Domestic homicide review survey 2024

The results will be used to inform the future of DHRs. It was conducted jointly by the LGA and the Office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner (DAC), which is developing an oversight mechanism in relation to the implementation of recommendations within reviews. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner will report annually to Ministers with regards to the findings from the oversight mechanism. A total of 103 responses were received, covering 182 authorities (57 per cent).

Key findings

• Respondents reported a total of 370 ongoing DHRs currently in their area, as well as 144 open DHRs and 109 pending DHRs .
• Between 2018/19 and 2022/23 the number of DHRs undertaken by respondents increased by 76 per cent from 94 to 165.
• Respondent authorities spent a total of £1.0 million on DHRs in 2022/23, 45 per cent more than the 2021/22 figure. Around three-quarters of expenditure was on DHR chairs.
• On top of expenditure, staff time spent on undertaking and implementing DHRs was equivalent to 82 full-time staff in respondents.
• 47 per cent of respondents’ CSPs had a formal partnership arrangement governing which agencies contribute to the cost of DHRs, and 48 per cent did not have such an arrangement (the remainder did not answer the question).
• Aside from the local authority itself, 26 per cent of respondents reported that police and crime commissioners had contributed to the cost of DHRs, 21 per cent other local authorities, and 19 per cent each for the police force and NHS trusts.
• In relation to the overall process, monitoring and governance arrangements, 63 per cent of respondents held scheduled review meetings for specific DHRs and 58 per cent had a named CSP lead for individual DHRs.
• 90 per cent of respondents shared learning from DHRs across CSP partners, 62 per cent shared with neighbouring CSPs or partner agencies, 51 per cent wrote briefing papers and 51 per cent held learning events.
• The main challenges reported by CSPs were Home Office delays (79 per cent), funding (77 per cent), increasing numbers of DHRs (63 per cent) and sourcing chairs (63 per cent).