THAMES VALLEY DOMESTIC ABUSE STRATEGY

Introduction

The development of a Thames Valley Domestic Abuse Strategy is being supported by the Thames Valley Criminal Justice Board and the Thames Valley Chief Executives’ Meeting(which brings together Chief Executives of all the local authorities with representatives from criminal justice agencies and the NHS). The production of the strategy is being undertaken by the Thames Valley Domestic Violence Strategy Group (TVDV), supported by the Thames Valley Partnership.

The purpose of this strategy is to provide a framework for delivering a co-ordinated, multi-agency response to domestic abuse which will meet the requirements of the Home Office’s Co-ordinated Community Response Model and improve services to victims and perpetrators. The strategy has taken account of models and good practice developed elsewhere such as the strategy for London developed by the Mayor of London’s Office and the Metropolitan Police Service.

In producing this strategy we have:-

  • Incorporated the prioritiesdeveloped by TVDV in its first year of operation.
  • Focussed on the need for a co-ordinated community response with improved strategic planning in all localities and a clearer commissioning structure for local services.
  • Considered the need to develop minimum standards and key areas of performance which we would expect every organisation to reach.
  • Identified gaps and serious weaknesses for urgent attention.
  • Identified other areas of work to develop further during the course of the strategy.

Thanks are due to all members of TVDV, the Thames Valley Criminal Justice Board and the Thames Valley Chief Executives’ Meeting but, in particular, to Tracey Johnson-Brown and The Crown Prosecution Service; Detective Superintendent Nora Holford and Don Savage, Thames Valley Police;Andy Couldrick, Oxfordshire Social and Healthcare; and Gerry Lejeune, East Berkshire Women’s Aid for taking a lead in the development of the key areas of work.

These proposals and recommendations were accepted by the Thames Valley Criminal Justice Board at their meeting in September 2007 and the Thames Valley Chief Executives’ Meeting in November 2007.

Rationale for a Thames Valley-wide approach to tackling domestic abuse

The reason for developing a domestic abuse strategy at aThames Valley-wide level, in addition tothose at county and district/unitary,is that some of the key organisations working on domestic abuse operate across the whole of the Thames Valley region (e.g. Police, Probation Service, Courts, Crown Prosecution Service etc.). These Thames Valley-wide organisations already have a statutory duty to collaborate through the Thames Valley Criminal Justice Board (TVCJB) and domestic abuse is one of the key priorities for the strategy of the TVCJB. Other organisations (e.g. health and the prison service) include ThamesValley as part of a broader region.

The Thames Valley Chief Executives’ Meeting (chaired by the Chief Constable) is a non statutory body which brings together all the local authorities which also have statutory responsibilities for domestic abuse and therefore provides an ideal opportunity for collaboration across the ThamesValley region. It is this body,together with the TVCJB, which agreed to establish a multi-agency domestic violence group (TVDV) and work towards the development of a Thames Valley-wide domestic abuse strategy.

Some other advantages of having a domestic abuse strategy at a Thames Valley-wide level and then agreeing actions at that level include the potential for:

  • Greater consistency of approach across the ThamesValley area
  • Cost savingsand economies of scale
  • Improved information sharing and data management
  • Piloting new initiatives and undertaking research on new areas of work and then disseminatingideas and findings from these initiatives
  • Identifying and sharing good practice and emerging knowledge via informal networking(e.g. DV Co-ordinators Group, Behind Closed Doors Network)
  • Undertaking cross boundary work
  • Raising the profile of domestic abuse
  • Improving success in external bidding for funds

The strategy is based on the idea that collaboration is more likely to achieve better outcomes for those who use the services. However, individual organisations have their own statutory responsibilities to fulfil and local authorities are developing domestic abuse strategies which are appropriately co-ordinated at a more local level. It is therefore important to ensure that any ThamesValley domestic abuse strategy should complement and support, rather than cut across, this more local work.

At present the mechanism for agreeing actions to be taken at a ThamesValley level are not clear. The strategy itself needs to be clearly owned by all its signatories. The first step towards achieving this ownership is to obtain full sign up by the TVCJB where there is a mechanism for doing this. The Thames Valley Chief Executives’ Meeting provides an opportunity for sign up on behalf of local authorities but this is more complicated as the strategic responsibilities and roles are less clear.

We conclude that for this strategy to work in the long term it needs to be led by a new board working on behalf of the signatories to the strategy - from both the TVCJB and the Chief Executives Meeting.

The new TVDV Strategy Board would need to include senior level representation from all the key criminal justice agencies (as is currently the case on the existing TVDV Group). It would also require strategic representation from each county (in agreement with all their districts) and unitary area. The local authority representatives nominated to the new board need to be in a position to take decisions on behalf of all the various departments of a local authority. This group will need a pooled budget in order to put into effect the actions which they agree are best taken at a ThamesValley level.

