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

Sandwell review

CSP: Sandwell Published: December 2022 Extracted: 7 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 missed opportunities for health professionals to routinely enquire about domestic abuse during the victim's pregnancies. It also highlighted a general lack of understanding among family, friends, and colleagues regarding coercive and controlling behaviour and its impact on the victim.

Extracted recommendations

7 recommendations pulled from the report

#	Recommendation	Addressed to
1	Birmingham Women’s Hospital and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust Community Midwifery Service should review the ante-natal ‘Routine Enquiry’ questionnaire and ensure there is clear guidance on when questions concerning domestic abuse are asked and that practitioners follow protocols and national guidance.	Birmingham Women’s Hospital \| Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust Community Midwifery Service
2	All frontline staff who engage in maternity and midwifery services should receive regular and updated training into the signs of coercive and controlling behaviour and the risk factors associated with that behaviour.	Birmingham Women’s Hospital \| Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust Community Midwifery Service
3	The Safer Sandwell Partnership should take the lead in working with other relevant Boards to ensure domestic abuse remains a priority across partnerships. This should include detailed and fact-based reviews on the outcomes of the work and training that has been undertaken; to determine its effectiveness.	Safer Sandwell Partnership
4	The Safer Sandwell Partnership should undertake work to encourage employers to engage with the ‘Employer’s Initiative’ on domestic abuse and utilise the ‘Business in the Community’ toolkit on domestic abuse.	Safer Sandwell Partnership
5	The Safer Sandwell Partnership should promote guidance available to friends, family or colleagues of someone they suspect is in an abusive or unhealthy relationship on how they could help them in an informed, supportive and non-judgemental way to identify possible options and solutions.	Safer Sandwell Partnership
6	The Safer Sandwell Partnership should consider providing advice to frontline practitioners about the possible effects of cocaine and alcohol abuse on individuals. Multi-agency training in domestic abuse should include this information.	Safer Sandwell Partnership
7	The Safer Sandwell Partnership to contact key organisations involved with this DHR and the Domestic Abuse Strategic Partnership partners and remind them of the learning from recent DHRs, in particular relating to coercive and controlling behaviour, and ensure the recommendations contained in them are implemented.	Safer Sandwell Partnership
Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