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
Wolverhampton review
CSP: Wolverhampton
Published: March 2024
Year of death: 2013
Extracted: 30 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 systemic weaknesses in multi-agency risk assessment (DASH) and MARAC processes, inconsistent police responses, and challenges in engaging the victim and the perpetrator with health and substance misuse services, particularly in a case of reciprocal violence and non-cooperation.
Extracted recommendations
| # | Recommendation | Addressed to |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP) should review the governance arrangements for the MARAC and ensure that the MARAC is supported by a full time co-ordinator and that the minutes are CAADA compliant and that there is a clear action tracking process in place. | Safer Wolverhampton Partnership |
| R10 | West Midlands Police should ensure that a senior officer is identified to take responsibility for the police strategy in high-risk domestic abuse cases that have reached an impasse, and that this strategy is clearly communicated and reviewed regularly. | West Midlands Police |
| R11 | West Midlands Police should review its policy on the management of Potentially Dangerous Persons (PDPs) to ensure that high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators who do not meet MAPPA criteria are subject to robust offender management strategies. | West Midlands Police |
| R12 | All agencies should ensure that information sharing protocols are robust and that relevant intelligence, particularly concerning high-risk domestic abuse cases, is shared effectively between agencies and across force areas. | All agencies |
| R13 | All health services (GPs, A&E, Mental Health, Substance Misuse) should ensure that their staff are trained in identifying domestic abuse, using risk indicator checklists (RICs), and making appropriate referrals to MARAC and other support services. | All health services |
| R14 | Health services should ensure that there is a clear pathway for dual diagnosis cases (mental health and substance misuse) and that these services work in tandem to provide integrated support for victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse. | Health services |
| R15 | The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should ensure that charging decisions in domestic abuse cases, particularly those involving reciprocal violence or uncooperative victims, fully consider the cumulative history of abuse and the potential for victimless prosecutions. | Crown Prosecution Service |
| R16 | The Probation Service should ensure that requests for Alcohol Treatment Requirements (ATRs) are consistently applied for in appropriate domestic abuse cases, particularly where alcohol abuse is a significant factor in offending behaviour. | Probation Service |
| R17 | All agencies should develop an escalation policy for cases where clients refuse to engage with voluntary support services, to ensure that senior managers review such cases and alternative strategies are considered. | All agencies |
| R18 | All agencies should ensure that 'windows of opportunity' when a victim or perpetrator is separated (e.g., due to custody or temporary accommodation) are maximised for intensive and focused support and engagement. | All agencies |
| R19 | MARAC should identify a lead worker for every high-risk victim, responsible for coordinating inter-agency work, sharing relevant developments, and maintaining engagement until clear protective factors genuinely reduce risk. | MARAC |
| R2 | The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP) should ensure that there is an escalation policy for MARACs that are unable to achieve engagement with high risk victims and perpetrators, or where the risk factors remain unresolved after a specified number of MARACs. | Safer Wolverhampton Partnership |
| R20 | MARAC should ensure that a refusal by a victim to accept a safety plan is not grounds for removing their name from MARAC, unless properly identified protective factors exist. | MARAC |
| R21 | MARAC should ensure that minutes are CAADA compliant, clearly link risk factors and actions, and provide evidence of accountability and feedback for actions taken. | MARAC |
| R22 | The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP) should reconsider the implementation of a joint case management system (Modus-Paloma) and the appointment of a full-time MARAC coordinator to improve the effectiveness of MARAC. | Safer Wolverhampton Partnership |
| R23 | All agencies should ensure that the cumulative impact of domestic abuse, including the history of reciprocal violence and non-engagement, is consistently considered in risk assessments and strategy development. | All agencies |
| R24 | The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP) should ensure that the MARAC process is proactive rather than solely reactive, with mechanisms to review cases where there has been a period of 'calm' to understand underlying factors. | Safer Wolverhampton Partnership |
| R25 | All agencies should ensure that the issue of gender bias in the identification and provision of services for male victims of domestic abuse is addressed, and that appropriate support is offered to all victims regardless of gender. | All agencies |
| R26 | The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP) should ensure that there is a clear policy for the identification of 'trigger alerts' or multiple concerns that, when taken together, indicate a heightened risk of domestic abuse, even if individual factors do not meet referral thresholds. | Safer Wolverhampton Partnership |
| R27 | All agencies should ensure that their senior leadership teams are actively engaged in the management of complex, high-risk domestic abuse cases that have reached an impasse, providing strategic oversight and support to frontline staff. | All agencies |
| R28 | The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should ensure that police are fully supported in pursuing restraining orders and other civil protective measures in domestic abuse cases, even when victims are uncooperative. | Crown Prosecution Service |
| R29 | The Probation Service should ensure that the management of high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators, including those who do not meet MAPPA criteria, is robust and includes targeted offender management strategies. | Probation Service |
| R3 | The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP) should ensure that there is a clear policy for the identification of vulnerable adults and that the criteria for referral to Adult Social Care is clear and understood by all agencies. | Safer Wolverhampton Partnership |
| R30 | All agencies should ensure that there is a clear and consistent approach to information sharing between different force areas when high-risk domestic abuse subjects move between jurisdictions. | All agencies |
| R4 | The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership (SWP) should ensure that there is a clear policy for the identification of male victims of domestic abuse and that appropriate support services are available to them. | Safer Wolverhampton Partnership |
| R5 | West Midlands Police should review its policy on the use of discretion in relation to DASH assessments and ensure that all domestic abuse incidents are subject to a DASH assessment, in line with HMIC recommendations. | West Midlands Police |
| R6 | West Midlands Police should review its crime recording procedures to ensure that officers are able to complete a full and accurate DASH assessment at the scene of a domestic abuse incident, with access to all relevant information. | West Midlands Police |
| R7 | West Midlands Police should ensure that all frontline officers and supervisors receive comprehensive training on the purpose and completion of DASH assessments, and the importance of considering the cumulative impact of domestic abuse. | West Midlands Police |
| R8 | West Midlands Police should review its policy on the use of fixed penalty notices for wasting police time in domestic abuse cases, to ensure that this does not deter victims from reporting incidents or undermine victimless prosecutions. | West Midlands Police |
| R9 | West Midlands Police should ensure that the CORVUS briefing system is fully utilised to provide up-to-date briefings and safety plans for high-risk domestic abuse cases to all frontline officers. | West Midlands Police |
| Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗ | ||