How have the findings from Domestic Homicide Reviews in England and Wales from 2017 to 2019 impacted professional practice?

Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) have been conducted in England and Wales since 2011. Local authority Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) are responsible for conducting DHRs, which aim to identify lessons regarding how local professionals and organisations work individually and collectively to safeguard victims, identify where practice should change or improve as a result of these lessons, and apply these lessons and prevent domestic homicide. This research reviewed a sample of fourteen DHRs conducted by CSPs in Cleveland and Greater Manchester, between 2017 and 2019, to identify evidence and examples of how DHRs have impacted professional practice. Practice across policing, health care, social care, probation was considered, as well as examples across the social housing sector, in the education setting and fertility treatment providers. National recommendations and recommendations at the Home Office in DHRs were also reviewed. Themes highlighted in these DHRs included training and awareness raising, information sharing and partnership working. The research could not conclusively identify any evidence or examples of policy or practice improvement as a direct result of DHRs. The research did identify improved practice through independent governance and also highlighted that in many cases, DHRs would benefit from a more coherent national approach. The research also provides quantitative results and concludes that women are disproportionally the victims of domestic homicide at the hands of men. Recommendations are made in respect of improving coherency of domestic abuse prevention and responses across public sectors, and creating a single repository for DHRs to improve learning, research, professional practice and sharing, nationally and internationally.