practice.
3. Any examples of best practice
4. Thoughts on the Offensive Weapon Homicide Review pilot
5. Thoughts on whether the processing of data is still meeting its intended purpose and is still effective, necessary and proportionate.
6. Any other comments on the SUSR process
Submitting your feedback
Please send your comments by 5 February 2026 to:
Jan Pickles, Reviewer, Jan@picklesbickerton.co.uk
Your contribution is valuable and will help strengthen a process designed to learn from tragedy, minimise future harm, and improve safeguarding practice across Wales.
