East Sussex review

East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership should promote public and professional awareness of economic abuse as a method of coercive control within domestic and familial abuse. They should seek assurance from its agencies that they have enacted the new definition of economic abuse within their policies and practice.

East Sussex Community Safety Partnership should seek assurance from its agencies that front-line practitioners are sufficiently supported through training, guidance and supervision to be able to respond effectively to child-parent abuse, irrespective of the various ages of those abusing and abused. Where gaps emerge, East Sussex Community Safety Partnership should consider what needs to be done collectively with agencies to raise the awareness and expertise of practitioners to respond to child-parent abuse.

East Sussex Safer Communities Partnership should increase public awareness about child-parent abuse and the role of specialist domestic abuse services in supporting those affected

The Ministry of Justice is asked to consider whether a standard should be set for pre-sentence reports involving domestic abuse, including those pre-sentence reports which are required verbally and ‘on the day’, to routinely include evidence of police reports, necessitating the time being allocated for them to be carried out.

The CCG to continue to promote the importance of routine enquiry regarding domestic abuse across primary care.

Health professionals to have awareness of the impact of supporting a family member who has care and support needs. Further training for all staff to be considered on what the impact is on the wider family / carer / support system. Consider placing a flag or note on the electronic patient record system as a reminder to approach how the carer is feeling and to ask if they have any concerns regarding their personal safety.

Any disclosure of ‘a protective’ ‘restraining’ ‘police’ or other order including tags etc must be explored for the reason why this has been put in place, this includes making contact to the police to report a breach.

To increase confidence amongst KMPT staff regarding routine enquiry around domestic abuse.

KSS CRC to improve their practice around case transfers.

Identify actions in the updated version of the Domestic Abuse Policy and Procedure to inform staff what actions are required when a patient states they are going to be discharged to live with the perpetrator and there is a restraining order in relation to living or being near to the perpetrator, that staff should inform the police that this is likely/going to occur.

A further reminder to Sussex CDO’s that following breach hearings, if order continues, the CDO must make efforts to give a reporting appointment before the offender/ service user leaves court. CRC if asking for orders to continue, will also ensure appointments are detailed within the breach report where possible, or an appointment date advised once a breach hearing date is known either directly to NPS Court Team or to the CRC staff member attending Breach Court in support of the process. If an offender fails to attend a Breach hearing and subsequently attends on warrant, NPS Court staff must take all reasonable steps to secure an appointment date and time.

NPS to continue to apply national allocation process.

Court report writers to check call out information when the offending is linked to family members and or grievances involved. All court staff will over the following year will be undertaking unconscious bias training as provided by the Civil Service. As part of our continuous professional practice events, Court report writers will continue to apply reflective practice approaches to discuss potential risk issues around similar cases.

During the discharge process, clarity should be given to family, carers and professionals in respect of risk. A telephone contact with the patient will be made within 48 hours of discharge and a discharge letter will be sent to all those involved with the patient’s care with 7 days.

On admission, each patient should receive a comprehensive joint risk assessment by nursing and medical colleagues which needs to be documented on their care records. This will include an assessment of risk and establishment of observation level.

That Sussex Police conduct an audit to ensure that history markers are being applied consistently and appropriately in cases involving allegations of Domestic Abuse.