Joint strategic needs assessment
Domestic Abuse (2019)
This is an online synopsis of the topic which shows the executive summary and key contacts sections. To view the full document, please download it.
| Topic title | Domestic Abuse (2019) |
|---|---|
| Topic owner | Domestic and Sexual Abuse Executive |
| Topic author(s) | Gill Oliver, Grace Brough, Cathy Caldicott |
| Topic quality reviewed | January 2019 |
| Topic endorsed by | Domestic and Sexual Abuse Executive |
| Topic approved by | Health and Wellbeing Board March 2019 |
| Current version | March 2019 |
| Replaces version | 2014 |
| Linked JSNA topics |
Executive summary
Domestic abuse is defined as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass but is not limited to psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse. The definition also includes domestic abuse stalking and so-called ‘honour-based’ abuse (HBA), which includes female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage (FM)
The most common type of violence in the UK is domestic (intimate partner) violence. Domestic abuse represents at least 20% of violent crime Nature of Violent Crime in England & Wales March 2017. It is also widely recognised as a crime with a high incidence of repeat victimisation, where people experience domestic abuse more than once in their lifetime. Key points from this JSNA are:
- 20,464 people in Nottinghamshire will have experienced domestic abuse in the previous 12 months and 79,362 persons will have experienced domestic abuse over their lifetime, 56,756 women and 22,606 men
- Whilst men do experience domestic abuse, it is a gendered crime, with women much more likely to experience abuse than men. An estimated 4.6m women (28% of the adult population) have experienced domestic abuse at some point since the age of 16
- There have been 13 Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) in Nottinghamshire between 2015-2018
- Approximately 75% of children living in households where domestic abuse occurs are exposed to actual incidents[i]. These children have an increased risk of developing acute and long term physical and emotional health problems[ii].
- Domestic abuse recorded crime increased from 5,808 between July 2016 – June 2017 to 6,645 between July 17 and June 18 equating to a 14.4% increase in reporting.
Unmet needs and gaps
A number of areas remain of concern and further investigation of local data and emerging evidence will be required to inform future decision making. The following is in no particular order and is not conclusive:
- Research suggests that children and parents value outcomes that focus on safety and wellbeing, the ability to express feelings, increased school performance and having positive peer relationships[iii]. Locally Hands are not for Hurting uses this approach, however there are gaps in the range and capacity of services for children.
- More preventative approaches to domestic abuse including early intervention for young people
- Effective responses from health services, including in mental health and a model to capture the benefits of IRIS (Identification and referrals for Safety) in General Practice
- Teenagers perpetrating abuse on parents/family members (adolescent to parent violence and abuse)
- Ways of addressing increasing volume and complexity of demand, including MARACs
- Maintaining the number of refuge spaces in Nottinghamshire and developing a whole housing approach, for example, assisting in obtaining a secure tenancy
- Addressing emerging issues especially stalking and harassment, use of technology, knife crime, economic abuse etc.
Recommendations for consideration by commissioners
Domestic abuse is a pervasive and enduring problem which Nottinghamshire is committed to addressing. A key feature of these recommendations is to ensure, at the least, that current partnership arrangements, services and interventions are sustained to continue to reduce and repair the harm caused by domestic abuse. There are a significant number of recommendations and the DSA Exec will need to prioritise.
The recommendations are set out in line with the Nottinghamshire Framework for Tackling Domestic & Sexual Abuse in Nottinghamshire 2016-2020. The recommendations will inform a new strategy and a new delivery plan.