From work undertaken so far some of the issues that the new board should consider taking forward at a ThamesValley level include:

  • Criminal justice processes
  • Information sharing and associated protocols
  • Performance data management and analysis
  • Offender and victim/survivor risk management issues (e.g. MARAC/MAPPA)
  • Multi-agency training
  • Communication plan and publicity campaigns
  • Researching, recognising and sharing of good practice and emerging knowledge
  • Developing multi-area agreements
  • External bidding for funds
  • Liaison with other agencies on key issues (e.g. with GOSE)

Some of the responsibilities at county/unitary level include:

  • Implementing the Home Office’s Co-ordinated Community Response Model
  • Establishing clear commissioning structures against this model
  • Co-ordinating and supporting the work of the voluntary sector
  • Creating a clear strategic and accountability structure (e.g.by linking the work of the local domestic violence forum or fora, local children’s safeguarding board and community safety partnership/s and their performance monitoring and reporting arrangements)
  • Establishing appropriate scrutiny arrangements

These are by no means exhaustive lists and the action plan which flows from this strategy will need to identify for each of the actions whether they are best taken forward at a ThamesValley, county/unitary or district level.
Summary of the ThamesValley Domestic Abuse Strategy

The overall aim of the three year strategy is to “achieve a consistent and co-ordinated inter-agency response to domestic abuse in the ThamesValley, thereby bringing about a reduction in the frequency and consequences of domestic abuse and an improvement in the safety and options for all those affected”.

Our underlying vision is of Thames Valley as an area where the levels of domestic abuse are falling; where abuse is not tolerated in the community or by the criminal justice system; where services support victims – whether individuals or families – towards long-term goals, not sticking-plaster fixes; and ultimately, where prevention is better than cure. Working in partnership is the only way to make this happen.

The strategy is being developed around four strategic priorities which are:

1.Co-ordinated multi-agency approach: To achieve a Thames Valley-wide integrated response to domestic abuse by enabling criminal justice, local authorities and other statutory and voluntary bodies to work effectively together, pooling their resources and expertise and thereby achieving significant improvements in the services provided.

2. Safety, support and harm reduction: To ensure the safety and support needs of those experiencing domestic abuse and their families are met through well resourced, safe and accessible services (regardless of gender and sexuality).

3. Protection and Justice: To ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their behaviour and are given help to change through a co-ordinated justice response to reduce risk, minimise harm and reduce recidivism.

4. Prevention and early intervention: To ensure that domestic abuse is confronted and challenged and victims of domestic abuse are able to access support earlier.

This strategy outlines the high level strategic priorities and key work strands for development beneath them. The strategy will be supported by a detailed action plan outlining how each of the work strands will be taken forward, who will be responsible and the timescale in which they will be undertaken.

Further developmental work during the course of the strategy will consider:

  • Fuller and better integration with NHS e.g. mental health
  • YOTs and work with young abusers
  • Schools work
  • The potential for more co-located arrangements e.g. Family Justice Centre model, co-location with Sexual Assault Referral Centres etc.
  • Developing a model for Thames Valley-wide scrutiny and review against standards set

PRIORITY1: Creating a co-ordinated response across the ThamesValley

To achieve a Thames Valley-wide integrated response to domestic abuse by enabling criminal justice, local authorities and other statutory and voluntary bodies to work effectively together, pooling their resources and expertise and thereby achieving significant improvements in the services provided.

a)To develop and implement a new strategy/advisory body with appropriate secretarial support and resources which will have the ability to advise on the delivery of the Home Office’s Co-ordinated Community Response Model.

b)New strategy/advisory body to promoteminimum standards for the key components of a local domestic abuse strategy e.g. operation of a MARAC, IDVAs.

c)All criminal justice agencies and local authorities to have a three year domestic abuse strategy outlining their compliance with relevant standards and with appropriate business planning processes and resources identified.

d)Each county/unitaryarea to assess their services against a models of care (i.e. a tiered risk and need) framework, publicise their services, referral processes and pathways at each tier (universal/standard/medium/high risk and need) and develop clear commissioning arrangements against their agreed framework.

e) To develop and implement appropriate multi-agency management and performance information systems for domestic abuse (e.g. some data to be provided centrally to local partnerships in a common format across the ThamesValley and regularly reviewed to see if it is meeting practitioners’ needs).

f)To develop appropriate links between criminal justice agencies, MARACs and the adult and child domestic abuseframeworks – Community Safety Partnerships, Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards, domestic violence fora, Adult Protection Panels/Boards, Drug and Alcohol Action Teams and the voluntary sector.

g)Each agency andrelevant local authority to identify a strategic lead with overarching responsibilities for governance and accountability for domestic violence and leads in each relevant department.

h) To co-ordinate and assess performance against existing targets, to identify possible new targets and to ensure that appropriate targetsare reflected in Local Area Agreements and other strategic processes e.g. the new strategic assessments being undertaken under the new national standards for Community Safety Partnerships.

