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
Somerset review
CSP: Somerset
Published: April 2023
Year of death: 2014
Extracted: 5 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The review identified concerns regarding agencies' outdated domestic abuse policies, lack of training on coercive control and substance misuse impact, and over-reliance on internet-based communication for public awareness campaigns. There was also a missed opportunity for a full psychiatric assessment of the perpetrator.
Extracted recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressed to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The practice should access training to improve awareness of domestic abuse and the potential impact of the combination of alcohol abuse, misuse of drugs and the mental ill health. Two suggested e-learning packages can be accessed on the AVA website www.avaproject.org.uk | Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group |
| 2 | The practice should host an educational practice event so that colleagues of the medical centre can review the lessons learnt of this review when published, in particular what options the GP might have when patients present with depression or anxiety. | Canterbury and Coastal Clinical Commissioning Group |
| 3 | All agencies who have been part of the review and any others deemed to be relevant by the Safer Somerset Partnership, to review their policies and procedures in relation to domestic abuse and consider the following points: Update domestic abuse policies/ Adopt the same definition of domestic abuse in their policies across the partnership, namely the Home Office definition Give due consideration, in their policies, to the issue of any member of their workforce perpetrating or suffering domestic abuse To reference domestic abuse as a safeguarding issue using the reference from the Adoption and Children Act 2002 To reference the new offence Coercive Control under the Serious Crime Act 2015 and consider what this means to their organisation. | Safer Somerset Partnership |
| 4 | To consider and develop a Communications Strategy/Plan about domestic abuse which can be coordinated and undertaken by the partnership in consultation with the local safeguarding adult and children boards and public health colleagues. The strategy should take into account various means of communication not just the internet. The aim of the strategy and delivery is to make the dynamics of domestic abuse clear to the community at large. | Safer Somerset Partnership |
| 5 | To keep abreast of research being undertaken in relation to the misuse of NPS substances with a view to sharing this learning across the partnership to prevent harm. | Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service |
| Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗ | ||