Kent review

Kent Police must ensure that all VIT officers and staff know where MARAC referrals must be sent.

Kent Police must ensure that its Witness Care staff know that when the Crown Prosecution Service appeal a decision made by magistrates to grant bail, the defendant will be remanded in custody pending the outcome of the appeal.

Kent Police’s Witness are policy and procedures must state clearly that if Witness Care staff have any doubt about the outcome of a court case, they must contact the court for clarification at the earliest opportunity and advise victims and/or witnesses of the uncertainty until it is resolved.

Centra should consider adopting the Kent Police policy that results in a domestic abuse victim who has been assessed at being at High risk, remaining High risk for at least 12 months, regardless of whether one or more subsequent risk assessments results in a lower grade.

Centra must instruct their IDVAs to record the rationale for their decision whether to meet a victim face to face.

Kent County Council must, as part of the performance monitoring of its contract with Centra, consider how the concerns identified in this report are being addressed by Centra to ensure that the service provided to high risk victims of domestic abuse is improved.

AAC should ensure that Revenue & Benefits Team staff seek all the relevant safeguarding information known within AAC about a client they are interviewing.

AAC should consider and decide whether, in the light of this case, Revenue & Benefits Team staff should attend the face to face domestic abuse training module.

KCC ASCH must ensure that when completion of a KASAF 2 is delayed due to exceptional circumstances, the fact that it is outstanding cannot be overlooked.

KCC ASCH must ensure that staff dealing with the safeguarding of high-risk domestic abuse victims understand and act on the fact that apparent reconciliation between a victim and alleged perpetrator may be because of coercion and control, and indicative of the victim being at increased risk.

Kent and Medway Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Group must agree a process that ensures all MARAC meetings are accurately minuted and that the allocation and implementation of actions are recorded. The agreed process should be included in the Kent and Medway MARAC Operating Protocol and Guidelines.

Kent County Council to consider using their commissioning relationship with the domestic abuse service providers to require that all front facing staff (IDVAs, outreach workers etc) complete face to face suicide prevention training.

All agencies involved in this review should add suicide prevention training to their directory of training available to staff and encourage take up.

The Home Office must produce leaflets for family members and friends that are suitable for reviews using the DHR methodology in cases where a person has taken their own life.