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

Durham review

CSP: Durham Published: June 2023 Extracted: 8 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 report identifies missed opportunities for multi-agency intervention, superficial responses to complex family needs, and a lack of professional curiosity and information sharing, particularly regarding domestic abuse and alcohol misuse.

Extracted recommendations

8 recommendations pulled from the report

#	Recommendation	Addressed to
1	An integrated multi-agency domestic abuse and sexual violence training plan is currently in development. This needs to identify the resources across the partnership to implement this plan including those sessions delivered by Harbour the commissioned Domestic Abuse Outreach Service. The plan needs to identify priority groups of staff for training and ensure a rolling programme is implemented. All training should emphasise the contributory factor of alcohol on domestic abuse as well the need for 'professional curiosity' and 'respectful uncertainty' rather than professional optimism.	Safe Durham Partnership Board
2	There is currently an initiative in custody suites where each individual identified in an alcohol related incident is subject to screening. The Alcohol Harm Reduction Group to evaluate the effectiveness of the current initiative, in custody suites in County Durham.	The Alcohol Harm Reduction Group
3	Consideration is given to continuing the development of the Central Referral Unit with it becoming a fully functioning partnership CRU or Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) The priority maybe to first consider this for children then move to incorporate adults.	Safe Durham Partnership Board
4A	Durham Constabulary reviews its processes in relation to any breaches of licence to ensure that they are referred to the probation service.	Durham Constabulary
4B	That other professionals and agencies (where they are aware that NPS are involved) that have a relevant duty to ensure that information sharing protocols with the Probation Service [NPS] are robust and lines of communication are clear. The Probation Service [NPS] should be notified of any potential licence breach at the earliest opportunity.	other professionals and agencies
4C	The MAPPA Strategic Management Board to consider having within its management plan the setting of a thresholds policy for referring cases into MAPPA.	MAPPA Strategic Management Board
5	The Safe Durham Partnership recommends that health providers in County Durham review their DNA policy and make sure that it is being appropriately applied. Health practitioners should be encouraged to identify those high impact families who persistently fail to attend and share this information with the referral agency as ‘did not attend’ (DNA) as part of this DNA protocol.	health providers in County Durham
6	Durham County Council, Children and Adults Services (Education) reviews its policy and issues best practice guidance for schools concerning the ethical and statutory retention of files for those pupils that are from vulnerable groups in particular those excluded.	Durham County Council, Children and Adults Services (Education)
Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