Agenda item

Sam Barstow, Head of Community Safety, Resilience and Emergency Planning, presented an update in relation to audit work conducted in support of the Council’s work to tackle Domestic Abuse.  The report also provided an overview of Service user engaged, the current Domestic Abuse review, a general update in relation to progress against the Domestic Abuse Strategy as well as an update in relation to Stalking and Harassment.

Attention was drawn to:-

-          Partnership Audits – Housing

Officers had engaged in a supportive review of Housing Domestic Abuse practice with a specific focus on tenancy issues linked to Domestic Abuse.  Increasingly there was a desire to support victims/survivors of Domestic Abuse and their families to stay in their own home, properly protected and supported, particularly where there were mothers and children.  There would always remain a place and need for supporting victims/survivors to flee and the Council and its partners would continue to support this where necessary.

-          Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs)

Work was undertaken during July and August to review previous and current DHRs with a particular focus on any identified consistencies.  5 DHRs had been conducted since the legislation was introduced in 2004.  A review had also been undertaken of the completion of actions across all previous DHRs and would seek to ensure lessons were embedded within Service delivery.  Across all 5 DHRs there were 26 recommendations including those arising from the current active review.  Of the 26, 20 were complete, one remained ongoing and a further 5 required validation but were expected to be completed.

-          Domestic Abuse Service Review

The first phase of the whole system review was nearing completion.  The process had involved significant efforts to engage Service users through focus groups and online surveys.  Full analysis of the survey would be available shortly and used to further inform the final report which would be considered by the Safer Rotherham Partnership Board at its meeting in February.  The Council would seek to form proposals in relation to how the Service could be adapted.

-          Strategy Update

The Strategy was attached at Appendix B of the report submitted.  The Council and its partners had been the subject of an indepth peer review by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and its partners between January and March, 2018.  The review had examined Domestic Abuse Services within Rotherham against 53 assessment areas with the final date of inspection taking place on 25^th January 2018.  14 interviews and focus groups had taken place involving approximately 60 multi-agency staff and Service users as part of the challenge day.

A Perpetrator Programme had been launched in March 2018, a consistent training offer developed and remained on offer and accessible to all agencies free of charge, audit/review work on cases and processes within Housing, a programme of work led by the South Yorkshire Police District Commander to increase arrest rates and review of the Domestic Abuse Review.

-          Stalking and Harassment

Initial governance had been established and performance on outcome rates was now reported to the SRP Board, however, the data was currently unaudited so could not be publicly released.  Work was ongoing to address this issue, however, levels were broadly stable during the first 2 quarters of monitoring in 2018/19.  As a result of changes to Home Office counting rules, demand numbers were likely to increase as it required Police Forces to record an additional offence of stalking, harassment or coercive control (as appropriate) to a reported crime of criminal damage for example where it was associated.

Stalking and harassment was not always domestic related; in cases where it was not domestic related support was likely to be more limited.  Work was underway to map the victim journey following initial report.

Following establishment of a referral pathway and available support, partnership training would be arranged in the 2019/20 financial year.

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

·           Concern regarding the lack of progress being made with regard to stalking and harassment

·           Acknowledgement that there were significant gaps in Domestic Abuse Stalking and Harassment (DASH) and how it effectively supported victims of stalking and harassment.  DASH was being looked at currently and there was a commitment to open up the MARAC process to stalking and harassment

·           Currently the figures did not distinguish in terms of stalking and harassment data and whether or not it was linked to domestic abuse or stranger stalking and harassment.  At present there were figures that suggested how big the problem was around stalking and harassment but no understanding of how much of the problem was directly related to the domestic abuse situation or stranger stalking.  Understanding of the data needs to be strengthened in order to quantify the amount linked directly to domestic abuse however, any improvements identified as needed in the process would positively impact all forms of stalking and harassment and so should be progressed

·           The Rotherham Perpetrator Programmes were in the pre-criminal justice space.  There are post-conviction domestic abuse programmes but It was not known if there were any specific to stalking and harassment but attempts would be made to ascertain the information

·           Continued support was provided for the victims in their own homes.  Target hardening was part of the support which could include the installation of equipment that may well make the victim feel safer e.g. window alarms, security lights on the property, alarms etc. There was also the use of Domestic Violence Protection Notices and Orders to control the behaviour of the perpetrators and additional 1:1 support through both the commissioned service and Housing Officers where relevant

·           Support was very much victim-led.  If a victim felt uncomfortable remaining in their own home they would be supported to seek refuge elsewhere.  That would be dealt with at the outset so the victim’s wants and needs were understood

·           Self-referrals could be made into the South Yorkshire-wide Perpetrator Programme that had been commissioned, however, few self-referrals had been made

·           Information from Area Housing Panels was fed into the Domestic Abuse Priority Group.  Within the action plan there were performance measures that were monitored on a monthly basis 

·           Work had taken place to make sure the voice of the child was captured particularly at the high risk end.  This had included a change of guidance for MARAC Chairs to ensure they asked what the voice of the child was in those circumstances and work with the Police to make sure that, when they responded to a domestic abuse incident and a child was present in the household, that they did their upmost to have a conversation with the child to seek their views.  It was not perfect and there were still examples seen where the voice of the child was not accurately captured and scrutinised but it had improved

·           Work was still being delivered to develop the private sector and their responsibility with regard to domestic abuse.  The first step was to encourage the private sector that it was their problem and that they could do something.  A good reception had been received from dentists across the Borough.  The training offer remains open to all private businesses around domestic abuse and would remain so

·           An increase in referrals would be expected after target training and awareness raising.  There had been significant effort this year into communications around domestic abuse

·           The Council’s own HR policies made reference to domestic abuse and gave guidance to managers as well as an inhouse IDVA team.  There was information on the website as well as an acknowledgement that it was not as good as it could be both the internal and public facing information 

·           The Domestic Abuse Charter had 10 standards of what was expected of partners as well as a specific requirement that companies have a HR policy that made reference to domestic abuse and ensure the right support was offered

·           Stalking and harassment had not been drawn out of any of Rotherham’s Domestic Homicide Reviews but was a prolific feature nationally 

·           Conviction rates were recorded nationally

·           There was a clear service structure around domestic abuse in its own right and a full service commissioned, however, that service did not exist when it related to stalking and harassment.  If it was stranger stalking and harassment the service was not available currently.  There was support through Victim Support (though South Yorkshire Police)

The Chair commented on the progress made over the previous 18 months and thanked the Officer and his team for their work.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That a further report be submitted in respect of the principles for the Domestic Abuse Service prior to submission to Cabinet.

(3)  That a further report be submitted to a sub-group of the Select Commission with regard to the gap in service related to stalking and harassment.