Resources for Practitioners
Relevant services and agencies are signed up to the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Protocol and will have a designated MARAC Representative.
The Representative is responsible, amongst other things, for triaging referrals and sending them to the MARAC team. For agencies that do not have that facility the preferred route is that they contact Wirral Domestic Abuse Hub on dahub@wirral.gov.uk for a consultation and the referral form will be sent via email for completion and return.
The MARAC is a fortnightly meeting focused upon increasing the safety of high risk victims and their children. It involves the participation of all the key statutory and voluntary agencies who may be involved in supporting a person experiencing domestic abuse. Cases assessed as ‘high risk’ will be assigned an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA), as may other cases that are assessed as lower risk but there are other relevant factors.
If further advice and guidance is needed on any case, contact should be made with Wirral Family Safety Unit.
Domestic Abuse Young Person’s MARAC - Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference
Wirral Council’s Children’s Services (Integrated Front Door) co-ordinates daily multi-agency meetings with partner agencies to review Merseyside Police referrals for domestic incidents (VPRF form).
Within these meetings any attendances by the police to an address, which have resulted from contact from a parent or carer following a domestic incident, is allocated to an officer from the Youth Justice Service to undertake a home visit, assessment and intervention with the family. Additionally to this there are quarterly meeting with managers from partner agencies to review those families referred and ensure that all agencies are aware and if required a multi-agency response is available. Data and outcomes for this project are fed back through the Youth Justice Management Board and also Wirral’s Children’s Safeguarding Board.
Working with children
Wirral Safeguarding Children Board
Wirral Safeguarding Children Board's website brings together a range of safeguarding information, news and resources for Wirral’s children, young people, parents and carers and professionals into one place. This allows professionals to access the latest safeguarding news and the policies, procedures and guidance for safeguarding practice across the children’s workforce. Professionals can access and book a wide range of safeguarding training from the site as well as keep up with the latest safeguarding news.
Barnardo’s Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Matrix (DVRIM)
The tool enables practitioners to assess the level of risks to children from male and female domestic abuse. The sheet contains a list of risk factors, vulnerabilities and protective factors which helps practitioners recognise whether a child is at moderate, serious or severe risk.
Home Office Mandatory Report of Female Genital Mutilation
There is a mandatory reporting duty which requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales to report ‘known’ cases of FGM in under 18s which they identify in the course of their professional work to the police.
Operation Encompass
Operation Encompass is a unique Police and Education early intervention safeguarding partnership which supports children and young people exposed to domestic abuse.
Operation Encompass is the reporting to schools before the start of the next school day when a child or young person has been involved or exposed to a domestic abuse incident the previous evening. The information is given in strict confidence to a school’s Key Adult to enable support to be given dependent on the needs and wishes of the child.
Women’s Aid Expect Respect Educational Toolkit
This toolkit consists of one easy to use ‘core’ lesson for each year group from reception to year 13 and is based on themes that have been found to be effective in tackling domestic abuse.
Although the Expect Respect Education Toolkit is targeted for use by teachers within schools, it can just as easily be used by a range of other professionals working with children and young people in a variety of settings such as youth clubs or play schemes.
Working with adults
DASH
The Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence (DASH 2009) Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model is for all professionals working with victims of domestic abuse, stalking and harassment and honour-based violence.
The National Centre for Domestic Violence
The National Centre for Domestic Violence service is aimed towards the police and other agency workers as much as it is towards survivors of domestic violence. To this end, anyone referred to the NCDV should have the referrer’s contact details as this will allow the NCDV to keep the referrer updated and ensure the best possible service is delivered. Referrals can be made to the NCDV through its online form or by downloading its App.
Research Papers
Changing Lives, Final report - August 2018.