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

Welwyn Hatfield review

CSP: Welwyn Hatfield Published: August 2023 Year of death: 2014 Extracted: 17 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 review identified concerns regarding inconsistent risk assessment, inadequate support for the victim, limited inter-agency information sharing, and the impact of workload pressures on service delivery. It also highlighted the need for improved staff training and engagement with faith communities.

Extracted recommendations

17 recommendations pulled from the report

#	Recommendation	Addressed to
R1	All agencies who use DASH should ensure it is applied consistently, and using professional curiosity, to take into account previous assessments, background information and context already known about those being interviewed in relation to the abuse.	All relevant agencies
R10	All agencies should ensure that they take a probing, inquisitive approach to access, interpret, question and share available information for the purposes of risk assessment and risk management in domestic abuse cases, in line with established local and national legislation and guidance. Where in doubt, the balance should be in favour of sharing, not withholding, information within this context.	All relevant agencies
R11	All relevant agencies should consider the potential impact of the wider family context – “Think Family” – when carrying out assessments in relation to individuals within the family unit.	All relevant agencies
R12	In the case of an unexpected parental death Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership should consider mirroring the Bereavement Planning meeting and review process in use for the Rapid Response to Child Death, to include identification of a single lead agency.	Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership
R13	All agencies should develop and deliver training to front line staff which picks up the points highlighted by this review, such as the skills needed to take a curious, questioning, and whole family approach to domestic abuse. Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership should consider the potential for training to be jointly developed and delivered.	All relevant agencies \| Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership
R14	The Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership should develop a flowchart, to be disseminated to all staff in all agencies, which sets out the process by which domestic abuse reports, referrals and assessments are carried out, from initial contacts, DASH assessments, and through to more detailed agency assessments. This could form part of the joint training suggested in the previous recommendation.	Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership
R15	The Welwyn Hatfield Community Safety Partnership should engage with local faith groups, in particular independent churches, to promote and make available domestic abuse awareness training.	Welwyn Hatfield Community Safety Partnership
R16	Chairs of the Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership Executive together with the Chairs of Adult and Children’s Safeguarding Boards should consider how best to engage faith groups and independent churches in its work.	Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership Executive \| Adult Safeguarding Board \| Children’s Safeguarding Board
R17	Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership should consider current trends in domestic abuse, anticipated future demands and the resourcing implications.	Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership
R2	To help ensure consistency and quality, all agencies should consider introducing a formal process of random management checks in relation to the assessment and escalation of risk to different household members in domestic abuse cases. This should be backed up by a rolling programme of Internal Audit review.	All relevant agencies
R3	All agencies should ensure cases are referred to MARAC where the referral criteria are met.	All relevant agencies
R4	Children’s Services must ensure that before making a key decision in a case which involves domestic abuse, they discuss this with the parties concerned and in particular the victim of the abuse.	Hertfordshire County Council Children’s Services
R5	The Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership should provide a standard set of information accessible to victims of domestic abuse. This might take the form of a simple leaflet, made available to all agencies.	Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership
R6	All agencies should consider how they will conduct safety planning with known victims of domestic abuse.	All relevant agencies
R7	The Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership should seek assurance from agencies that they have in place a strategy which they will follow if victims do not respond or refer themselves for services. (E.g. retracting evidence, not turning up for appointments, not going to Sunflower, etc.)	Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Partnership
R8	Hertfordshire Constabulary should ensure information and support is provided to victims of domestic abuse and their families during the Criminal Justice process.	Hertfordshire Constabulary
R9	Local Housing Authorities, their agents and partner Registered Providers, should review their approach to managing tenancies, assessing housing needs and homelessness a) to ensure safeguarding referrals are made if there are any indicators of domestic abuse, b) that advice given to a tenant takes account of the consequences to a victim or perpetrator of domestic abuse living in or returning to an existing tenancy and c) to ensure appropriate advice and information on support services is made available to both victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse.	Local Housing Authorities \| their agents \| partner Registered Providers
Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