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

Stoke-on-Trent review

CSP: Stoke-on-Trent Published: August 2023 Year of death: 2019 Extracted: 9 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 inadequate multi-agency information sharing, inconsistent risk assessment and management for victims and children, and premature case closures. Issues included insufficient police investigation of allegations and retractions, and gaps in health professionals' awareness and response to domestic abuse.

Extracted recommendations

9 recommendations pulled from the report

#	Recommendation	Addressed to
1	Staffordshire Police and West Midlands CPS should provide evidence to the Stoke-on-Trent Community Safety Partnership that the possibility of progressing an evidence-led investigation / prosecution in domestic abuse cases, as recommended in national guidance, is always considered, and that this includes effective partnership working with other agencies to establish if they have information and / or potential evidence to assist the investigation.	Staffordshire Police \| West Midlands CPS \| Stoke-on-Trent Community Safety Partnership
2	The Stoke-on-Trent Community Safety Partnership should seek assurance that there is effective information sharing and partnership working to assist full exploration by Staffordshire Police of the possible factors which may be leading to an alleged victim of domestic abuse seeking to withdraw their allegations, and / or to investigate reports of abuse where counter allegations are made.	Stoke-on-Trent Community Safety Partnership
3	Staffordshire Police and Stoke-on-Trent City Council Children’s Services should ensure that there is liaison and joint evaluation of any potential safeguarding risks to children when the police are considering whether to impose police bail or release an alleged perpetrator under further investigation;	Staffordshire Police \| Stoke-on-Trent City Council Children’s Services
4	The Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Partnership should assure itself that: - there is multi-agency guidance available to all professionals that covers work with families who are hard to engage, or resist professionals’ intervention, and that this is being applied effectively; - professionals are clear about the criteria and arrangements for convening a multi-agency meeting in order to assess risk, and formulate a revised plan of intervention to safeguard children, where there is continuing non engagement and / or access to a child is denied.	Stoke-on-Trent Safeguarding Children Partnership
5	The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Domestic Abuse Commissioning and Development Board should assure itself that there is evidence that professionals are aware of the processes that have been put in place for escalating concerns, and / or challenging decisions made by partner agencies where it is considered that these may be placing victims of domestic abuse, and / or their children, at further risk.	Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Domestic Abuse Commissioning and Development Board
6	The Stoke-on-Trent Community Safety Partnership should seek assurance that there is evidence that: (i) within the multi-agency processes to assess risk in domestic abuse cases, consideration is always given to a disclosure being made to the new partner of an alleged perpetrator through the “right to know” provisions within the Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme; (ii) the protocols agreed by Staffordshire Police and Stoke-on-Trent City Council Children’s Services for the latter to make these disclosures are being applied.	Stoke-on-Trent Community Safety Partnership
7	University Hospital North Midlands (UHNM) should, when disclosures of domestic abuse have been made, always attempt to complete body maps, with the patient’s consent, to note relevant or significant injuries.	University Hospital North Midlands (UHNM)
8	University Hospital North Midlands (UHNM) should ensure that hospital discharge letters sent to GPs include a full account of any disclosures made by patients regarding domestic abuse and any actions taken to explore these.	University Hospital North Midlands (UHNM)
9	Stoke-on-Trent CCG should provide evidence to the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Domestic Abuse Commissioning and Development Board of the impact of Domestic Abuse Awareness Training provided to GPs and other professionals.	Stoke-on-Trent CCG
Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