Rotherham review

Consideration should be given to the national guidance for reporting gunshot and knife injuries without the consent of the victim being reviewed with a view to including life threatening injuries caused by other means.

The Home Office is invited to consider the current ‘near miss’ policy identified by the Safer Rotherham Partnership for wider dissemination and implementation.

The Home Office is invited to consider the provision of greater clarity around the definition of a DHR to include victim suicide and serious injury

At a national level, consideration given to the Victim Support National Homicide Service funding and policy, with particular reference to engagement following criminality and clearer guidance as to what constitutes a ‘homicide’.

The Safer Rotherham Partnership is well aware that raising public awareness of domestic abuse is an on-going process. The partnership should be clear that Domestic Abuse is wider than physical violence and should include all types of abuse, including coercive control. It should also include that abuse is age neutral effecting both women and men. The public awareness programme should be delivered regularly throughout the year and be accessible to all. It should be examined to ensure it identifies all aspects of abuse and that it can deliver appropriate outcomes.

The Safer Rotherham Partnership ‘near miss’ policy should be updated to require immediate notification to the DAPG via the DAC rather than delaying referrals to the next scheduled meeting.

The SRP MARAC Protocol and near miss protocol should be updated and explicitly state the need to share information where there is an indication of serious injury and professional judgement indicates this should be assessed as high risk should be referred to MARAC and IDVA without delay

In the absence of national guidance, the Safer Rotherham Partnership should develop a local protocol to ensure life threatening injuries caused by other means are identified and highlighted appropriately

IMR author training should be provided to all agencies within the Safer Rotherham Partnership and to 3rd sector organisations. The training should include critical analysis as a key component.

DAPG should continue to pursue the development of a performance management framework

The Health and Well Being Board should commission a scrutiny review of domestic abuse support provision by cabinet members.

Inevitably, when organisations differ on the identification, assessment and level of service provided there is a greater chance that potential victims and perpetrators will be overlooked and opportunities to intervene will be missed. There should be a standardisation within the Safer Rotherham Partnership of risk assessment processes including risk assessment tools.

Domestic Abuse training for all agencies within the Safer Rotherham Partnership should include what to do in the event of negative disclosure and that further information re Domestic Abuse is available to all staff via its website.

South Yorkshire Police should review their assessment process and provide further training and/or awareness for staff.

Domestic Abuse training for the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust should include what to do in the event of negative disclosure and that further information re Domestic Abuse is available to all Trust staff via its website.

The Trust’s training programme for Band 6 and above A&E staff in undertaking DASH risk assessments should be completed.

The Trust should give active support to A&E staff undertaking DASH risk assessments and their domestic abuse policy should be revised to reflect negative disclosure.