Wokingham review

This training should be capable of highlighting issues such as: o Domestic abuse as a pattern of behaviour o Diverse communities and unconscious bias o Coercive control and economic abuse o The danger of exiting an abusive relationship

Wokingham Community Safety Partnership should invite Imkaan to meet with senior management from all agencies involved in this review. This will enable discussion to take place about the learning identified in this case

Wokingham Community Safety Partnership should review the available commissioned and non-commissioned specialist 'violence against women and girls' support pathways for Black and minoritised women/girls. This should ensure that agencies can seek expert advice, support and information

Future domestic homicide reviews in Wokingham involving Black and minoritised women should always have appropriate representatives from the 'violence against women and girls' sector as well as a specialist Black and minority ethnic organisation

The Home Office should consider updating the Statutory Guidance on the Conduct of Domestic Homicide Reviews to make it compulsory to have representation from a specialist Black and minority ethnic organisation on the panel in cases involving Black and minoritised women

The Home Office should consult with Imkaan, Women's Aid and Safelives to review the effectiveness of the DASH (domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based violence) risk assessment for Black and minoritised women experiencing domestic violence and abuse.

Thames Valley Police to review its processes for assessing risk in domestic abuse including the importance of secondary risk assessing

A review should be undertaken of the criteria for making multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) checks

An audit should be undertaken to ensure that the processes that are in place for transferring children from universal services to targeted services are being followed in a timely manner.

Primary care should review the procedure around receiving domestic abuse notifications. This should include: a. What is expected of GP staff on receipt of a notification b. How the information should be recorded or flagged c. How long such information should be kept

Information to be available to early years settings to raise awareness of domestic abuse and how to respond to suspicions or disclosures by children or parents

Contact Management staff are already subject to ongoing CDI (Crime Data Integrity) training. It is recommended that this case is used as a case study in that training and through other communication channels

Children's social care should review how the threshold for holding a strategy meeting is applied. Any change to the threshold should: a. Be in conjunction with the leadership team within children's social care, so resource implications are considered b. Be communicated to all managers across the service

The process for transferring vulnerable children out of area should be updated to include temporary moves. This should ensure that the health visiting service in the new area is contacted, information is shared and actions for health visiting teams are clearly communicated.

GP Practice staff should receive training on how to respond sensitively (but in a professionally curious manner) to patients following a notification (irrespective of the risk grading).

Thames Valley Police has commissioned the Safe Lives charity to deliver its 'Domestic Abuse Matters' training to all front-line officers from January 2020

A review should be undertaken of the domestic abuse training provided to social workers to ensure: a. It adequately addresses the complexity of the issue including coercive control, economic abuse, cultural aspects of abuse and the danger of separation b. Professionals recognise that DASH (domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based violence) risk assessments should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity c. It meets the needs of workers

Thames Valley Police to review how it ensures that all frontline officers have completed mandatory training

A review should be undertaken of how, when and by whom referrals should be made to the local specialist domestic abuse services

Thames Valley Police to set clear expectations on the use of Operational Guidance and to test whether these expectations are met

Detailed information should be provided verbally and in writing to everyone referred to children’s social care following a domestic abuse incident even when the person appears to have decided to leave an abusive relationship.

Thames Valley Police to deliver CDI (Crime Data Integrity) training from January 2020 in the context of domestic abuse

Ensure that professional curiosity and the need to fully explore disclosures is embedded in practice.

Thames Valley Police to clarify if and when it is acceptable to respond to a domestic incident and complete a risk assessment over the phone.

Ensure a risk-based approach coupled with ongoing assessments frequently monitors cases where domestic abuse is a factor and that appropriate contact arrangements are put in place which take account the safety of the alleged victim. This includes minimising opportunities for the alleged perpetrator to use visits to control or coerce the victim. Arrangements should continue to be frequently reviewed alongside any changes in information to assist with contact management.

Ensure that allegations of controlling behaviour / financial abuse are taken seriously.