South Tyneside review

NHS South Tyneside CCG to ensure that key topics highlighted in the Review are included within Domestic Abuse Training.

NHS South Tyneside CCG to monitor uptake of Domestic Abuse Awareness training in Practices.

Northern Doctors Urgent Care to review their training requirements regarding Domestic Abuse.

The Quality Assurance processes need to be strengthened in relation to management oversight of Senior Practitioner ‘no further action’ decision-making.

Early Help and Advice Teams to review their systems for recording information and advice calls and referrals as appropriate.

Training should be provided for Managers on reflective supervision and analysis of cases to promote reflective practice and ensure more effective management oversight within the supervision process.

Case supervision should be held on file. Verbal discussions of cases and recommendations from management should be recorded within the contact notes of the file to evidence management oversight.

Dissemination of learning from the IMR across the Early Help Partnership with a view to: a) Strengthening communication between all professionals with the Early Help Plan; b) Ensuring the engagement with families as a whole unit (as appropriate) in the work being undertaken; and c) Providing effective challenge where family members are not engaging and participating in the support and interventions provided in line with agreed plans.

Delivery of Domestic Abuse Routine and Selective Enquiry will remain an integral part of safeguarding training, with managers and service leads asked to provide evidence of attendance by those staff working with families or who may come into contact with potential victims of domestic abuse during their work within the Trust A&E, Maternity, and Health Visiting Services.

To evaluate the uptake and impact of previous Routine and Selective Enquiry training delivered to STNHSFT A&E staff. An audit of assessment documentation will be completed to understand the effectiveness of training and impact on practice.

All Officers and staff responding to, and investigating, domestic abuse are to be reminded that ‘Proportionate Investigation does not apply to reports of domestic abuse. All reports of domestic abuse are to be thoroughly and robustly investigated as clearly stated in the current Force policy on crime investigation. This can be found on the Force intranet.

In relation to investigating domestic abuse, all Officers and staff responding to and investigating domestic abuse are to be reminded that the Northumbria Procedure for Investigating Domestic Abuse clearly states that enquiries should be intrusive and tenacious in establishing the facts. Both parties should be spoken to in a domestic abuse incident.

All supervisors for Officers and staff responding to and investigating domestic abuse are to be reminded that it is the duty of the front line supervisor to ensure that the DASH form and domestic abuse screens are fully completed before the Officer terminates their duty, this includes completion of the DT screen with details of the safeguarding carried out. The form should be referred to the Central Referral Unit. The duty supervisor should monitor the incomplete domestic queue for front line staff

This is a list of domestic abuse records which Officers have failed to complete. Incomplete records should be completed as soon as possible to avoid further delay in the risk assessment process. The Duty Supervisor is intrusive of reports of domestic violence and abuse to ensure ‘all reports of domestic violence are to be thoroughly and robustly investigated’.

To ensure Routine & Selective Enquiry are embedded in practice within STNHSFT (continued action from DHR#1)

To ensure that staff who come into contact with potential victims of domestic abuse are effectively trained.

To ensure that wider social factors are taken into consideration in Early Help assessments.

Raise public awareness of how to identify and seek appropriate help for mental ill health

To ensure changes in key crisis mental health service provision are made clear to out-of-hours contacts.

To ensure that lessons learned from this DHR are included in domestic abuse training.

To ensure each GP practice to monitor the uptake of Domestic Abuse training by GP staff.

To ensure the provision of Domestic Abuse training for out of hours GPs is current.

To strengthen the management oversight quality assurance processes when decisions are made to take ‘no further action’ following referrals.

Review the systems for recording information, advice calls and referrals

To provide training for Managers to promote reflective practice and ensure more effective management oversight within the supervision process.

Case supervision to be held on file. Verbal discussions of cases and recommendations from management should be recorded within the contact notes of the file to evidence management oversight.

Dissemination of learning from the IMR to improve inter-agency working, engagement with families and professional challenge.

All officers and staff responding to, and investigating, domestic abuse are to be reminded that ‘Proportionate Investigation does not apply to reports of domestic abuse. All reports of domestic abuse are to be thoroughly and robustly investigated’ as clearly stated in current force policy on crime investigation.

All officers and staff responding to and investigating domestic abuse are to be reminded that the Northumbria Police Procedure for Investigating Domestic Abuse clearly states that enquiries should be intrusive and tenacious in establishing the true facts.

All incidents of Domestic Abuse to be recorded accurately with a DASH risk identification checklist.

The Role of the Duty Supervisor: All supervisors for officers and staff responding to and investigating domestic abuse are to be reminded that it is the duty of the front line supervisor to ensure that the DASH form and domestic abuse screens are fully completed before the officer terminates their duty.