Tewkesbury review

That the Information Commissioner provides clarification/guidance re the legality of domestic abuse specialist support services being able to retain information relating to perpetrators of domestic abuse, to enable them to provide information, via the police, to safeguard vulnerable new partners of the perpetrators, under Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare’s law).

That CAADA reviews the national training given to IDVAs and to domestic abuse support services relating to the Data Protection Act and the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare’s law).

A public awareness campaign should be rolled out encouraging third parties including friends and family aware of domestic abuse to contact the police and/or independent local specialist support services.

Encourage companies and organisations to implement HR workplace policies in relation to domestic abuse.

Encourage companies and organisations to appoint key members of staff as Domestic Abuse Champions.

A reminder should be given to probation staff to continue to advise the courts that the probation service provides a comprehensive service to the courts including written reports as well as oral advice in regard to sentencing options. Probation staff are on hand to provide this. The courts are not bound to act on this advice. However, the probation service recognises the need to remind courts of the advisability of including a supervision requirement in cases where there is evidence of domestic abuse.

A senior National Probation Service (NPS) manager will write to HM Courts and Tribunal service in Gloucestershire to advise Magistrates and Judges of the benefits to risk management, of always adding a supervision requirement for offenders with a background of domestic abuse where a stand-alone unpaid work requirement is being considered. (For offences committed post 1st February 2015 the supervision requirement becomes a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement as per the Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014).

Domestic Abuse Awareness training to be arranged for front line staff. This will enable staff to recognise and respond appropriately to victims of domestic abuse.

Identify key staff to act as “domestic abuse champions,” to become a single point of contact for identifying victims and provide the necessary training to enable them to facilitate the role.

Review existing processes and guidelines where “housing debt” may be a barrier to a victim receiving appropriate support of obtaining a move to a safe environment and to ensure each case is given appropriate consideration.

Ensure victims records include full information and records of contact, including confirmation that the victim’s situation has been assessed and that the record are maintained that provide the rationale behind the decision.

To adopt a stand-alone Domestic Abuse Policy to include appropriate processes and guidelines.

Gloucestershire County Council, where they are the lead professional, will speak to all children in a domestic abuse household following a domestic abuse incident.

Agencies need to consider the safeguarding needs of all children in a domestic abuse household following a domestic abuse incident and take the appropriate action according to the agreed Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children’s Board Levels of Need document and complete a DASH form as appropriate.

That DASHs are sent through to GDASS as quickly as possible to enable contact with the victim to be made quickly after the event when they are most vulnerable.

There is a need to ensure that written consent from every adult, listed as an applicant on any approach for homeless assistance, is obtained. This is currently the case for all households approaching for statutory homeless assistance, but not for those who do not meet the vulnerability homeless criteria (as outlined in the Housing Act 1996 as amended). In future the Gloucester City Council Housing Service will require written consent before proceeding with any non-statutory assistance to non-priority households.

There should be in depth housing and homelessness expertise available to clients at the point of first contact. This is necessary to extract relevant information from clients, and offer the most appropriate advice for a range of situations. Customer Services Officers have a generalised knowledge of council services and cannot offer sufficient expertise in this area. The two tier system of customer service screen, with reference to Homeless Officers for advice on difficult cases, fails homeless customers as it inevitably relies on a précis of the customer’s situation by telephone which may not include relevant factors. Homeless officers should therefore be the first contact for anyone facing homeless crisis.

The initial enquiry pro-forma should be amended to include a prompt to consider local connections to the Gloucester area to ensure appropriate details are considered.

Implement a local Domestic Abuse policy linked to Countywide Policy, at CHIG (countywide housing implementation group) to formulate consistent local policies across the county

Implement regular refresher training on Domestic Abuse for all front line housing staff.

That MARAC meetings are held within 48 hours of any incident where possible to ensure early intervention. (This is now the agreed protocol)

A system of action tracking will be introduced to ensure that allocated actions are carried out and reviewed.

Analysis of intelligence is required regularly, in order to feed into the Constabulary's intelligence (NIM) processes so as to identify those most at risk of causing harm.

Force Control Room Managers should ensure that all relevant information pertaining to the threat and risk of harm to and from the perpetrator is captured through careful management of the initial call and the record of that information is made available to the attending officers at the time.

Incidents of Domestic Abuse must not be closed without the attending officers confirming (within the incident itself) that a Risk Assessment has been completed and submitted to a supervising officer.

In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, officers in the case are expected to ensure that applications for Restraining Orders are made in appropriate cases.

Supervisors to ensure that any incident identified as Domestic Abuse is fully updated detailing the fact that a DASH has been completed.

The Constabulary Training Department to re-enforce the understanding by officers of the definition of Domestic Abuse and to ensure that where an alleged crime is reported, it is appropriately recorded as a crime.

Gloucestershire Constabulary considers using Body Worn Video devices in an operational capacity.

Evidence-led prosecutions must be a consideration for all Domestic Abuse allegations.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service will conduct a review of our service to victims and witnesses, in conjunction with Gloucestershire Constabulary Witness Care Unit and Victim Support – to be concluded by 31st January 2015.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service will meet with Probation managers to discuss the consideration of supervision requirements on any community orders imposed following domestic abuse charges, by 31st January 2015.

HM Courts & Tribunals Service will conduct a review of domestic abuse training for magistrates and staff, and implement any changes or refresher training required by 31st March 2015.