Newham review

The recommendations below should be acted on, in addition to the actions identified in individual IMRs. Initial reports on progress for IMR and Overview Report recommendations should be made to the Newham Community Safety Partnership within six months of the Review being approved by the Partnership.

The Clinical Commissioning Group to report to the Community Safety Partnership on the roll out of training to General Practices in the borough. Report to include number of GPs trained and an assessment of the impact on identification of domestic violence/abuse and referrals to specialist support services.

The Clinical Commissioning Group and London Borough of Newham to raise awareness with providers of patients seeking contraception as an appropriate opportunity to ask women about their relationships, with the aim of increasing opportunities for women to disclose domestic abuse. Awareness to be raised with General Practices (as part of Recommendation 2), Pharmacies, Sexual Health Clinics and other relevant providers.

East London NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust to audit their current procedures to ensure existing transfer in/out policies and procedures are adequately followed, referencing the learning from this Review.

East London NHS Foundation Trust and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust to share the learning from this review and reflect on responses to transient families and those moving between boroughs. Reflection through existing supervision, training, team meetings and case file reviews as appropriate.

The Community Safety Partnership to share with all partner agencies the learning from this review regarding the assumptions made by many professionals in relation to the victim’s ethnicity and culture that prevented proper enquiry and follow up, and the need to make appropriate enquiries about relationships and living arrangements and women who travel to Newham for marriage.

The Domestic and Sexual Violence Strategic Board to develop and implement an awareness raising programme with mosques in the borough, with particular reference to support provided to people when they convert from their religion, if there is a particular risk of isolation from their friends and community, including the learning in this and other relevant Domestic Homicide Reviews.

The Domestic and Sexual Violence Strategic Board to develop and implement a domestic abuse awareness raising programme with employers in the borough, including the need for employer’s domestic abuse policies for staff.