Domestic Homicide Review Action Plan - Sarah

a) Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership should assure itself that domestic abuse victims are protected through agencies demonstrating an effective domestic abuse policy.

b) This should include that practitioners who come into contact with potential domestic abuse survivors are trained and use the DASH risk assessment tool.

1. Ensure both local authorities are aware of the joint Safeguarding policy
   
   
2. All partners ensure they have an internal DA Policy with a clear definition, referral pathways and consider a set of common minimum standards
   
   
3. Include a set agenda item at the JSG/Partnership Delivery Group as a reminder for all individual organisations around their responsibility regarding their own policies and assist a monitoring process
   
   
4. Provide/offer a training programme for professionals to include DASH completion and MARAC referrals, with the ability to monitor uptake

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - All staff complete mandatory DVA training at Trust induction, this includes training on DASH RIC. We are in the process of introducing a mandatory refresher training on a 3 yearly basis, to fit with the current mandatory safeguarding level 1 and 3 training as per the intercollegiate document.

Additionally staff can access a MST training session focused on completing DASH RICs and the role of MARAC.

For a copy of the DVA policy please email Nicolette Richards or Nikala Elliot-Carter. 

Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership (CSP) to satisfy itself that partner agencies demonstrate effective adult safeguarding policies and that practitioners and staff make appropriate, effective adult safeguarding referrals.

• As per recommendation 1
  
  
• Ensure awareness of and clear pathways to the Notts Adults Safeguarding Board

CSP organisations as listed above 

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - Incident reports are completed for all safeguarding referrals, this ensures that both managerial support and safeguarding team are aware of the referral and able to offer support and guidance. The safeguarding adult referral prompt sheet is shared through the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) and was publicised in the Spotlight on Safeguarding Quarterly newsletter in December.

We have an escalation policy in place which ensures that if referrals are not accepted we are able to escalate this with social care to understand why and ensure that individuals receive the appropriate support. The flowchart is included within the Safeguarding Adult Policy embedded above
If a practitioner contacts the safeguarding SPOC for advice, the safeguarding lead will request a copy of any referral made for quality assurance

Adult Social Care:
Development: MASH (adults) Team and EMAS are working together regarding safeguarding referral processes

BNS CSP to ensure MASH Adults Manager is included in initial DHR information request to check systems.

For a copy of the Safeguarding Adults policy please email Nicolette Richards or Nikala Elliot-Carter.

1) Ensure that training is built into the commissioning of services.

2) District Councils support the training provided by Equation. Courses include:

• Understanding and Responding to Domestic Abuse
• Challenging Domestic Abuse - working with perpetrators
• Working with children and young people Impacted by Domestic Abuse
• Working with Men Experiencing Domestic Abuse
• Coercive Control
• Non-Domestic Abuse Stalking
• Domestic abuse in same-sex relationships
• Introduction to Domestic Abuse Act
• Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse
• Improved Skills for working with Survivors
• Counter allegations
• Additional risk considerations for LGBT+ survivors
• DASH RIC and MARAC general
• Introduction to Domestic Abuse
• Domestic Abuse and Suicide
• Counter allegations
• Domestic abuse and Covid-19
• Multiple Disadvantage and domestic abuse
• Journey of a Survivor

3) The CSP will ensure that:

• all Equation training sessions have been and are updated as new learning comes out from the ALIGs and specific reviews.
• training is updated as new legislation is introduced, for example The Domestic Abuse Act.
• include a specific slide on DHR learning outcomes
• we create new sessions to cover learning on specific reviews e.g. Domestic Abuse and Suicide, Safer Contact.
• we include additional information in terms of accessibility, including using photo symbol DASH RICs and how disabled survivors/ non-English-speaking survivors can contact the Police in an emergency.
• professional curiosity is included as a central learning theme in training sessions, along with information sharing and recording.

For a copy of the domestic homicide learning points please email Nicolette Richards or Nikala Elliott-Carter.

Throughout the Trust Equation training is actively promoted. Domestic abuse training is regularly updated to include changes in legislation and research. Key updates are shared within the ‘Spotlight on Safeguarding’ quarterly newsletter. The winter edition of the newsletter, contained additional information on domestic abuse, in order to coincide with the 16 days of activism.

The summer addition of Spotlight on Safeguarding contained an article on professional curiosity which was shared across the Trust. The Trust have utilised a 7-minute briefing on professional curiosity developed by the adult safeguarding board with input from DHRs this was cascaded to the appropriate teams in November 2021.
See embedded evidence

For a copy of the following documents, please email Nicolette Richards or Nikala Elliott-Carter:

• Summer 2021 Newsletter
• Winter 2022 Newsletter
• 7-minute briefing on professional curiosity

A session regarding professional curiosity is being planned for the link practitioners’ network and will consider the use of it in exploring domestic abuse. This session is scheduled to take place in March 2022.

Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership should consider raising awareness of the risks of domestic abuse for disabled people within agencies, and the community, to better identify and protect vulnerable victims.

CSP organisations as listed above 

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - Publicise equation training. The additional risks associated with disability is covered within current training.

For a copy of the Domestic Violence Training evidence, please email Nicolette Richards or Nikala Elliott-Carter.

Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership should assure themselves agencies are aware of, and undertake their responsibilities under The Equalities Act 2010.

1. Ensure protected characteristics are included the DASH check list and referral pathway.
   
   
2. Ensure training includes equality, diversity and inclusion as best practice.
   
   
3. Ensure future commissioning of services and contracts include expectations to consider the Equalities Act

CSP organisations as listed above

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - Have an Equality and Diversity policy which sets out the expectations of staff within the Trust and their responsibilities under the Equalities Act 2010.

