Police contact with woman before her death – Suffolk Constabulary, January 2020

Yes

The crime allocation policy has been reviewed. It was noted that whilst the crime allocation policy and systems in place are clear around allocation of investigations from IMU to Sgts Work trays, the requirements around allocation from Sgts work trays to officers were not clear. 

Different approaches to allocation from the trays exist across the different policing areas within the force area (based on different SNT structures for example), and so the attached SOP guidance has been drawn up, circulated to staff, and will be included in the allocation policy – this puts a clear onus on Local Policing Inspectors or Detective Inspectors to ensure the allocation processes for their policing area are robust and that relevant staff and in place and aware of their responsibilities. 
 

Yes

The Constabulary has an ongoing project to implement DARA (domestic abuse risk assessment) as a new replacement risk assessment for the current DASH (domestic abuse stalking harassment) system; the aim is for this to be introduced by the end of 2022.

DARA has been evaluated and approved by the college of policing as an improved risk assessment tool for forces to adopt. 

DASH has 27 questions, followed by 11 stalking questions.

DARA has 16 questions, followed by the same 11 stalking questions. 

DASH is formed of yes/no responses, whereas DARA is a narrative approach to questions and responses leading to a better-informed risk assessment. 

The current question 27, “Do you know if (Name of Abuser(s)) has ever been in trouble with the police or has a criminal history? (If yes, please specify)”, is not included within DARA, however, there is a large section in relation to whether there is relevant information held on police systems and records which should be included.

DARA includes a specific question requiring the officer completing the records to research and consider, “Previous Domestic abuse/violence incidents (including against other victims) call outs/previous convictions – for defendant and victim/witnesses.” 

Within the 11 stalking questions is the following: “Is (insert name of abuser) known to have been violent in the past? (This could be physical or psychological.)

The introduction of DARA will include updated training with key emphasis to ensure each risk assessment is victim focussed, not victim led. 

This will include consideration around the victim’s knowledge of the perpetrator’s history, and whether a “Claire’s law” domestic violence disclosure scheme disclosure should be made to the victim. 
 

Yes

The Constabulary has an ongoing project to implement DARA (domestic abuse risk assessment) as a new replacement risk assessment for the current DASH (domestic abuse stalking harassment) system; the aim if for this to be introduced by the end of 2022.

DARA has been evaluated and approved by the college of policing as an improved risk assessment tool which forces should adopt. 

DASH currently has 27 questions, followed by 11 stalking questions.

DARA has 16 questions, followed by the same 11 stalking questions. 

DASH is formed of yes/no responses, whereas DARA is a narrative approach to questions and responses leading to a better-informed risk assessment. 

The introduction of DARA will include updated training with key emphasis to ensure each risk assessment is victim focussed, not victim led. 

The training to officers will include highlighting that a victim’s past experiences of domestic abuse at the hands of ANY previous partner may present as the victim normalising the offender’s behaviour towards them. Risk assessment levels should not be reduced just because a victim is less scared by such behaviour – risk assessments should be victim focussed and not victim led.  
 

Yes

The probationer development unit (PDU) has developed the attached document to utilise as a documented handover of responsibilities and expectations for the supervisors who receive student officers from other teams, whether the student is subject to a performance review or otherwise.

This document includes a specific time/date when responsibility is passed from one supervisor to another, and the expectations around workload supervision, scrutiny, and support.
 

Yes

The Constabulary will be making additions to existing policies to overcome any ambiguities around required responses from officers – the proposed additions are as underlined below and will take a number of weeks to process due to the policy update procedures (consultation across different commands) that are in place. 
1)    Joint Suffolk/Norfolk Missing policy changes to include: 
a)    Submit an API (Norfolk) or PVP (Suffolk) to the MASH where there is (or was) a specific welfare or safeguarding concerns for a missing vulnerable adult immediately and this includes once the missing person has been located. If there is any immediate safeguarding concerns, contact the MASH Duty Detective Sergeant.

b)    Where mental health concerns exist the telephone numbers for the professional’s advice line to NSFT and the telephone line for the public in crisis should be utlised – a PVP submission WILL NOT initiate contact to achieve Mental Health support so officers must make additional contact via this system and consider also utilising the MH nurses in the CCR.

2)    Suffolk Welfare check policy changes to include:

a)    (section 5.7 of policy) On conducting a welfare check and where there is (or was) suggestion of vulnerability or concern, then officers should submit an appropriate safeguarding referral and consult with a supervisor as appropriate. This referral will usually be in the form of an Athena ‘protecting vulnerable people’ (PVP) entry.
b)    Where mental health concerns exist the telephone numbers for the professional’s advise line to NSFT and the telephone line for the public in crisis should be utilised – a PVP submission WILL NOT initiate contact to achieve Mental Health support so officers must make additional contact via this system and consider also utilising the MH nurses in the CCR. 

Yes

The Constabulary will be making additions to existing policies to overcome any ambiguities around required responses from officers – the proposed additions are as underlined below and will take a number of weeks to process due to the policy update procedures (consultation across different commands) that are in place. 

1)    Suffolk Welfare check policy changes to include:

a)    (section 5.14) Where welfare checks have been undertaken in relation to domestic abuse, or a known domestic abuse perpetrator or victim, attending officers must review previous and live/ongoing domestic cases and ensure that the OIC(s) for those cases are updated of the detail around the most recent welfare check visit so as to re-assess the risk to the ongoing cases.
 
b)    Any current or recent partners of the person subject to the welfare should be identified and consideration be made around contacting that person to establish their welfare. 

2)    Suffolk Domestic Abuse Policy changes to include:
The domestic abuse policy will be updated to cross refer to the above proposed additions to the welfare check policy.