Public Protection & Partnership Working

DCI Sam Faulkner

Clare Elcombe

IDVA

Slide 2

Definition of Domestic Violence

• “Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality." This includes issues of concern to black and minority ethnic (BME) communities such as so called 'honour‘-based violence.

» (Home Office)

• Anyone forced to alter their behaviour because they are frightened of their partner's reaction is being abused.

» (Refuge)

Slide 3

Domestic Violence

• The effects of DV are long-term and far-reaching for individual survivors, children and the wider community

– DV is one of the only issues to cut across the whole of society. Abusers and survivors come from all classes, races, religions, educational backgrounds, nationalities, etc 

– DV features heavily in the lives of children with child protection plans, looked after children, youth offenders, and children who display bullying and disruptive classroom behaviour

– DV also features in the lives of many mental health care users, substance abusers

– DV is the most common cause of homelessness amongst women

– DV is a significant contributor to violent crime figures including murder

Slide 4

Effects on survivors• Isolation from family / friends

• Loss of income or work

• Homelessness

• Emotional / psychological effects such as anxiety, depression or lowered self-esteem

• Guilt - feeling responsible for the abuse or the effect on the children

• Physical injury or disability

• If they are pregnant, they may miscarry or the baby may be stillborn

• Time off work or study, and long-term impact on financial security and career

• Death: two women a week are killed by their partners or former partners; and abused women are five times more likely to commit suicide

Slide 5

Links to Child Protection

• Where there is domestic violence in the home 40-60% of children will be being directly abused – there is a very strong overlap of DV and child abuse.

» Abrahams, 1994; Hester & Pearson, 1998; Epstein & Keep, 1995.

• In 90% of domestic violence incidents children are in the same or the next room

» Hughes, 1992

• 76% of children continue to be abused by the perpetrator after separation – often during court ordered contact

» AMICA, Radford & Sayer, 1999

• Social services recognise that a child witnessing the abuse of a parent is at risk of emotional harm even if the abuse is never directed at them

Slide 6

Newham’s demographics

• According to the 2001 census:

– Newham has 243,891 residents living as 91,821 households

– Newham has the highest proportion of non-White residents in the country, with 61% the population from BME groups

– 37% of residents were born outside the UK

– Newham’s population is very young – with the highest proportion of under 25’s and the lowest proportion of people over 65 within England & Wales

– Newham is one of the poorest boroughs – 1 in 5 people live in households with below 30% of the average income compared with 1 in 16 in London and 1 in 25 in Britain

– Newham has an unemployment rate of 6.7% - the second highest in London

• It is estimated around 250,000 incidents of DV occur in Newham each year – one every 2 minutes

Slide 7

Newham picture of DV

• Each year in Newham around 5,000 DV incidents are reported to the Police

• Around 2,500 of these are crimes

• For 54.3% a suspect is charged or cautioned

• For the Met as a whole around 150,000 incidents of DV are reported each year (of approximately 7.5milion total incidents), of which around 52,000 are crimes – the overall Met detection rate is 42.1%

• On average around 2% of DV incidents are reported

Slide 8

Cost of Domestic Violence

• 2004 research estimated that the cost of DV to individual services was:

» Criminal Justice System £1 billion

» Health Care £1.2 billion

» Social Services £0.25 billion

» Housing £0.16 billion

» Civil & Legal £0.3 billion

» Economic Output £2.7 billion

• The estimated total cost of DV for the government, employers and victims in 2004 was £23 billion

Slide 9

Key Newham Strategy Points

• Increase safe choices for victims fleeing domestic violence

• Hold perpetrators accountable for their abusive behaviour

• Provide public education to raise awareness of domestic violence in the community

• Educate children and young people as to the impact and effects of domestic violence

Slide 10

Newham Family Justice Centre (FJC)

• A new initiative developed to support the needs of women and children who have been the victims of violence

