Birmingham review

The Community Safety Partnership should review the effectiveness of communication strategies to promote awareness about domestic abuse and sources of advice across the different cultural and religious communities in the city and the extent to which they are represented in strategic partnerships.

The Community Safety Partnership should satisfy itself that all Birmingham services featured within this review have clear working definitions and policy supported by robust audit about what constitutes domestic abuse and have arrangements in place for promoting and monitoring participation in training and development. This should take account of action taken in response to a previous review (BDHR2012/13-04).

The Community Safety Partnership should seek further information from the local law society as to whether accessing legal aid by victims of domestic abuse is a barrier to using civil proceedings to restrain perpetrators of domestic abuse.

The Community Safety Partnership should ensure that further discussion takes place with local courts in regard to the learning regarding the application for and processing of court orders designed to protect victims of domestic abuse.

The Community Safety Partnership should receive further information regarding the circumstances and effectiveness of local risk assessment tools and frameworks to identify risk and are able to provide effective multi-agency intervention and protection. The review should determine whether these need to be simplified into one risk assessment model.

Training for key individuals, in certain organisations, in how to use a Risk Identification Checklist must be in place, so that professionals can recognise high risk characteristics such as separation. Training should include how to develop a robust safety plan for victims who are intending to leave an abusive relationship.

The Community Safety Partnership should consult with the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board about any additional contact and action that is required in regard to any schools that are independent of the local education service where there may be concerns about the policy and professional development in regard to safeguarding that includes domestic abuse.

The Community Safety Partnership should ensure that information is provided on the outcome of discussions with the local faith leaders with a view to facilitation and support further guidance and professional support in regard to divorce or separation involving domestic abuse.

The Community Safety Partnership should initiate discussion with the local law society about the best approach and strategy to developing closer links between solicitors and local professional safeguarding networks to improve communication and oversight of arrangements for the administration and enforcement of civil orders providing protection to victims of domestic abuse.