About this page. This page summarises a Domestic Homicide Review published in the Home Office DHR Library. The full report is available at the source link below. Victim and perpetrator names are not included in extracted summaries on this page.

Source · Domestic Homicide Review

Somerset review

CSP: Somerset Published: December 2022 Year of death: 2019 Extracted: 9 recs

Statutory domestic homicide review under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Source: Home Office DHR Library.

View full report (PDF) ↗ Source: Home Office DHR Library

Summary

The review identified a lack of coordinated multi-agency response to the victim's domestic abuse, mental health, and substance abuse issues. Key concerns include insufficient information sharing, lack of professional curiosity, and the impact of coercive control and economic abuse on the victim's wellbeing and safety.

Extracted recommendations

9 recommendations pulled from the report

#	Recommendation	Addressed to
1	The Safer Somerset Partnership will provide a minimum curriculum and training for all staff working with vulnerable adults, children and families. This will include an in depth understanding of DA, including controlling, coercive behaviour, a trauma-based approach of supporting victims suffering DA, an understanding of the links between mental health issues, substance abuse and domestic abuse, professional curiosity, timeliness of interventions and the impact of the Domestic Abuse Bill 2020.	Safer Somerset Partnership
2	The Safer Somerset Partnership to seek assurance from public health (local) that all schools (state and private) are promoting Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) policies which support children living with DA and for all to understand healthy relationships.	Safer Somerset Partnership
3	The Safer Somerset Partnership to request that Somerset District Councils include mandatory Induction Safeguarding training (including domestic abuse) for all front-line staff.	Safer Somerset Partnership \| Somerset District Councils Human Resources Dept.
4	Safer Somerset Partnership and Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership should consider whether a regional approach to domestic abuse notifications should be developed in collaboration with Avon and Somerset Strategic Safeguarding Partnership. Implement a partnership approach to share information and analyse the needs of children living with domestic abuse.	Chair of Partnership Business Group, Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership \| Safer Somerset Partnership
5	To review the Somerset CCG Domestic Abuse Information Sharing project between Police and Primary Care (GPs) during COVID-19 Pandemic 2020. Investigate its wider implementation.	Avon and Somerset Police \| Somerset CCG
6	The Safer Somerset Partnership to promote a Whole Housing Approach to housing providers to enable the housing sector to improve housing options and outcomes for people experiencing domestic abuse, so they can achieve stable housing, live safely and overcome the abuse and its harmful impact.	Safer Somerset Partnership - Somerset Strategic Housing Officers
7	Agencies to implement the recommendations identified within their IMRs and provide an update report to the Safer Somerset Partnership on a quarterly basis.	The Safer Somerset Partnership \| all agencies included in this report
8	Safer Somerset Partnership to review how it informs families of the deceased that a Domestic Homicide Review will take place. This will include protocols for homicides and unexpected deaths.	Safer Somerset partnership
9	Safer Somerset Partnership to request the Home Office consider updating the Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance for a Conduct of a Domestic Homicide Review 2016 to include specific guidance where a person may have taken their own life. This review to include recommended terminology to replace the DHR use of homicide/victim/perpetrator to make it more transparent to a family why a review is required.	Safer Somerset Partnership
Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