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
Cheltenham review
CSP: Cheltenham
Published: June 2023
Extracted: 13 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 consistently failed to recognise the high-risk indicators of domestic abuse, coercive control, and stalking over 40 years, leading to a lack of robust intervention and support for the victim. There was also a lack of consistent information sharing and understanding of financial abuse and victim intimidation across services.
Extracted recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressed to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Each public-sector agency that is represented on the DHR panel and on Cheltenham Strategic Leadership Group (SLG), will adopt a domestic abuse policy and procedures, based on a county-wide template, to guide how their agencies responds to domestic abuse and stalking. VCS agencies will be encouraged to adopt a domestic abuse policy. | Public-sector agencies represented on DHR panel and Cheltenham Strategic Leadership Group | VCS agencies |
| 10 | Police should use their professional judgement and consider all options available to them when attending calls for help in cases of domestic abuse. The police have a number of actions available to them, all of which would be aided by meticulous evidence gathering at the time. The use of evidence gathering aides, such as body worn cameras should be discussed within the Constabulary | Gloucestershire Constabulary |
| 11 | The specialist domestic abuse court should be staffed by professionals with enhanced training in domestic abuse and coercive control. This would include the prosecutors, magistrates, judges and supporting personnel. | Specialist domestic abuse court (prosecutors, magistrates, judges, supporting personnel) |
| 12 | There should be an assessment of the needs of children and young people where Domestic Abuse has occurred and this should be part of any risk assessment. It is considered that there is a need for specialist group and individual programmes which would support children witnessing or affected by domestic abuse. This review recommends that local agencies are supported in bidding for funding to begin developing such support for children. | Local agencies | GDASS | Infobuzz | Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) | Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Commissioning Group (DASVCG) | Schools |
| 13 | All local agencies recognise the significance of strangulation or choking attempts when they happen in the context of domestic abuse. Research was considered which showed a correlation between such assaults and future homicide | All local agencies |
| 2 | There will be a requirement that selected agencies delivering public-facing services on behalf of public sector partners have a domestic abuse policy. | Strategic County Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Coordinator | Cheltenham Strategic Leadership Group |
| 3 | A training needs analysis will be coordinated by the GDASVIG and a plan developed for how to roll out training across agencies. | Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Commissioning Group (GDASVIG) |
| 4 | An awareness campaign implemented using the branding of the local domestic abuse specialist agency and the glostakeastand website to raise awareness. | Strategic County Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Coordinator | Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Commissioning Group (DASVCG) |
| 5 | As a trial is a public event and is retained in public records it should reflect reality, it is recommended that CPS prosecutors in domestic homicide cases and Magistrates have training in recognising the practices of coercive control, stalking and domestic abuse | Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) | Magistrates |
| 6 | It is a responsibility of the police to identify vulnerable and intimidated witnesses and respond accordingly. | Gloucestershire Constabulary |
| 7 | All health practitioners and professionals should consider Routine Enquiry in cases where depression or anxiety, or any condition potentially related to domestic abuse, is discussed with a patient. | Health practitioners and professionals | GP practices |
| 8 | Benefit Fraud investigators should be aware that in cases where coercive control is exercised that financial abuse and control of the victim’s finances is more probable than possible and should therefore be trained in domestic abuse and have enhanced training in financial abuse. | Cheltenham Borough Council (Benefit Fraud investigators) |
| 9 | All agencies should have identified individuals who are competent in identifying risk factors and understanding their significance (eg strangulation) More agencies need to be trained including: • Social care • Housing • Probation • Local councils • Benefits Agencies • Health Agencies | Social care agencies | Housing agencies | Probation services | Local councils | Benefits Agencies | Health Agencies |
| Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗ | ||