Domestic Homicide Review

Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR’s) were established on a statutory basis under Section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 and came into force on 13 April 2011.

They are led by a Community Safety Partnership (CSP), who take responsibility for a multi-agency review of the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has, or appears to have, resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a person to who they were related or with whom they were, or had been, in an intimate personal relationship, or a member of the same household as themselves.

A Domestic Homicide Review will consider the circumstances that led to the death of an individual, identify where responses to the situation could be improved in the future and contribute to a prevention of further domestic violence.

Why Sancus

Sancus is the largest dedicated intelligence and investigations training company in the UK, and are leading experts in delivering domestic homicide reviews having led over forty reviews nationwide in the past five years.

We offer a tailored approach, specific to your requirements, with a number of Chairing options to ensure a review is thorough, independent and timely.

All our Chairs are skilled investigators with significant experience at senior management level of conducting reviews. We would welcome you taking the time to conduct an interview with our proposed Chair prior to them taking up the role, to ensure you are satisfied with their personal communication skills and experience.

We are also experienced in undertaking investigations with multi-agency involvement, including statutory, independent and third sectors, which has proven to increase understanding, trust and effectiveness between agencies.

Our work is carried out with integrity, professional competence and pragmatism.

Domestic Homicide Review Service Offered

Chair

Our independent Chair will lead the review, manage the associated enquiries and write the report. In addition to the work of the Chair, we will provide full administrative support locally to the review, including diary management and responding to email and telephone enquiries. We can also offer analytical support, should this level of expertise be limited locally.

On completion of the domestic homicide review, a clear action plan will be created by Sancus to assist all agencies with implementation and organisational learning, with the intention of preventing further domestic abuse. Sancus have access to specialists in mental health, diversity issues and subject experts who can assist further with this, if required.

Case Study

To access a DHR report, chaired and authored by Bill Griffiths for Safer Kensington and Chelsea Partnership please click on the link below.

Domestic Homicide Review

Quality Assurance

Sancus are committed to ensuring that all aspects of our work are completed to the highest quality standard and in strict compliance with legislation and regulations.

All associates engaged by Sancus are professionally aware of and fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation and Caldicott Principles; it is a condition of engagement that all personal identifiable information is processed in a safe and secure manner with access strictly restricted to colleagues who have a need to know.

Accreditation

Professional Award in Complaints Handling & Investigations (Level 5) – Sancus hold a professional award in Complaints Handling & Investigations at Level 5; ensuring that an investigation, the reporting of findings and recommendation are carried out to best practice standards.

Contact

Should you wish to discuss how Sancus can support you with a Domestic Homicide Review, please contact Tony Hester on 01772 282800 or via e-mail tonyhester@sancussolutions.co.uk

Reviews

We have been appointed to lead eight reviews by London Community Safety Partnerships

The Home Office QA Panel passed the DHR panel’s review and “Commended their engagement with the victim’s family, and note that the victim’s perspective is well illustrated”.

CA former Head of Safer Communities said: “Both Mr Griffiths and Mr Hester have demonstrated an acute political awareness operating in a local authority political environment, and identified the need to brief the lead Cabinet member for the crime portfolio area. They have gained quickly the confidence of those with whom they are working on this review, and I would certainly engage Sancus Solutions in the future”.