Coventry review

The agencies of Coventry Police and Crime Board should provide evidence-based assurance that their services are capable of
 identifying the breadth and range of domestic abuse, including tactics of coercive control and economic abuse
 identifying and responding to indicators of risk including recognising the history of domestic abuse and the potential to use weapons
 holding perpetrators of domestic abuse to account
 differentiating between domestic abuse and mental ill-health behaviours, intentions and effects

The agencies of Coventry Police and Crime Board should consider how they can increase take-up of substance misuse services for individuals with multiple needs

Coventry Police and Crime Board should consider whether the barriers experienced by older women experiencing domestic abuse in accessing services, and the barriers experienced by agencies in providing services to older women, are sufficiently understood and being addressed.

The Home Office should consider commissioning a review of the domestic abuse risk assessment, in its latest form, to ensure that it is capable of effectively assessing the risk indicators of domestic abuse for older victims.

Coventry agencies to ensure that frontline staff have an understanding of, and are able to recognise, familial domestic abuse. This should include consideration of abuse to, and by, relatives who have a caring role.

Coventry Police and Crime Board should raise public awareness of familial domestic abuse including widely advertising sources of help and support; targeting families and friends

Coventry Police and Crime Board to assess whether there is sufficient multi-agency support and co-ordination for the resettlement of homeless individuals with multiple and complex needs.

Implementation of the IRIS project in GP Primary Care

Circulate the lessons from this case to all GPs in Coventry and Rugby CCG with a summary of the case history and discuss at the Face-to-Face GP training.

The CCG will review how the national strategy for supporting carers is being implemented locally by local GP primary care providers. This piece of work will review the activities of the finance, contracting, communications and clinical groups to ensure a joined up approach is being delivered to improve support to carers.

Frontline staff to have an increased understanding of, and be able to recognise, familial domestic abuse and how it may present in the client groups served by CWPT. This should include consideration of abuse to, and by, relatives who have a caring role.

Team managers who provide supervision to staff to have the knowledge and skills necessary to identify domestic abuse, particularly in the context of familial abuse, even if the caseworker has not recognised the abuse and is not presenting the case in the context of domestic abuse

Staff to recognise the importance of considering known risk factors, including information provided by relatives/carers, when assessing risk

Comprehensive and ongoing review of all practitioner referrals to interventions

Dip sampling of Responsible Office’s case management/assessment records to ensure correct recording of factors linked to risk of harm

Quality assurance of the Responsible Officer’s enforcement action and decision making

A feasibility study into the use of a referral portal app to be added to the mobile device thus enabling officers to make referrals directly from the scene. At present, front line officers have to return to a police station to do this which can be time consuming; completing a referral directly from the scene, affords vulnerable individuals greater service and is a better use time, relevant when policing faces increasing demands

To promote the benefit of carers’ assessments amongst housing practitioners

To increase housing practitioner’s awareness of indicators that a person may be a perpetrator of domestic abuse

Coventry Safeguarding Adult Board seeks assurance from its agencies that they are delivering their responsibilities to carers under the Care Act 2014.

Coventry Safeguarding Adult Board should ensure that the multi-agency dual diagnosis policy (which is out of date) is refreshed between CGL, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust and other mental health providers and overseen by commissioners of those services.