Domestic homicide reviews

Domestic Homicide Reviews became a statutory requirement for Community Safety Partnerships in April 2011, by virtue of the GOV.UK - Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004).

The review covers the circumstances in which the death of a person (over the age of 16) has or appears to have resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a relative, an intimate or former intimate partner or a person of the same household as the victim.

Review purpose

1. establish what lessons are to be learned from the domestic homicide regarding the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard victims;
2. identify clearly what those lessons are both within and between agencies, how and within what timescales they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result;
3. apply these lessons to service responses including changes to inform national and local policies and procedures as appropriate;
4. prevent domestic violence and homicide and improve service responses for all domestic violence and abuse victims and their children by developing a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to ensure that domestic abuse is identified and responded to effectively at the earliest opportunity;
5. contribute to a better understanding of the nature of domestic violence and abuse; and highlight good practice.

Domestic Homicide Reviews are not inquiries into how the victim died nor who is culpable as these are matters for coroners and criminal courts, respectively.

Overview reports

Preston Community Safety Partnership (CSP) has completed four domestic homicide reviews and has worked jointly with Be Safe Bolton on a fifth.  The Overview reports and Executive Summaries are published by the CSP and are available on the website for twelve months.  Copies may then be obtained by request.

The reports and executive summaries are anonymous, to protect the identities of victims and those involved as contributors to the review.

The reviews have been conducted in accordance with the Multi-agency Statutory Guidance for the Conduct of Domestic Homicide Reviews - December 2016.

You can download a copy of the latest Domestic Homicide Review Guidance (PDF, 401 KB).

Conducting a domestic homicide review

The following guidance is provided for practitioners, managers and members of the community who are taking part in a domestic homicide review:

• GOV.UK - Conducting a domestic homicide review: online learning
• GOV.UK - Domestic homicide reviews: key findings from research
• GOV.UK - Terms of reference: Domestic Homicide Review Quality Assurance Panel
• GOV.UK - Criteria for considering domestic homicide review reports
• GOV.UK - Review leaflet for family
• GOV.UK - Review leaflet for friends
• GOV.UK - Review leaflet for employers and colleagues