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
Stevenage review
CSP: Stevenage
Published: April 2023
Year of death: 2012
Extracted: 14 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
Agencies failed to consistently identify domestic abuse, use risk assessment tools, and share information effectively, leading to missed opportunities for safeguarding the victim and her child.
Extracted recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressed to |
|---|---|---|
| 7.10 | Hertfordshire Domestic Violence Strategic Programme Board should establish an information sharing protocol in cases of domestic abuse to include agencies and voluntary organisations involved in this review. The protocol should include the role and purpose and timing of referrals to MARAC and IDVA’s. | Hertfordshire Domestic Violence Strategic Programme Board |
| 7.11 | Hertfordshire Domestic Violence Strategic Programme Board should ensure that the MARAC is promoted amongst staff and managers of the agencies which are most likely to encounter victims of domestic abuse. | Hertfordshire Domestic Violence Strategic Programme Board |
| 7.12 | Hertfordshire Domestic Violence Strategic Programme Board should facilitate learning events to ensure the findings of this review are disseminated within agencies. | Hertfordshire Domestic Violence Strategic Programme Board |
| 7.2a | have a robust process for identifying domestic abuse, which includes clarity about when DASH should be used and by which agencies | Stevenage Community Safety Partnership |
| 7.2b | have information about services available to victims, which is brought together in a leaflet | Stevenage Community Safety Partnership |
| 7.2c | provide staff with clear pathways for referring victims on to the appropriate services | Stevenage Community Safety Partnership |
| 7.2d | provide awareness training for staff, which is updated every three years. | Stevenage Community Safety Partnership |
| 7.3 | Herts Women’s Centre should review their procedures to ensure that they use DASH as a means of assessing and providing clear pathways for assistance to victims of domestic abuse. | Herts Women’s Centre |
| 7.4 | Hertfordshire Constabulary should re-enforce with staff, current procedures in respect of recording Domestic Violence crime and non-crime cases, and completing risk assessments. | Hertfordshire Constabulary |
| 7.5 | Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Women’s Centre should establish the improved reporting system for victims, which is in the process of development. | Hertfordshire Constabulary | Herts Women’s Centre |
| 7.6 | Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust should ensure health visitors carry out screening for domestic abuse in line with their existing best practice guidance. | Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust |
| 7.7 | Hertfordshire and South Midlands Area Team, NHS England should ensure that GP services adopt the Department of Health Guidance on Domestic abuse. | Hertfordshire and South Midlands Area Team, NHS England |
| 7.8 | Hertfordshire and South Midlands Area Team, NHS England should ensure that GP records contain sufficient detail for the purpose of completing adequate individual management reviews. | Hertfordshire and South Midlands Area Team, NHS England |
| 7.9 | Hertfordshire County Council Children’s Services should examine their practice in this case and ensure that policies and procedures on safeguarding and domestic abuse are followed. | Hertfordshire County Council Children’s Services |
| Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗ | ||