Training on Domestic Violent Abuse and pregnancy

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.026431

I note you seek access to the following information:

Please note there are three parts to this request.

1. Please can you confirm whether your force delivers training to serving officers on domestic abuse and pregnancy. A Yes/No answer is fine.

2. Please can you confirm whether your force delivers training to serving officers on domestic abuse and miscarriage. A Yes/No answer is fine.

3. Please can you provide all training materials relating to domestic abuse and pregnancy.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - Please can you confirm whether your force delivers training to serving officers on domestic abuse and pregnancy. A Yes/No answer is fine.

We do not train specifically on Domestic Abuse (DA) and pregnancy, we do note it as a potential safeguarding concern. As part of risk assessments in DASH we would ask ‘Are you pregnant or have you recently had a baby’. This could be an indicator of risk so could raise our risk assessment, it would be assessed on each case.

Q2 - Please can you confirm whether your force delivers training to serving officers on domestic abuse and miscarriage. A Yes/No answer is fine.

We do not train specifically on DA and miscarriage, in our risk assessments DASH would identify indicators of harm/previous history. In the MPS our frontline response officers/staff would apply DASH to any DA incident. If graded medium or high we would then in addition complete DASH part 2.

Please see below excerpt from DASH as an example:

1. Are you afraid of what they might do to you or anyone else:

2. Have you separated / tried to separate from them:

o Is there conflict over child contact:

3. Are you pregnant or have you recently had a baby:

4. Is the abuse happening more often and is the abuse getting worse:

5. Are there any personal or cultural issues which make it harder for you to seek help:

o Is there any other person that has threatened you or that you are afraid of:

o Do they isolate you from support or help / family or friends:

6. Do they constantly text, call, contact, follow, stalk or harass you:

7. Do they say or do things of a sexual nature that make you feel bad or that physically hurts you or someone else:

8. Have they ever attempted to strangle / choke / suffocate / drown you:

9. Do they try to control everything you do or are they excessively jealous:

10. Do they threaten to harm / kill the children:

11. Do they use weapons or objects to hurt you:

o Have they made threats to kill you or your family:

12. Have they had problems with drug (prescription or other), alcohol or mental health problems that influence their ability to live a normal life:

13. Have they ever mistreated an animal or the family pet:

14. Have they ever threatened or attempted suicide:

Q3 - Please can you provide all training materials relating to domestic abuse and pregnancy.

You may also find the below link useful:
Domestic violence: detailed information