PFEW responds to HMIC report on domestic abuse
More training and support is needed to ensure that officers can deal with domestic abuse cases in the most appropriate and sensitive ways, says the Police Federation of England and Wales.
The Federation has accepted the findings of the HMIC in its report, Increasingly everyone's business: A progress report on the police response to domestic abuse, released today, and urged the Home Office and College of Policing to continue working with the Federation to implement the necessary recommendations.
Karen Stephens, lead on domestic abuse for the Federation, says: “We accept there are some areas forces can improve on, in terms of dealing with domestic abuse cases. One of the key things that is needed is more, and better, training opportunities for our members, so that they can feel confident in dealing with cases, and victims, or domestic abuse.
“Since the original HMIC report [Everyone’s business: Improving the police response to domestic abuse] and recommendations came out, the Police Federation has welcomed changes which can better prepare front-line officers in how to deal with these sensitive situations. We will continue to work with partners to ensure that adequate and appropriate continued training is available for officers.”
Karen Stephens says one of the positive things that came out of the HMIC report was a pilot programme which offers specialised training to officers who are part of the Domestic Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Units. The pilot programme was run in Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire temporary Detective Inspector Chris Puddy, from the Domestic Abuse, Harm Reduction Unit, says of the pilot programme: “We have noticed a real change in behaviour following the training. I’m regularly receiving feedback about how officers find the videos concerning how imp active the videos that are shown.
“The programme has really brought it home to our staff just how important it is to thoroughly investigate and gather all of the information, not just for domestic abuse cases."
Chris Puddy says: “The pilot programme has highlighted how victims can minimise the seriousness of the offending against them, and the extent of the controlling nature of some of those perpetrators.
“It has given the officers, including myself, a better insight into what victims go through, which means we are now better equipped to ask the right questions, and allow victims to fully express what is going on. The training exercises have also given officers a greater awareness of what coercive control looks like, and has meant that these details can be included in case files.”
