Manchester review

There is a need to ensure that GP practices are aware of risk factors relating to domestic violence and abuse and to know what to do if a concern arises. This has been a previous recommendation and an IRIS training plan is in place, therefore the recommendations will reflect this.

There is a need for all GP practices to establish a domestic violence and abuse policy and procedure. This has been a previous recommendation and needs to be audited to assess compliance. This needs to include a system for recording health indicators for domestic abuse in line with the Guidance for responding to domestic abuse published by RCGP, IRIS, CAADA (2012)

There is a need to ensure that the management and supervision processes of safeguarding and DVA issues within GP practices are effective.

There is a need to raise awareness of domestic violence and abuse and help and support services available, within GP practices to their patients.

Provide guidance to Public Protection Investigation Unit (PPIU) Detective Sergeants and PPIU safeguarding practitioners involved in researching and risk assessing domestic abuse referrals, of the need to apply holistic research and assessment principles into the background and circumstances of individuals involved in domestic abuse incidents in order to identify relevant issues. For example, issues such as repeat victimisation, serial offending behaviour, patterns of under reporting or lack of support for prosecutions are often revealed by this process. Identifying these and other historic issues can assist in informing enhanced risk assessments and the formulation of appropriate safety plans.

Consider the introduction of training for all immigration casework staff in MAPPA (Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements) & MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) processes/procedures.

Manchester Community Safety Partnership (MSCP) request partner agencies review their domestic violence policies and programmes, and identify if they include reference to cultural differences. Agencies should consider including such reference where none exists and to ensuring existing references are updated to reflect the learning from this review. Agencies to report to MSCP the outcomes of their reviews;

That MSCP ensures a member from domestic violence services works with agencies to review changes to their processes put in place since 2012. This review should ensure that processes are now in place to capture and evaluate intelligence and information, identify risk and ensure the early identification of a perpetrator such as the perpetrator.

To notify the Delivering Differently Senior Project Team of the learning from this case. Particularly that there is currently no information system to identify people/properties that have been subjected to multiple incidents of domestic that have been reported to different agencies none of which, on their own, would have led to a MARAC being held. The project team to be asked to consider the problem and a potential solution as part of the new model of delivery they are developing.

Contact the civil justice group in the Manchester area and request that they are made aware of the learning from this case.

The Home Office are requested to consider the issue that the Borders Act 2009 only allows automatic consideration of deportation of a foreign national when they have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more. The panel believe that some weight should be attached to cases such as this in which there was substantial intelligence that a perpetrator has been involved in multiple acts. While these did not result in imprisonment, nonetheless they presented a risk to other persons resident in the UK.

MSCP takes steps to promote to all agencies the availability and capability of the UK Visas and Immigration Safeguarding ‘in box’ as a means of sharing information about any risks of domestic abuse involving none UK nationals either as victims or perpetrators.