i)To monitor and seek the inclusion of domestic abuse as a priority in relevant statutory plans e.g. the Children and Young People’s Plan, Supporting People Plan, drug and alcohol strategies etc.

j)To develop a multi-agency Thames Valley-wide domestic abuse training strategy (e.g. this could include training for those responsible for commissioning and monitoring domestic abuse related services against the CCR model, information sharing, risk assessment etc.).

k)To develop sub-strategies to deal with specific subsets of hidden domestic abuse e.g. forced marriages, elder abuse, vulnerable adults, stalking, non partner violence and the link with sexual violence (e.g. by holding themed meetings with experts).

l)To investigate the potential for Multi Area Agreements to secure resources for a Thames Valley-wide strategy.

m)Public sector organisations to have written and well publicised policies on how they deal with cases of domestic abuse (e.g. risk and need assessment and referral procedures).

n)To encourage corporate responsibility and the development of workplace guidance in the public and private sectors in relation to dealing with employees who are the survivors or perpetrators of domestic abuse.

o)To develop improved information sharing arrangements and ensure standardisation of information sharing protocols and procedures where possible.

p)To undertake research and disseminategood practice, challenges and emerging knowledge.

q)Undertake some research/consultation at the end of each year to see if the aims of the strategy are being delivered on the ground.

PRIORITY 2: Safety, Support and Harm Reduction

To ensure the safety and support needs of those experiencing domestic abuse and their families are met through well resourced, safe and accessible services (regardless of gender and sexuality).

Victims/Survivors

a)To develop and implement a common understanding andmulti-agency risk thresholdsand need assessment processes.

b)To ensure that commissioning frameworks at a local level take into account (a) the need for an independent advocacy service to help manage high and medium risk cases and (b) establishment of appropriate referral pathways and referral mechanisms into and out of the advocacy service.

c)Each area to develop clear referral pathways, thresholds and protocols at different levels of risk and need within a clear framework with adequate resourcing to meet identified needs.

d)To improve the operation of MARACs in each Basic Command Unit with active engagement of all agencies, clear referral routes, key worker systems and monitoring in accordance with the new Thames Valley-wide protocol.

e)To develop and improve integration of the work of individual support agencies working with victims/survivors and/or children within a co-ordinated and tiered model based on risk and need assessment.

f)To increase safe housing choices including sanctuary schemes, floating support, refuges, injunctions, transfers.

Children

g)To ensure that Local Safeguarding Children’s Board strategies cater for the requirements and standards outlined in the document ‘A Vision for Services for Children and Young People affected by Domestic Violence’[1]and the wider prevention agenda.

h)County and unitary authorities to assess their services against ‘A Vision for Services for Children and Young People affected by Domestic Violence’ and the tiered model proposed in that framework.

Victim/Survivors and Children) To developvictim/survivor and children therapeutic groups, counselling and long term help for victims/survivors and children in each county/unitary area.

PRIORITY 3: Protection and Justice

To ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their behaviour and are given help to change through a co-ordinated justice response to reduce risk, minimise harm and reduce recidivism.

a)Increase offences brought to justice by improving the evidence to secure convictions,providing support to witnesses and implementing a review process for failed cases.

b)To identify repeat offenders and their needs and develop action plans to reduce their levels of re-victimisation by involving appropriate agencies in care support/planning and clarifying responsibility for taking specific actions forward.

c)To increase public confidence in criminal justice responses by improving criminal justice outcomes.

d)To implement Specialist Domestic Violence Courts across the ThamesValleyand to achieve specialist court status for these.

e)To increase the capacity for accredited perpetrator programmes for convicted offenders in prisons and in the community.

f)Develop and implement referral pathways for perpetrators with drug and alcohol, and mental health problems etc.

g)To develop voluntary community perpetrator programmes in each county/unitary area to the national RESPECT standards for offenders not in the criminal justice system.

h)To ensure that domestic abuse cases which require a risk management response are channelled through the appropriate risk management structure e.g.MAPPA/MARAC/Adult Protection Board.

i)Develop closer integration of civil and criminal processes.
PRIORITY4: Prevention and Early Intervention

To ensure that domestic abuse is confronted and challenged and victims of domestic abuse are able to access support earlier.

a)Deliver a quality education pack schools in the ThamesValley with adequate training and resources.

b)To promote domestic abuse prevention within a comprehensive anti-violence strategy in schools to include respectful relationships.

c)To co-ordinate media and publicity campaigns to maximise impact where appropriate, including the development of child friendly materials and promotion of reporting processes for children (e.g. ChildLine).

d)To support action by health and other social care professionals in implementing screening for domestic violence and appropriate referrals and training(e.g. routine enquiry).

e)To maintain an up-to-date guide to resources and agency services in each area.

f)Collate and analyse the research on the causes and risk factors of domestic violence and the links with sexual and other abuse.

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[1] LGA, ADSS, CAFCASS and Women’s Aid (2005). A Vision for Services for Children and Young People affected by Domestic Violence – guidance to local commissioners of children’s services.