Bristol review

That the Home Secretary completes the introduction of the exit checks programme in relation to people leaving the UK and that intelligence gathered as a result is passed to Immigration Enforcement to tackle those who overstay their leave.

That the Bristol Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy Group organizes a domestic abuse awareness campaign focused on third-party reporting from all communities, but particularly from people less able to easily access mainstream services.

All partner agencies of the Bristol Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy Group and the DHR Panel will take action to pro-actively raise awareness of domestic and sexual abuse amongst their staff and service users and promote a third party reporting campaign.

IMR findings to be cascaded where relevant with Child in Need Service heads of service and service managers, via senior management meetings.

IMR findings to be cascaded where relevant to Child in Need team managers and social workers, via team meetings or briefing session

Within this process, the need to seek and evidence decision-making, inter-agency discussion, and third-party or triangulating information (e.g. health information which corroborates or reduces concern about a child) should be reinforced to social work staff. Relevant procedures e.g. Leicester Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) procedures should also be highlighted. The need to ensure that an inter-agency perspective is maintained throughout an assessment or intervention should be highlighted.

Within this process, the importance of completing timely, thorough and holistic social work assessments which take fully into account the overall needs of each child, the overall circumstances of each carer or parent, and any relevant environmental issues or issues for the wider family should be reinforced. In particular, reminders should be offered about promoting and ensuring effective cross-boundary working. Again, relevant procedures e.g. LSCB procedures should be highlighted. Dissemination of IMR findings should comment on the need to ensure that contact or residence issues or disputes do not falsely obscure or hinder focus on children’s day-to-day and safeguarding needs.

Within this process, reminders should be offered about the importance of ensuring that families are given appropriate information about social work processes, expected timescales for assessment, appropriate contact information and complaints and appeals information.

The Bristol Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy Group will remind agencies of the importance of domestic and sexual abuse training for staff and to offer help in designing training to those organisations.

Emergency Department (ED) Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) Staff to consider domestic violence and safeguarding when patients attend the unit, and take the appropriate action.

Adult Services to inform Maternity Services of any attendance of a pregnant woman to A and E or any admission to an Adult ward.

Staff should not leave messages about patients and clinical information on answer phones but speak directly to colleagues or send written information if time allows.

Bristol NHS Provider services staff should consider asking people attending the service with symptoms or injuries which could indicate domestic or sexual abuse, whether they have been the victim of abuse

Force processes need to be examined to ensure that front-line officers are able to accurately identify foreign nationals and conduct relevant checks, and that any intelligence gathered is routinely shared with the Immigration Enforcement Department and other relevant agencies

That Avon and Somerset Constabulary continues to raise the profile of domestic abuse and encourages all victims, friends, family and neighbours to seek advice and support. Methods of anonymous reporting to be publicised to increase intelligence where members of the public do not wish to come forward directly when they are aware of domestic abuse. This, in turn, will provide more opportunities for third-party reporting of incidents and intelligence from a wide range of agencies and organisations, including, as an example in this case, abortion clinics and midwifery services

That where third-party intelligence is captured in respect of potential domestic abuse, that it is disseminated to neighbourhood policing teams and to the Safeguarding Co-ordination Units who will assess and develop a safety plan. Where appropriate, as part of a considered safety plan the relevant information is shared sensitively with immediate neighbours to establish a ‘cocoon watch’ to look out for the welfare of the victim and immediately report any signs of disturbance. This ‘cocoon watch’ must be fully briefed and supported by the local policing team to ensure they are familiar with how and whom to report concerns to.