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

Swindon review

CSP: Swindon Published: April 2023 Year of death: 2016 Extracted: 16 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 highlights the perpetrator's history of violence and substance abuse, and the victim's non-disclosure of abuse. It also identifies a lack of public awareness and intervention by third parties in domestic abuse incidents.

Extracted recommendations

16 recommendations pulled from the report

#	Recommendation	Addressed to
1	There is an apparent lack of public understanding on what course of action to take if a third party witnesses or hears an incidence of domestic abuse occurring. This should be addressed with a Swindon-wide campaign involving family, friends and communities to raise public awareness on what to do if they are aware of domestic abuse taking place.	Swindon CSP \| Partnership agencies \| Swindon Women's Aid \| The Diversity Trust
10	In consultations where details of sexual relations are being discussed, Clinicians should consider including a question such as "and are you comfortable with that?" which would give the patient the opportunity to disclose any concerns they might have about their relationship(s) without causing offence in cases where there were none.	Swindon GP Practices \| Swindon CCG
11	When a GP Practice member has discussions with a patient around their ability to cope with thoughts of self-harm this needs to be fully documented. It should include all the patient comments on how they are feeling and managing their feelings, rather than being summed up in a single phrase that may not give the next clinician a clear insight into the situation.	Swindon GP Practices \| Swindon CCG
12	Publicise within the GP Practice information regarding the support that Swindon Women’s Aid can provide confidentially to victims of domestic Abuse. i.e. a leaflet showing that : Swindon Women's Aid is a domestic abuse service for residents living in the Swindon area. The service operates 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, it’s confidential and free of charge. There is a 24/7 direct telephone helpline which is answered by specialist staff irrespective of the time of the call, day or night. They are also able to offer emergency refuge for women and children fleeing violence and abuse, and a community services which provides outreach support to both female and male victims, including those in same sex relationships	Swindon GP Practices \| Swindon CCG
13	That where a victim of domestic abuse discloses criminal offences a record is made of their preferred outcome.	Wiltshire Police
14	Where a victim discloses recent or non-recent domestic abuse attending officers should take positive action. If the Suspect is not arrested for an offence for which there is a power of arrest the officer must record their rationale in their pocket note book and on the PPD1.	Wiltshire Police
15	Supervisors reviewing PPD1’s will be expected to make reference within the PPD1 to the decision taken not to arrest as part of their oversight into such matters, cognisant of the decision making process from the attending officer and the risks known at that time.	Wiltshire Police
16	Operational officers will be reminded of Force Policy that if either drugs or alcohol are key factors in an offence for which an individual has been arrested, the arrested person should be signposted to a substance abuse support service and this should be recorded on the Custody Record.	Wiltshire Police
2	It is recommended that specialist support Services including Victim support should provide help to innocent families of perpetrators. Currently Police FLOs, AAFDA and VS only provide support to the families of victims. This blanket policy misses the facts 1) that perpetrators can also be victims. 2) Their families have committed no crime and are left to pick up the pieces. In this case the perpetrator’s sister being aware of the reluctance to help has indicated she no longer wishes to receive any helps from VS as her GP is arranging counselling.	Victim Support
3	The national association of residential landlords (RLA) will promulgate domestic abuse awareness to members and will place a domestic abuse policy on national website	Residential Landlords’ Association \| Swindon Women's Aid
4	BGSW CRC and NPS staff to ensure that changes to frequency of reporting is based on the dynamic risk factors of the service user and not solely on the completion of a requirement or intervention.	Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire Community Rehabilitation Company \| National Probation Service
5	Review and amend processes to increase opportunities for disclosure of Domestic Abuse (DA) for domestic abuse? Add to ED Medical Clerking notes (Electronic) additional box - “have considerations been made for domestic abuse?”	Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
6	Review and amend processes to increase opportunities for disclosure of Domestic Abuse as a separate cause group on the Trust-Wide Domestic Abuse Incident notification form	Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
7	Develop Policy to increase opportunities for disclosure of Domestic Abuse Ratify and launch Trust-Wide DA Policy	Great Western Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
8	That all supervisory personnel are reminded of the statutory requirements to respond fully to requests for information from Domestic Homicide Reviews	Swindon Borough Council Children Families and Community Health Services
9	Indexing of closed pare records to be reviewed facilitate easier access.	Swindon Borough Council Children Families and Community Health Services
Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