Kafka and Domestic Abuse February 2010 Jan Pickles Welsh Assembly Government

The Right to be safe. 6 year VAW integrated strategy building on the 2005 Tackling Domestic Abuse :a partnership approach Prevention and awareness raising Support for victims and their children Improving the response of CJS, Health and other agencies

Prevalence Chronic embedded social problem Frontline staff ill equipped to assess risk and manage risk in the community – use refuge Multi –diagnosis presentations child at risk, alcohol and mental health – the Laming factors 20-25%violent crime

Wales 2010 UK wide 1.5 million current victims Of those 75k live in Wales main age range years how many children? NSPCC research due Jan 2011 from a random survey of over 6,000UK Households suggests 14.2% of children live with DA

Infrastructure for victims Women’s Aid groups and other newer providers families in refuge in Wales plus single women places Welsh Domestic Abuse Helpline –expanding Funded the start of 15 one stop shops Multi agency risk assessment conferences -MARACs 22 in Wales -249 across the UK Independent Domestic Violence Advisors-IDVAs 20 in Wales SDVC’s now covering Wales Dyn –Helpline and on line for male victims Care pathways in Health KAFKA keeps the reality of the victim at the centre

Kafka The KAFKA approach RCT Merthyr Newport Outcomes Torfaen – complex families

Infrastructure for perpetrators MAPPA- low numbers protocol with MARAC Integrated Domestic Abuse programme IDAP –available across Wales group and individual programmes Integrated with Women’s workers supporting partners NSPCC Caring Dads –awaiting evaluation Relate programme in North Wales

Infrastructure for children Women’s Aid/Children in Need regional workers Locally funded voluntary sector services – patchy NSPCC direct work through Caring Dads Mainstream services CAMHS and CAFCASS IFSTs second tranche to focus on Domestic Abuse Some Educational input through Schools Programme,Crucial Crew and local PSE inputs

Domestic Abuse Stalking and Harassment. - DASH Designed and agreed by expert panel 24 questions for all non Police agencies 24 questions for all non Police agencies 27 questions for Police extra 3 are Child Protection Not a child abuse checklist but a multi agency checklist which can identify Child Protection

Multi agency risk assessment conferences - MARAC Meet fortnightly/monthly coordinated by the Police,chaired by a DI List the High risk cases based on 14 ticks to DASH and/or professional judgement-with approx 75% cases from Police agencies research cases on their systems Share relevant information and action plan 80% of actions completed by IDVA

In Wales 22 MARACS submit data 4,467victims cases heard They had over 5,000 children living in these households Some performance issues –need more consistency

Do IDVA’s work ? Do IDVA’s work ? Safety in Numbers commissioned by Hestia funded by Henry Smith Sample size 2,500 high risk cases from 7 sites, Cardiff contributed 20% of data These women had 3,500 children First research to prove IDVA’ s keep women safe and saves money Convergence of 9 safety measures over 7 sites so very robust

IDVA’ s work with women who are at high risk and suffer complex domestic abuse 86% suffered multiple factors physical,sexual, stalking and harassment and jealous and controlling behaviour 76% one form of severe rape, threats to children, strangulation 69% had children majority under 11 years of age 23% BME 11% Disability 50% employed Average relationship length 5.5. years

Making safer Severe abuse reduced from 80% to 20% Multiple abuse reduced 81% to 21% Particularly successful on physical and sexual violence Less effective on stalking and harassment Most difficult abuse to manage is face book and conflict over child contact

Victims confidence increases Fear of further injury reduces from 85% to 22% Fear of being killed reduces from 47% to 7% Feeling frightened reduces from 83% to 17% At 6 months post contact 82% of victims felt safe and believed this was due to the work of the IDVA

More multiple services = safety Take up of multiple services doubles cessation of abuse Good links IDVA and MARAC are key 2-5 interventions –gives the biggest impact 6 interventions or more preferable

Rape and Sexual Assault 6 SARCs in Wales delivering better joined up victim care CPS /Police protocols Specialist CPS Rape team up to trial Accredited training external Barristers Stern –Judicial Directions Review of Interview practice ACPO

What will make victims safer Need consistency across Wales both in use of DASH and at MARAC Need to mainstream these evaluated processes and IDVA roles More co-location of agencies = more flexible responses Shared understanding of what success looks like