Domestic Homicide Reviews
Who carries out DHRs?
The North Cumbria Community Safety Partnership carries out Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) in Eden District and Carlisle District.
When do DHRs take place?
A DHR takes place when a person aged 16 or over dies, or is believed to have died, from violence, abuse or neglect. When the person carrying out the violence, abuse or neglect is either:
- a relation of the deceased.
- someone who was in an intimate personal relationship with the deceased.
- a member of the same household.
The purpose of a DHR
DHRs do not inquire into how someone died or who is to blame. They are not part of any disciplinary process or criminal investigation. They are in addition to these and the Coroner's inquest. Their purpose is to:
- Learn lessons about how local professionals and organisations can work better on their own and together to safeguard victims.
- Identify how to implement changes and include changes within policies and procedures.
- Prevent domestic violence and homicide and improve responses for all domestic violence victims and their children by working better together.
- Highlight good practice.
Domestic Homicide Review 2016
North Cumbria Community Safety Partnership (CSP) undertook this DHR following a death in Carlisle in 2016.
See Domestic homicide reviews: statutory guidance on GOV.UK for information on the Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance for the conduct of Domestic Homicide, which outlines the legislation and criteria followed by CSP. A review panel was convened and an independent chair, Lesley Storey was appointed.
After several meetings and the collation of chronologies and Individual Management Reviews (IMR) from all organisations involved, the CSP submitted an overview report with an action plan and executive summary to the Home Office Quality Assurance (HOQA) panel in February 2019. The HOQA panel met on 26 June 2019 and have judged the report and action plan adequate.
The CSP made amendments to the report as recommended by the HOQA panel and met the legislative requirements to publish.
The Domestic Homicide Review documents:
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Domestic Homicide Review Executive Summary (PDF: 260 Kb / 12 pages)
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Domestic Homicide Review Overview Report (PDF: 640 Kb / 73 pages)
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Domestic Homicide Review QA Panel Feedback (PDF: 84 Kb / 2 pages)
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Domestic Homicide Review Response to Feedback letter (PDF: 59 Kb / 2 pages)
Domestic Homicide Review 2015
A Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) was undertaken by Carlisle and Eden Community Safety Partnership following a death in Eden district in 2015. The review followed legislation and criteria outlined in the Home Office guidance, Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance for the conduct of Domestic Homicide. A review panel was convened and an independent chair appointed. After several meetings and the collation of specified information and data from partners, an Overview Report and Action Plan were submitted to the Home Office Quality Assurance (HOQA) Panel in December 2015. The HOQA Panel met on 27 January 2016 and have judged the report and action plan adequate. Amendments have been made to the report, as recommended by the HOQA Panel and the legislative requirements to publish the report can now be met.
The Domestic Homicide Review documents: