Minutes

Minutes of the meeting of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Board held on 13 July 2011 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

DSVB Members

• Kirsten Hearn, MPA (Chair)
• Valerie Brasse, MPA
• Clive Lawton, MPA Member
• Yvonne Traynor, RASASC Croydon
• Elizabeth Harrison, Havens
• Paul Carswell, CPS
• Marion Winterholler, Havens
• Davina James-Hanman, AVA
• Anthony Wills, Standing Together
• Yeliz Osman, GLA
• Natalie Ker Watson, Victim Support
• Jo Clarke, Havens

MPS

• AC Cressida Dick, MPS
• DCI Sam Faulkner MPS
• DS Dave McNaughton MPS
• DCS Caroline Bates, MPS SCD2
• DCI Kevin Fitzgerald, MPS SCD2

MPA

• Siobhan Coldwell, MPA
• Lynne Abrams, MPA
• April May-Zubel MPA

Apologies

• Cindy Butts, MPA
• Denise Marshall, Eaves
• Colin Fitzgerald, Respect
• Sophie Davies, Victim Support
• DS Sharon Stratton, MPS

Guests

• Namita Prakash, the Survivors Trust
• Maria Sookias, Stonewall Housing
• Caitriona Scanlan, Camden
• Nisan Kesete, Eaves
• Mary Mason, Solace
• Melissa Altman, Refuge
• Emily Lee, Standing Together
• DI Jim Foley, MPS
• Sam Evans, MPA

Session One

1. DSVB Final Report and Group Consultation on Future of Policing Governance

1.1 KH opened the meeting and invited attendees to introduce themselves. LA introduced the MPA DSVB final report and stated that the report will be signed off by MPA members today, and then by the MPA CEP committee in September. All 32 boroughs have been scrutinised by the board. Some of the main issues over the last five years have been around consistency across boroughs, training and victim/community engagement. Noted the report has made recommendations for both the MPS and the MOPC. The meeting gives us the opportunity to explore how this work might exist in the future of MOPC. KH opened the floor to a discussion about the report.

1.2 KH noted it was interesting how many common issues there were across boroughs. NKW asked how we can be sure MOPC will take all of this learning forward. LA said it is difficult to get concrete guarantees as are not yet sure who the individuals are who will be responsible for taking this work forward. Said the report will go to MPA CEP committee in September for formal sign off. The co-Chairs suggest that we should write a personal letter to the Police and Crime Commissioner to suggest issues raised in the report will be taken forward. CL said with the discontinuity of MPA Members, they will definitely fall out of the system. However noted there are three potential continuities; the MPA/MOPC staff, the MPS, and groups sitting on this board. Noted the intention of this change is better accountability, so people round the table have the power to lobby the MOPC for continuous oversight.

1.3 KH asked for AC Cressida Dick’s (CD) response to the MPA recommendations in the report and asked how she can take these forward operationally. CD said she recognised the work of the DSVB, and noted it has made a contribution to victims in London. Said the MPS recommendations are doable and she was very comfortable with taking these forward. However noted the question for the MPS regarding implementation is around governance.

1.4 Maria Sookias (MS) said regarding recommendation 2 on page 33, she welcomed that these crimes are now flagged. However said she was not sure about asking regarding LGBT relationships, and implies they could be the focus of domestic or sexual violence. Noted from her research, it shows abuse most likely from family members. Also said the term LGBT relationship is problematic, as you cannot say someone has a transgender relationship. The group agreed this should be amended.
Action: LA to amend LGBT to LGB relationships where appropriate.

