In so doing, the lessons learned will be taken on board by the professionals and agencies involved, such as the police, social services, councils, and other community based organisations.
A review panel, lead by an independent chair, is commissioned to undertake the Domestic Homicide Review and a panel overseeing the review is made up of members of local statutory and voluntary agencies. This panel will review each agency’s review of their involvement in the case and consider recommendations to improve responses to domestic violence in the future. They will also have the chance to hear from family, friends and work colleagues who may be able to help us understand the impact of agency’s involvement with the victim or the perpetrator.
Domestic Homicide Reviews are not inquiries into how someone died or who is to blame. They are not part of any disciplinary process. They do not replace, but will be in addition to, an inquest or any other form of inquiry into the homicide. In this way, agencies will improve their responses to domestic violence and work better together to prevent such tragedies occurring in the future. We will publish the reports and findings of these reviews on this website as they become available.
Referral for a DHR will normally come from the Police following a death, however any professional or family member may refer a case for consideration for a DHR if they believe there are important lessons for inter-agency working to be learned.
Safer Cornwall DHR Toolkit provides step by step information on the DHR process with template forms including the DHR Referral Form.
