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: SomersetPublished: December 2022Year of death: 2019Extracted: 9 recs
Statutory domestic homicide review under section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. Source: Home Office DHR Library.
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.
Home Office classifications
47 tags
Source-supplied classifications used by the Home Office to catalogue this review.
Victim - died by suicide
Victim - alcohol misuse
Victim - substance misuse
Victim - housing issues
Victim - mental ill health
Victim - anxiety
Victim - depression
Victim - suicidal thoughts
Victim - suicide attempts
Victim - had been a victim of an abuser before
Victim - referred to marac at any time
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (victim and perpetrator)
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (between victims)
Children - under 18 shared parental responsibility (between perpetrators)
Children - living with victim (including adult children)
Children - living with perpetrator (including adult children)
Children - subject to child protection or domestic abuse prior to homicide
Child - primary address same as victim
Perpetrator - alcohol misuse
Perpetrator - known to agencies as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to police as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to idva or other domestic abuse support service as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to probation services as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to school as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to others as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to friends as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - known to family as a domestic abuse perpetrator
Perpetrator - attended drug and alcohol services
Perpetrator - supervised by probation services
Aggravating factors - separation
Aggravating factors - coercive or controlling behaviour
Aggravating factors - honour based violence
Aggravating factors - psychological or emotional abuse
Aggravating factors - physical abuse
Aggravating factors - economic abuse
DHR process - family contributed to dhr
DHR process - police recommendations
DHR process - social services recommendations
DHR process - health services recommendations
DHR process - idva or other domestic abuse support service recommendations
DHR process - housing services recommendations
DHR process - community safety partnership recommendations
DHR process - technology systems recommendation themes
DHR process - training recommendation themes
DHR process - policy recommendation themes
DHR process - multi agency working recommendation themes
DHR process - awareness raising recommendation themes
Extracted recommendations
9 recommendations pulled from the report · 6 matched to organisations in the index
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.
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.
Addressed to
Safer Somerset Partnership | Somerset District Councils Human Resources Dept.
The Safer Somerset Partnership to request that Somerset District Councils include mandatory Induction Safeguarding training (including domestic abuse) for all front-line staff.
Addressed to
Chair of Partnership Business Group, Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership | Safer Somerset Partnership
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.
Addressed to
Avon and Somerset Police | Somerset CCG
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.
Addressed to
Safer Somerset Partnership - Somerset Strategic Housing Officers
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.
Addressed to
The Safer Somerset Partnership | all agencies included in this report
Agencies to implement the recommendations identified within their IMRs and provide an update report to the Safer Somerset Partnership on a quarterly basis.
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 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.