| Recommendation | Responsibility | |
|---|---|---|
Partnership working |
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|
1 |
Maintain the Nottinghamshire Domestic and Sexual Abuse Executive Group, ensuring broad representation, including the specialist DSA voluntary sector; to ensure partners are working to an over-arching strategy with an action plan and analysis. |
Domestic and Sexual Abuse Executive with support from the Safer Notts Board and Health & Wellbeing Board |
|
2 |
To maintain a co-ordinated commissioning approach to Domestic Abuse across Nottinghamshire |
Statutory bodies with responsibility for commissioning e.g. Nottinghamshire County Council and Police and Crime Commissioner |
|
3 |
All agencies to develop and promote policy and procedures for work with survivors, children and perpetrators, including workforce training and employee domestic violence policies |
All public sector agencies alongside voluntary and community sectors |
|
4 |
Agencies to acknowledge the importance of maintaining provision of refuge and other specialist services and work with the Safer Nottinghamshire Board to address sustainability |
Local Authorities with support from Safer Notts Board |
|
5 |
Further ongoing engagement work with survivors to continually inform practice is valuable therefore it is suggested that the DSA Exec develop a Domestic Abuse Engagement Strategy. |
DSA Exec |
|
6 |
Assess the implications of the Domestic Abuse Bill published January 2019 |
DSA Exec |
Prevention |
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|
7 |
Continue to support and promote campaigns to promote healthy relationships, gender equality and raise awareness of domestic abuse. |
All public sector agencies alongside voluntary and community sectors |
|
8 |
Encourage more schools to take up specialist early intervention and prevention programmes for children and young people, building on mandatory healthy relationships and sex education (RSE) from September 2020. |
DSA Exec with support from Safer Notts Board and Notts County Council |
|
9 |
Develop targeted interventions to support at risk victims and young people that harm |
DSA Exec with support from Safer Notts Board |
|
10 |
Programme to ensure a mixed economy of risk and needs based services and approaches, for example through Change that Lasts |
All public sector agencies alongside voluntary and community sectors |
Provision |
||
|
11 |
Support and promote awareness of access to Women’s Aid Nottinghamshire 24 hour Freephone Helpline and other local services |
All public sector agencies alongside voluntary and community sectors |
|
12 |
Ensure maintenance of, at least, essential specialist community-based Domestic Abuse services in line with NICE PH50 guidance, including for women, men, teenagers and children. |
Nottinghamshire County Council and Police and Crime Commissioner |
|
13 |
Professionals and specialist services respond effectively: for example, professionals to be trained to identify Domestic Abuse, utilise the DASH RIC to identify levels of risk and referral routes |
All public sector agencies alongside voluntary and community sectors |
|
14 |
Improve identification and response across healthcare settings, including mental health (women, men, teenagers and children) e.g. therapeutic counselling |
NHS Commissioner and Provider agencies |
|
15 |
Access to specialist housing, refuge and post-refuge support |
District Councils, Notts County Council and specialist providers |
|
16 |
Develop support for survivors of harassment & stalking |
Police alongside public and voluntary sector |
|
17 |
Increase capacity for support for children affected by domestic abuse, both in the community and in refuge |
DSA Exec |
Protection |
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|
18 |
Ensure decision making about undertaking of DHR’s and the learning from DHR’s is shared across Nottinghamshire through the development of a process that is both consistent and best value |
Domestic Homicide Review Assurance, Learning and implementation Group (DHR ALIG) Community Safety Partnerships with DSA Exec |
|
19 |
Identify effective and evidence based ways of working with perpetrators, ensuring programmes are aligned with the RESPECT guidelines and running in parallel with specialist women’s services. |
DSA Exec |
[i]Royal College of Psychiatrists (2004) Domestic Violence: its effects on children, Factsheet for parents and teachers [online]. Available from www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/mentalhealthandgrowingup/domesticviolence.aspx
[ii] Felitti VJ, Andrea RF, Nordenberg et al Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 1998;14 in Arias et al (2002) Violence against Women: the State of Batter Prevention Programs. The Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics Vol 30:3
[iii] Howarth E, Moore THM, Shaw ARG, Welton NJ, Feder GS, Hester M, MacMillan HL, and Stanley N. (2015) The Effectiveness of Targeted Interventions for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Measuring Success in Ways that Matter to Children, Parents and Professionals. Child Abuse Rev., 24: 297–310. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/car.2408
Key contacts
This is an online synopsis of the topic which shows the executive summary and key contacts sections. To view the full document, please download it.