1.5 AW said it is a shame that this is the last DSVB meeting and commented on the order of recommendations throughout the report. He felt that recommendation 7 is the most important and should be first, and asked if we could reorder the recommendations. CL agreed the order of recommendations is not in order of priority, and we should consider reorganising this, which may have an impact on the order of the rest of the report.
Action: LA to amend the order of recommendations in the Executive Summary

1.6 AW said he wanted to make a plea to the MPS. He said he had concern that scrutiny seems to be falling by the wayside due to lack of funding. Said if the MPS feels it is useful, they should say to MOPC that it should continue in some form, to allow this process to continue. CD said London governance has been excruciatingly complicated. Due to having a huge variety to audit, scrutinise and inspect which has seemed over bureaucratic, frustrating and repetitive. She noted that having said that, the coming together of these people and looking at this issue has been successful and we should be trying to continue. However she said she was not clear where it would sit yet and if it would be under the LCRB.

1.7 Mary Mason commented on the recommendations on page 35 and asked if the training recommendation could include domestic violence. LA explained that this was an update on previous recommendations so it couldn’t be changed retrospectively but it could be made clearer in the report.
Action: LA to make the report clearer that the recommendations on page 35 are updating form a previous report.

1.8 YT asked how SCD2 Sapphire units have felt about coming to DSVB. CB said there is a quote in the report which states her views on the DSVB, saying she thought it has been helpful. It was particularly useful to bring boroughs and SCD2 teams together, as borough commanders could not ‘cross rape off the list’ when it moved to SCD. CB acknowledged there is a place for a cross business reference group in the MPS to address this. CB also suggested considering expanding the SCD2 reference group. MW said she did not agree with the suggestion of expanding the SCD2 reference group, as it would lose value of that as an advisory group. AW said that the benefit of watching the development of SCD2 has convinced him that it does work. Noted it allows board members to go back out into the community as independent people and publicise the positive work the police are doing in this area.

1.9 YT said there is an issue of how success is measured. Noted it used to be the number of people coming forward. Said that for her, it is the feedback she gets from clients. YT asked how the MPS can measure this. CB said one measure of success is around the number of victims providing feedback and whether this is positive. CB said it has been consistently positive for those who complete the forms. However she acknowledged that this is only 280 respondents, therefore it is not reflective of everyone and not statistically valid. Betsy Stanko’s team are trying to create an online feedback form. LA said from a target setting governance point of view, we recognise victim satisfaction should also be included, in addition to things like the SD rate. She noted that the Rape Crisis research found that helping keep other people safe is a key motivation for those who report and we need to find a way to take that into account. EH said victim satisfaction is important, and that if you are following the correct process then this should ensure victims are responded to appropriately. Noted this has been the benefit of continued scrutiny from this board, as it becomes part of daily practice.

1.10 CL noted that the use of the term violence against women and girls (VAWG) can seem a bit misleading. DJH said VAWG is a legal definition and refers to crime types not victim types. CL said we should not refer to technical terms, and need to use terms accessible to ordinary people. Namita Prakash (NP) said in terms of child sexual abuse, she wanted to emphasise that abuse is directed towards boys and girls almost equally so boys are not a minority.
Action: LA to add a statement to clarify the use of the phrase violence against women and girls.

1.11 Melissa Altman (MA) asked what will happen to the other points in the report that are not recommendations. LA said with regards to the other points that are not recommendations, officers are working to pull the legacy issues from the MPA together, and this will form part of the organisational learning for the MOPC. VB said all this information is now collated. We have a summation of what has been done, and should continue to ensure this goes forward. Said she does have faith this will be done. Said the MPS reference group is a guide, but we need scrutiny to be empowered separately though another forum.

1.12 Siobhan Coldwell (SC) said she would like to comment on continuity of policing governance. Noted there are staff round this table which will fingers crossed take forward corporate memory. VAWG is a Mayoral priority so MOPC will take forward and it will figure highly on the agenda. LCRB will carry through to MOPC, a multiagency board focused on delivery. VB said the issue is that LCRB has no delivery or operational level underneath. KH said she would like to see a way for all agencies round the table on the front line to input strategically.

1.13 LA summarised the main issues covered in the meeting and provided a summary of actions. KH closed the meeting and thanked all for their attendance and hard work over the course of DSVB. KH paid particular thanks to the first DSVB Chair Cindy Butts, board members and staff. CL thanked chairs of the board.

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