• The concept is based on successful models that were employed in San Diego, New York and Croydon

• Brings together civil, criminal and social care agencies under one roof, working together to support and protect victims of domestic violence

• The FJC applies a problem solving approach which focuses on victims, their families and perpetrators to deliver long term and sustainable solutions that reduces repeat victimisation

Slide 11

FJC - Objectives

• To increase early identification of victims of DV by utilising points of contact for front line services

• Build capacity in the sector to provide early effective advice and support to victims and their children

• To support victims through the Civil and Criminal Justice System

• Hold perpetrators to account

• To improve the range of responses to DV victims and their children

Slide 12

Newham Family Justice Centre

• The FJC covers:

– Domestic Violence

– Forced Marriage

– Rape & Sexual Assault

– Honour Based Violence

– Trafficking & Prostitution

– Substance Misuse & Domestic Violence

Slide 13

FJC - Services

• The FJC provides services that include:

– Arranging safe, emergency accommodation, including refuge referrals

– Undertaking DIY Injunctions

– Housing and benefit advice

– Risk assessment

– Advice on immigration; civil & legal remedies

– Safety planning

– Arranging for Sanctuary provision

– Specialist domestic violence advisors on duty to take emergency appointments, phone calls and referrals

Slide 14

FJC performance so far

• Newham FJC has been operational since July 2009 – Sharp increase in referrals – currently over 200 open

cases– Positive outcomes – supporting prosecutions, housing

transfers, immigration appeals– Training sessions for social workers, housing officers and

health visitors– Networks:

• Child protection & Safeguarding adults• Health & mental health• Housing• Children’s centres• Substance misuse agencies• Faith and cultural groups

Slide 15

MARAC

• Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference

• A Home Office recommendation to:

– share information to increase the safety, health and well being of victims and their children

– determine whether the perpetrator poses a significant risk

– jointly construct and implement a risk management plan to reduce repeat victimisation

– improve agency accountability

– improve support for staff

Slide 16

MARAC Performance

• Since January 2009

– 165 cases referred to MARAC, involving 191 children

• 87 BME

• 3 male victims

• 3 with a disability

– 6% repeat rate (10 cases)

– National repeat rate of over 20%

Slide 17

Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC)

• Established November 2006

• Focus on criminal matters in Magistrates Court

• Clusters and fast-tracks DV cases

• Presence of advocates and / or Police officers in courts to advise and support victim

• Multi-agency partnerships are crucial

• Training is a priority issue

• Victim participation is key to the progression of DV cases

Slide 18

SDVC Performance

• 34% guilty plea

• 19% conviction

• 1% withdrawn

• 14% dismissed

» Others still pending or committed for trial

• Increase in convictions & guilty pleas, reduction in withdrawals

Slide 19

Sanctuary Scheme

• A scheme designed to help victims stay in their homes

• Installs free security measures

• Individually assessed and tailored to need

• Available to local authority, housing association and private tenants; as well as to owner occupiers

• Often carried out in conjunction with civil legal orders

Slide 20

Sanctuary scheme performance

• Clients report they feel much safer with additional security

• Prevents homelessness due to domestic violence

• Maintains local support networks

• Allows children to stay in school

Slide 21

Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP)

• A perpetrator programme established in 1992 covering Waltham Forest, Barking & Dagenham and Newham

• Nationally recognised as one of the foremost multi-faceted intervention services

• Aims:

– Increase women & children’s safety

– Empower women to make their own decisions about their safety

– Assist men in stopping their abuse and violent behaviour

– Provide services to child protection agencies where the perpetrator is still involved with the family

Slide 22

DVIP Performance

• Of women surveyed after involvement with DVIP:

– 70% reported no further violence

– 30% reported that there was further violence, but that it was less severe or frequent

• With continued intervention repeat incidents were reduced by between 87.5% and 89.3%

– 65% stated that they felt safer or much safer

– 93% reported that their quality of life was improved or much improved

• Of referring social workers surveyed after involvement with DVIP:

