Guidance for domestic homicide review chairs - support for families
Updated 17 June 2021
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Introduction
The Home Office is refreshing the guidance for Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) chairs and would like to offer the following guidance in the interim.
Families bereaved by a domestic homicide or by a suicide where domestic abuse was involved will have a wide range of support needs. DHR chairs have an important role to play in ensuring that families are signposted and referred to appropriate support services.
These families are entitled to specialist and expert advocacy with DHRs as per Section 6 of the multi-agency statutory guidance for the conduct of Domestic Homicide Reviews. DHR chairs should provide information on the organisations that provide this service (please see below for the list of organisations and how to contact them) and the family should be given time to make their choice of advocate.
Specialist advocacy support
As set out in Section 6 of the multi-agency statutory guidance for the conduct of domestic homicide reviews, the DHR chair/review panel should ensure that families are given the opportunity to be integral to reviews. Families’ involvement in the review can be supported by advocacy services. Paragraph 56 a) of the DHR statutory guidance sets out that at the first meeting with the family the chair should offer signposting to specialist and expert advocacy support services to families who do not have a designated advocate.
Specialist advocates can guide families through DHRs and other inquiries including serious case reviews, inquests, mental health reviews, and Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) inquiries.
Where DHR chairs want to make referrals to advocacy and support services for families bereaved by murder and manslaughter these should be made through the National Homicide Service.
Specialist advocates can guide families through DHRs and other inquiries including:
- serious case reviews
- inquests
- mental health reviews
- Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) inquiries
With the consent of the family, DHR chairs can make a direct referral to the organisation of their choice (please note, referrals for Hundred Families must go through the Victim Support Homicide Service). Once the family has made their choice of advocate, the chair should work with the family based on this choice.
Referrals can be made to the following organisations, all of whom provide specialist and expert advocacy:
Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA)
Email: help@aafda.org.uk
Telephone: 07768 386 922
Victim Support Homicide Service (VSHS)
Completed referrals to be transferred by secure email: homicide.referrals@victimsupport.cjsm.net
VSHS Support Hub email: hssupport@victimsupport.org.uk
VSHS Support Hub telephone: 0300 303 1984
Hundred Families
Please use the contact details for VSHS.
This interim guidance will be kept under review to ensure families bereaved by homicide can access the support they need.
Families bereaved by suicide
The multi-agency statutory guidance for the conduct of domestic homicide reviews requires that where a victim took their own life and it emerges that there was domestic abuse, a DHR should be undertaken.
However, where there is no criminal conviction, it is outside of the remit of the Homicide Service to support families in these circumstances.
In these cases, where the family agrees, a referral can be made to AAFDA by forwarding the family’s contact details using a secure method to AAFDA via:
Email: info@aafda.org.uk
Phone: 07768 386 922
DHR chairs can also provide signposting to local support services - a directory of local services is available.
Information for families and friends bereaved by suicide is available in the ‘Help is at Hand’ guide.
The Home Office recognises that conducting a DHR is the case of a suicide can have additional complexities and sensitivities and we are therefore keen to strengthen the statutory guidance on this issue. We are also looking at how we can improve provision of support available for families.
If you can have questions or comments please contact dhrenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk.