Peterborough review

Cambridgeshire Constabulary to review their processes for the documentation and recording of Domestic Violence Disclosures (Clare’s Law). The Domestic Violence Report dated 17/05/2016 regarding the Domestic Violence Disclosure has never been finalised to show that the victim was informed. Current processes need to be reviewed to ensure any future disclosures are fully documented with the outcome prior to finalisation.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary to amend their processes to ensure that domestic abuse related investigations with the same suspect are linked. This will ensure that cases are investigated as a whole and not in isolation so that they are presented to the CPS/Court with full facts of offending so that all evidence of all offences can be taken into consideration.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary to renew their Intelligence processes to ensure that repeat domestic abusers are flagged to enable consideration of action to be taken against such individuals. This will negate the same repeat offender with different victims being dealt with in isolation and ensure the Courts are presented with the accumulative offending and risk posed. It will also provide opportunities for other offences nonrelated to be processed as a disruptive safeguarding measure.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary to review their responses for dealing with detainees suspected of mental health issues and/or suicidal thoughts. Although processes are in place, the review has highlighted areas such as whether police custody is a suitable place, family contact/involvement that could enhance the safeguarding when released from custody and reduce demand etc.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary to consider implementing their own specific Domestic Abuse, Child Protection and Adults at Risk SOPs. This will make the processes and responses in these areas specific and bespoke to the needs of Cambridgeshire whilst dovetailing into the National policy and strategies.

Cambridgeshire Police to implement a process that when an offender is on remand or sentenced, they provide the prison with witness and victim numbers to be barred from the PIN list. This will provide ongoing safeguarding by preventing the offender directly contacting the victim or witnesses and asserting control or fear from within the prison.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough MARAC to ensure that discussions during the meeting include confirming safe contact details and if the victim has access to a phone. This will provide shared information and confirmation of the safeguarding required and implemented safety plan for the victim.

Probation Service to re-communicate the process to practitioners in relation to the use of home visits and frequency of police call-out checks. This will provide early communication with the perpetrator and potentially the only contact with a victim if they have disengaged with other services and are still in a relationship with the perpetrator providing information to risk assess. Call-out information will enhance Probations knowledge of contact with the victim and perpetrator

Peterborough Children Social Care to include in processes when there is a risk of domestic abuse and the alleged perpetrator is incarcerated, Child in Need planning should be focussed on supporting the victim with strengthening their support network, including holding a family meeting. This will ensure that every opportunity is taken to provide support at the optimum time which may lead to the children being able to stay with the parent who is the victim of the abuse.

Peterborough Children Social Care to ensure that escalations to Child Protection should be timely and the impact of domestic abuse on the child’s wellbeing fully considered alongside their lived experience when making a threshold decision. This is to include the use of multiagency information for holistic decision making to negate decisions being based on what they have been told by the person/persons involved. It should also include the recognition of children being victims of domestic abuse whilst living in the household.

Peterborough Children Social Care to ensure that the recommendation to make a Clare’s law application features in children’s plans. This will provide an opportunity for a victim to have further information on how they and their children have been at unknown risk and allow informed decision making which can be taken into account to try and prevent victims of domestic abuse also losing parental control of their children.

Peterborough Children Social Care to ensure that plans have multi-agency contribution to consider all the risks and understand the support they can offer to both CSC and families. This will provide holistic specialist support to meet the bespoke needs of the family. It will also contain information from all sources providing a holistic picture of their needs and an understanding of the situation with greater context.

Peterborough Children Social Care to ensure plans consider the work to be completed by perpetrators of abuse alongside any work to be completed by the victim. This will assist the family in the future if the relationship remains.

the victim’s GP surgery to implement a process that any patient discussed in Management daily meetings will be followed up by the safeguarding administration to ensure a continuation of care is met. This will provide further opportunity for support and proactiveness on the information received.

Cross Keys Homes to revise their domestic abuse policy and procedure to ensure action to hold perpetrators of domestic abuse to account is included and assurances that survivors are signposted to make well informed housing related decisions. This may negate or minimise the occasions when a victim of domestic abuse moves into a Cross Keys Homes property with the perpetrator when they are already known as a domestic abuse victim.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to re-communicate and promote the information sharing protocol for all fire relating concerns including threats. This will provide intelligence to analyse, identify patterns of potential risk and provide the Fire Service with opportunities to potentially negate or minimise the risk.