– 88% assessed the women as “much safer” or “safer”

– 78% assessed the children’s level of safety as “much safer” or “safer”

Slide 23

Safeguarding Adults at Risk

• Multi-Agency Partnership Board

• Co-ordinates strategic direction for the safeguarding of vulnerable persons over 18 years of age

• Identifies and manages risks for adults with physical, mental or learning disabilities (for example)

• Represented at the MARAC and the FJC

• Domestic violence affects all ages and disabilities so its important to identify and respond accordingly

Slide 24

Barriers to Partnership Working…

• Separate sites• Practical difficulties such as meeting space

• Different priorities & targets• Increase safety / reduce homelessness / increase conviction rates

• Information sharing• Different procedures

• Management• Team members may have different managers

• Decision making• Can be difficult and long-winded to get a consensus

• Varying investments • Does giving more time / money allow a greater input?

Slide 25

Overcoming these barriers

• Find the positive outcomes for every partnership agency

• Ensure senior management are committed

• Don’t waste time trying to sell partnership working to those who aren’t interested

• Be flexible and ensure everyone knows they will have to compromise

• Keep your eye on the bigger picture

• Allow additional time – everything will take three times as long as it should!!

• Celebrate successes

Slide 26

Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership

Sub PartnershipsDedicated strategies, ringfenced funding

CDRP Board

CDRP Executive

CDRP Callover

Offender Management

Group

Acquisitive Crime

Delivery Group

Violent Crime Delivery Group

Substance Misuse

Partnership Board

Youth Offending

Team Management

Board

Counter Terrorism Delivery Group

Improving Public

Confidence Delivery Group

Policy & StrategyPresides over all new

policies and changes to existing policy, funding

allocations and performance accountability

Operational Policy, Performance &

Budget ManagementSets operational policy (i.e. how ASB powers will be used), monitors

performance and delivery group budgets.

TacticalAction planning,

operational deployment, problem

solving.

Slide 27

Individual

Child

Perpetrator

Friends

Community

Family

Neighbours

Immediate Network

Primary Agency Contact

Safety Planning Process

Police CPS Courts Civil Solicitor Independent DV Advisor/Advocate Specialist DV Support Services Women’s Safety WorkerSubstance Misuse Services Social Care Services Health/Mental Health Benefits Agency Victim Support Employer Housing Refuge SARC

CAFCASS Schools Voluntary Sector Youth Offending Nursery/Child Care Educational Welfare Child Protection Agencies Educational Psychology Children’s Mental Health Connexions Faith Groups Youth Groups Health

Individual Agency Risk Assessments

Colleagues

CDRP LCJBC

YP

SC

DR

P

Offender Management Legal Services Commission Youth Justice Board

Police Courts CPS Probation Local Authority Transport Police Solicitors Victim Support

Slide 28

Newham - building on good practise…

• Successful Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC)

• Independent DV advisors (IDVA’s) who support victims at court

• A community based programme (DVIP) for perpetrators

• Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) – to discuss and put in place interventions for high risk DV

• A Family Justice Centre focussing on the right outcomes for victims

• A dedicated Domestic Violence & Substance Misuse coordinator

• Sanctuary Scheme

• Safeguarding Adults at Risk

Slide 29

Plans for the future

• Possible expansion of FJC to incorporate a rape crisis service

• Roll out of coordinated, accredited training for professionals across the borough

• More services located within the FJC

• Outreach services provided by the FJC at other locations

• Physical expansion of FJC to accommodate more services, partners and clients

Slide 30

Overall Outcomes

• Reduction in violence against women

• Performance of services

– Prevention

– Protection

– Provision

• Investment in capacity and scope of services

Slide 31

Any questions?

Contact:

Clare Elcombe Domestic Violence Advisor

Clare.elcombe@newham.gov.uk

Duty Line: 020 3373 3053