Warrington review

Warrington Community Safety Partnership to raise the profile of domestic abuse services within the Borough with emphasis on raising awareness of where to get advice and access to help and support.

Warrington Community Safety Partnership should put in place processes by which it can gain assurance that. 1. MARAC actions are meaningful and contribute to the safety of the victim. 2. Agencies are held to account for the delivery of agreed actions. 3. Effective MARAC co-ordination arrangements are in place.

Warrington Community Safety Partnership should seek assurance from it’s constituent agencies and the commissioners of Pathways that the purpose and status of a VPA is consistently understood across the partnership.

Warrington Community Safety Partnership should seek assurance from its constituent partners and third sector agencies that they commission that an appropriate mechanism is in place to ensure that domestic abuse and safeguarding policies are embedded in practice.

Warrington Community Safety Partnership should seek written assurance from HMP Altcourse that the failure in internal communications which led to the perpetrator’s restraining order not being recorded and his subsequent ability to communicate with the victim in breach of the restraining order has been effectively resolved.

Warrington Community Safety Partnership should seek assurance from its constituent partners that there are no inappropriate barriers to sharing information with the third sector partners.

Warrington Community Safety Partnership should seek assurances from all agencies and commissioned third sector agencies that they are fully engaged in local domestic abuse training.

Warrington Community Safety Partnership and Warrington Safeguarding Adult Board should consider the feasibility of developing a coordinated case management/information sharing approach to the care of high intensity service users, who for whatever reason engage in risky behaviours that are not captured by other safeguarding processes. The two boards are best placed to collaborate and facilitate discussion around this with a view to agreeing and implementing a multi-agency protocol.

When clients are being assessed for the 1-2-1 mentor scheme this assessment should include asking questions about domestic abuse as well as safeguarding issues.

Ensure that staff at GP practices understand the indicators of possible domestic abuse and how to ask about domestic abuse in a sensitive way and manage any disclosures made. Consideration should be given to commissioning the IRIS model locally to raise awareness of the issues surrounding domestic abuse and how to refer women to IDVAs.

Staff should receive targeted domestic abuse training with a focus on recognising controlling and coercive behaviour.

Targeted DASH completion and assessment training should be provided with a focus on enabling staff in recognising domestic abuse situations; they should be equipped with the knowledge of how to escalate situations in which there is danger even when the victim does not know/realise danger is present, or does not consent to receiving support in high risk situations.

Staff should be made aware of their statutory and professional obligations and reminded of their professional responsibilities with regard to documentation and record keeping.

Pathways to identify two additional staff members as MARAC deputies who will receive the local induction to MARAC, including shadowing a MARAC session, and training from the lead Pathways MARAC representative on record keeping.

WBC Adult Social Care to undertake an audit of cases to confirm the effectiveness of recent strength-based approach training including the use of and clarity around service user outcomes.

WBC Adult Social Care to ensure the integration of the Skills for Care Knowledge and Skills Statement for Practise Supervisors within its supervision policies and procedures.

WBC Adult Social Care to ensure that supervisors review each case when there is a transfer between case managers to maintain direction and focus.

WBC Adult Social Care to raise awareness of the use of multi-agency frameworks to escalate and share risks in relation to capacitated adults, including the lessons identified in the recent Safeguarding Adults Board audit.

CGM CRC to improve the knowledge, understanding and effective use of Through the Gate (TTG) guidance and procedures for relevant staff.

CGM CRC to deliver SARA3 training across the organisation and across all operational grades of staff.

CGM CRC to develop and embed Quality Assurance and continuous improvement in relation to EMO arrangement.

To review policies and procedures in relation to dealing with prisoner recall orders.

Cheshire Constabulary to raise awareness amongst officers of the importance of submitting a VPA in cases of breaches of bail when the bail conditions have been imposed as a result of a domestic incident.

Cheshire Constabulary to consider making use of the current legislation around the harassment and intimidation of witnesses when a remand is sought for the perpetrator of domestic abuse. (Para 17.9)