Domestic Violence Board

The MPA Domestic Violence Board has been set up to monitor, scrutinise and support the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in its performance and response to domestic violence. The board will aim to secure continuous improvement in the MPS’ response and disseminate best practice and innovation across the 32 Borough Operational Command Units (BOCUs).

“The MPA Domestic Violence Board will add value to the police response by forging closer working relationships between agencies and ensuring that the Met’s 32 individual borough operational command units across the capital learn from successful projects and develop their services. Like so many areas of criminal activity, it is only by working in partnership and learning from each other’s experiences of what actually works on the ground can we really tackle this brutal crime and make a real and lasting difference for victims.” – Cindy Butts, chair of the MPA Domestic Violence Board.

MPA Domestic Violence Board Workplan 2006 – 2007
Proposed MPA Domestic Violence Workplan 2007-2008
MPA Domestic Violence Board Annual Report 2006-07
Code of conduct
Domestic Violence Board Members
Reports list
For a complete titles list of all published reports presented to Domestic Violence Board.

Meeting agendas, reports and minutes

For a complete reports list please see the reports page

Domestic Violence Board Objectives 2007-08

To scrutinise and monitor the activities of central MPS directorates and a further 6 BOCUs in relation to domestic violence by November 2008.
To make a series of recommendations for improvement that will lead to increased arrest rate, victim and witness care and community engagement by BOCUs.
To liaise with community and voluntary groups and to make recommendations to Government on improving women's and children's safety in relation to domestic violence.
To scrutinise and monitor MPS involvement in Project Umbra, commissioned by the London Criminal Justice Board and designed to improve London's response to domestic violence.

Terms of reference

The MPA Domestic Violence Board has been set up to monitor, scrutinise and support the MPS in its response to domestic violence. The Board will aim to secure continuous improvement in the MPS’ response and disseminate best practice and innovation across the 32 Borough Operational Command Units (BOCUs).

Purpose

To lead on the effective monitoring, scrutiny and support of the MPS in its response to domestic violence on behalf of Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (EODB).
To secure continuous improvement in the MPS’ response to domestic violence.
To robustly and effectively address the issue of consistency of service with regard to domestic violence by focusing monitoring and support on the 32 BOCUs, and the MPS as a corporate body, thereby monitoring coordination and implementation of policy and practice across the MPS.
To identify needs and gaps highlighted by the 32 BOCUs and corporate MPS units and, where appropriate, ensure these are raised with relevant MPA Committees and/or other fora.
To increase trust and confidence in the MPS’ response to domestic violence and inform the response, not only for domestic violence, but for all other areas of hate crime, across the criminal justice system.
To link to other pan-London and/or national domestic violence and related bodies.
To disseminate best practice and innovation not only across the 32 Borough Operational Command Units (BOCUs).

Accountability

The Board is a sub-group of EODB and works on its behalf to lead on the effective monitoring, scrutiny and support of the MPS in its response to domestic violence.
The MPS will report to the Board on any aspect of its response to domestic violence. Any issues, which the board cannot resolve, will be referred to EODB for decision. The Board will report to EODB through written and verbal updates at committee.

The Board

The Board will hold meetings quarterly.
Board members, external practitioners from domestic violence support services and community members will discuss reports from two boroughs at each meeting, with the exception of the third meeting in the annual cycle when reports from MPS corporate units and MPS Project Umbra Strand Groups will be discussed.
Board meetings will be structured to ensure each meeting will involve discussion with MPS colleagues, community members and external practitioners from domestic violence support services.
The Board will seek to involve community members and external practitioners from domestic violence support services in order to share best practice and innovation.
The Board will work to address inequalities based on race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religious belief or non-belief in service provision and employment practice.
The Board will work with existing pan-London and/or national domestic violence and related bodies to ensure that its efforts are enhanced and duplication is minimised.
The Board will aim to cover 6 boroughs within its first year with a further 6 boroughs covered during its second year.

Background

In excess of 107,000 incidents of domestic violence were reported to the MPS in the year 2006-07. 25% of all murders within the MPS are domestic violence related. The profile of domestic violence and awareness of the issue has been very much in the political and public arena in recent years. The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act received Royal Assent on 15 November 2004 thereby further highlighting the issue and importance of domestic violence. The Act will strengthen police powers creating a power of arrest for Common Assault and make breaches of civil protection orders an arrestable offence.

Domestic violence continues to be a priority for the MPS and is included in the National and MPS/MPA Policing Plan as well as in the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF). The MPS has appointed Acting Deputy Assistant Commissioner (A/DAC) Alfred Hitchcock as the MPS Lead for Domestic Violence with Commander Steve Allen responsible for implementation.

Project Umbra

Project Umbra is a response to the recognition of the pervasive effects of domestic violence on society. Its vision is to stop the violence and hold offenders to account whilst its aims are to improve service delivery across all sectors involved in domestic violence by co-ordinating a range of options available to both victims and offenders.

Project Umbra is an MPS led initiative under the strategic lead of Commander Shaun Sawyer, commissioned by the London Criminal Justice Board. It is a major initiative that will require multi-agency commitment across all sectors but will result in fundamentally changing and enhancing the inter-agency response to domestic violence in the capital.

Project Umbra has been in development for almost a year reflecting the MPS’ commitment to ensuring that any future work to improve its response to domestic violence is integrated into the work of other agencies across sectors and takes account of current and planned developments. Following widespread consultation with partner agencies five key areas of work have been identified:

Strand 1 - Improving performance and data sharing
Strand 2 - Advocacy and support to victims
Strand 3 - Children in domestic violence households
Strand 4 - Offender management
Strand 5 - Integrated laws and courts
Strand 6 – Domestic Homicide Reviews

Multi-agency delivery teams have now been developed and will begin to implement work plans and initiatives to achieve the aims and objectives of each of the key work areas. The individual multi-agency strand groups are now meeting regularly.

Press releases

No	Date	Title
27/07	12 Jun 07	MPA Domestic Violence Board - a year of working to improve service provision
24/06	12 Apr 06	MPA statement - proposals to change sentencing for domestic violence must not be accepted
22/06	04 Apr 06	MPA Domestic Violence Board - working to achieve improved service provision for victims across London