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

Somerset review

CSP: Somerset Published: September 2025 Year of death: 2022 Extracted: 7 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 highlights systemic failures in understanding trauma and domestic abuse, leading to missed opportunities for risk assessment, information sharing, and appropriate interventions for the victim. It also notes unconscious bias in agency responses, often blaming the victim while colluding with the perpetrator.

Extracted recommendations

7 recommendations pulled from the report

#	Recommendation	Addressed to
1	Safer Somerset Partnership to evaluate their training offer which includes: • ACEs. • Trauma Informed Practice. • Unconscious bias. • Domestic Abuse Disclosure Scheme. • Counter Allegations. • Professional Curiosity.	Safer Somerset Partnership
2	Where there is possible domestic abuse, FSG workers are to obtain consent from the non-abusive parent, discuss at group supervision and seek consultation with the specialist domestic abuse worker with regards to risk and intervention.	Children Social Care
3	All family safeguarding practitioners when identifying domestic abuse through assessment should be confident and competent in completing the DASH in advance of forwarding to specialist domestic abuse support.	Children Social Care \| SIDAS \| SDAS \| Open Mental Health
4	MARAC to have the same statutory framework as other conferences where vulnerable people’s safety and wellbeing are discussed to ensure tighter and robust accountability for actions and sharing of information.	Domestic Abuse Commissioner Office for England and Wales
5	All agencies to ensure those completing the DASH understand any cases where there has been Non-Fatal Strangulation is a high-risk factor and is to be referred to MARAC with detail provided within the risk assessment.	Domestic Abuse Board
6	SIDAS to have contact with clients weekly and future appointments to be offered to clients after each support session. These are to be evidenced on the case file with explanations provided if this is not achievable.	SIDAS
7	North Somerset MARAC Protocol, section 5.13 (MARAC to MARAC transfer) to be amended and include: ‘when an action has been identified within the meeting for a MARAC to MARAC transfer the lead professional for this is the MARAC coordinator and this is to be completed within 48 hours of the meeting’.	Nextlink (North Somerset MARAC)
Recommendations extracted from the published report. Source: Home Office DHR Library. View full report ↗