How specialist partner meeting is helping to keep domestic abuse survivors safe

A specialist safeguarding meeting between Nottinghamshire Police and vital support partners is helping to keep hundreds of high-risk domestic abuse survivors safe from further harm.

The multi-agency risk assessment conference, known as Marac, aims to wrap a series of protective measures around survivors, their families and the community.

Professionals from a range of agencies including the police, health, probation, children’s social services and housing meet to discuss the abuse and harm experienced by women and men who are identified as being at the highest risk of domestic abuse.

In Nottinghamshire, the force’s Safeguarding and Reducing Reoffending Unit handled more than 2,720 Marac cases last year, with a survivor of abuse at the heart of each case.

A high-risk survivor is officially defined as an individual at significant risk of serious harm or death.

The Marac shares information held by partners about a couple’s history, so the full extent of the risk becomes clearer and effective safeguarding measures can be put in place to reduce harm.

Safeguarding measures are tailored for each survivor and can include support with safety planning, rehousing, and child contact management.

Survivors are represented at the meetings by an independent domestic violence advisor (Idva) who speaks on their behalf.

As part of the Safeguarding and Reducing Reoffending Unit, a specialist team of staff prepares data and information from police systems about survivors and offenders.

The team ensures that all relevant information is brought to the Marac meeting and provided to partner agencies to support a holistic approach to safeguard survivors.

This can include providing practical help, encouraging survivors who may be hesitant to report incidents to contact the police and access support services.

Each partner takes safeguarding actions from the meeting and implements them.

The Marac can assess if the survivor is able to be told of the previous offending history of a partner under the domestic violence disclosure scheme – known as Clare’s Law.

Detective Sergeant Laura McCullough, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Safeguarding and Reducing Reoffending Unit, said: “Nationally, two women are killed each week as a result of domestic abuse, and one is too many.

“It’s really important for survivors to have the confidence to approach the police or partner agencies and disclose abuse in their relationship.

“We know that women and men suffer several incidents of abuse before reporting.

“As a force, we continue to do everything we can to prevent incidents from happening and will always support survivors who come forward.

“The Marac is a useful tool that helps us to achieve this as each agency can hold different pieces of information about a couple, for instance, a hospital may know one thing and a housing association another.

“No single agency or individual has an overview of a survivor’s life, but we all may have insights that are crucial to ensuring their safety.

“By communicating with each other we can fully understand the risk and reduce the potential of future harm for high-risk survivors by ensuring effective safeguarding measures are enforced.”

Support is available

If you are in immediate danger always dial 999 and speak with a call handler.

If you think you are a victim of domestic abuse or know someone who is, please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.

If you are not able to talk when you need urgent police help, the Silent Solution service is available.

After dialling, listen to the questions from the call handler and respond by coughing or tapping your device, if you can. If prompted, press 55 to let the call handler know it is a genuine emergency and you will be connected to the police.

Help and support is available from Juno Women’s Aid, which provides a 24-hour domestic and sexual violence helpline for women, teenage girls and children in Nottingham on 0808 800 0340.

Alternatively, Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid provides an extensive range of services for women, young people and children in Nottinghamshire on 01909 491 330.

For a free helpline for men and members of the LGBTQ+ community who experience domestic abuse, call Equation on 0800 995 6999.