Within the Trust there is an Associate Director for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion who leads on the implementation of the policy.

Within the safeguarding team a practitioner holds Equality and Diversity within their portfolio, they are responsible for considering Equality and Diversity is factored into safeguarding work.

Equality and diversity training is mandatory for all Trust staff and safeguarding team have received additional training in this area.

Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership should share this domestic homicide review with the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Steering Group and the County ALIG (Assurance Learning and Implementation Group) which looks at DHRs.

1. Include this task as part of the set agenda item for the JSG – to inform them of the DHR and provide an opportunity for input from them in response.
   
   
2. After discussion at the JSG the recommendations and action plan are forwarded to the authorities listed.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals

• The organisation will raise the importance of detailed and accurate record keeping and documentation.

• Improve staff knowledge on professional curiosity.

• Ensure domestic abuse services are updated and promoted across all areas within the trust.

1. There is online and face to face training available that includes the importance of record keeping.
   
   
2. Information on professional curiosity to shared and included the Level 2 safeguarding training.
   
   
3. Distribution of resources within the hospitals.

• Targeted domestic abuse training sessions for the Emergency Department. 
  
  
• Development of prompt cards. To be given to staff in all Emergency Department areas and assessment unit wards throughout the trust. These will hopefully help to provide a safer discharge for victims of DA.
  
  
• Practitioner leaflets given out to management in all areas to support staff if needed.
  
  
• Level 2 training available to all staff. 
  
  
• Domestic abuse promoted in The Newsletter, Facebook and the hive. Ongoing.

Domestic abuse training Completed 25^th March 2022, 27^th May 2022 29^th July 2022. These sessions have been opened to all trust employees.

GP Surgery

• To consider ways into which to highlight those registered patients who are a victim/survivor of domestic abuse.
  
  
• Those adults at risk of being vulnerable may need an enhanced Did Not Attend process in place.
  
  
• To enhance Professional curiosity across the practice.
  
  
• To review and digitalise Lloyd George records.

1. If the practice is informed about current or potential domestic abuse we can add a code onto SystmOne. We are looking at ways in which this can be added without it being visible on the NHS App or on the home screen should the patient not attend on their own. With the increased move towards patients having access to more of their medical records including free text in consultations, we need to be careful about how we record this information.
   
   
2. The system that we use is an initial telephone consultation and a mutually agreed time should a face to face appointment be required. It is much less likely that a patient will DNA an appointment and if they do the clinician will usually contact the patient to check why they did not attend.
   
   
3. There is an online training module available to all staff regarding domestic abuse awareness.
   
   
4. We have an ongoing summarising protocol which is used for all new patient records.

• Identified the number of patients with a code recorded and individually removed the code from online details.
  
  
• Added a pop-up to each individual to make clinician aware before they bring the patient into their consultation.
  
  
• The pop-up created above will show up when a patient’s record is opened. This gives the clinician an opportunity to follow up on DNA.
  
  
• Online training available to all staff and reminder sent. To be discussed in clinical meeting.
  
  
• We are summarising patient records but await support from NHSX for full programme.

• Identified the number of patients with a code recorded and individually removed the code from online details.
  
  
• Added a pop-up to each individual to make clinician aware before they bring the patient into their consultation.
  
  
• The pop-up created above will show up when a patient’s record is opened. This gives the clinician an opportunity to follow up on DNA.
  
  
• Online training available to all staff and reminder sent. To be discussed in clinical meeting.
  
  
• We are summarising patient records but await support from NHSX for full programme.

The digitisation of the Lloyd George notes is a national issue which Larwood can’t sort out alone –they have confirmed they will engage fully when this becomes available.

Bassetlaw District Council

Ensure that staff are aware of the importance of making referrals where a customer has indicated that they are struggling financially or are vulnerable.

Completed - Through the complaints system anyone with an identified vulnerability is signposted to sources of support.

Notts Police

Notts Police should consider the HMIC report; Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services; A progress report on the police response to domestic abuse and ensure that their training includes all options for protective factors including revised Domestic Violence Protection Order guidance.

1. Review training delivery for new starters to ensure sufficient training is provided around vulnerability and protective factors.
   
   
2. Review continual training to ensure all staff are up-to -date on vulnerability awareness and options for protective factors. Ensure that guidance is available on the completion of DVPN/O to all staff.

Training completed at initial training phase and have updated training when legislation changes or we have seen thematic issues. DAPO training will be updated with the new legislation. Officer have access to guidance and this is regularly reviewed and shared when required. 

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospital Trust

Should explore and consider the benefits of having an IDVA on site. 

The Doncaster partnership Domestic Abuse strategy 2022-2025 is looking at suggesting an IDVA in acute hospitals (the trust may take this forward in the future but it is not something we are looking at now.)

• To attend the Doncaster Domestic Abuse Strategic Board.
  
  
• DBHT to attending Nottinghamshire Domestic abuse Partnership Board commencing 4 April 2022.
  
  
• Safeguarding Nurse with a focus on Domestic Abuse seconded into the team.

• Ongoing work. 
  
  
• Staff appointment complete.

This member of staff is currently in post appointed on 10.01.2022 and works across sites at Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals.

The safeguarding nurse has recruited 180 staff members of staff as domestic abuse champions and organises a team’s meeting every 8 weeks to share information and updates. She will continue to work closely with the Emergency departments.

Bassetlaw Clinical Commissioning Group

Should ensure that the HARKS assessment tool is incorporated into their health training packages.

Training is planned for front line practitioners at our BEST event planned for May 2022

Bassetlaw CCG

May 2022

May 2022