Bracknell Forest review

At a local level organisations required to produce IMRs require a better familiarity with the statutory basis for conducting DHRs and their role and responsibilities in engaging with these activities. The Community Safety Partnership is best placed to consider this matter further.

The Home Office is also asked through this report to review how it might best remind key statutory agencies of their responsibilities in engaging with DHRs. Please see recommendation 6 & 7.

The key organisations that represent the statutory organisations on the DHR Panel should ensure that the officers they delegate for attendance have sufficient authority to enable the DHR Panel to administer its statutory responsibilities appropriately.

The terms of reference for future DHRs going forward need to mention relevant background information such as court transcripts, where appropriate. In addition, again where appropriate, an early invitation from the DHR to the Police’s Senior Investigation Officer should be built into the terms of reference of DHRs.

The Home Office will be asked through this review to consider whether the support services for victims of domestic violence should be further promoted at borders and through the activities of the UKBA.

The Home Office will be asked to note that the UKBA did not supply an IMR for this DHR. However a witness statement was produced. This is also referred to in Recommendation 2.

The Crown Prosecution Service (Essex) did not supply an IMR for this DHR. A one page letter was received subsequently. The Attorney General’s Office should be contacted, this may well be best through the Home Office, initially. This is also linked to Recommendation 2.

The Community Safety Partnership needs to review, post 1 April 2013, the most suitable strategic partner representative following significant organisational and governance changes concerning the Department of Health and Public Health England.

It is recommended that Health’s informatics access arrangements are reviewed in relation to DHRs. This to reach certainty as to whether health access via Walk in Centres, for example, or Accident and Emergency are recording information that may be relevant to DHR cases and their interface with nationally held data sets.