Domestic abuse: justice partners group minutes - January 2025

Attendees and apologies

 

• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS)
• Justice Analytical Services (JAS)
• Police Scotland (PS)
• Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS)
• Scottish Government (SG)

Apologies

• Judicial Institute for Scotland

Items and actions

Previous actions

Scottish Government

SG updated members on previous actions from the fourth meeting in September.

SG advised members of continued engagement with COPFS colleagues on the inclusion of lived experience within COPFS’ internal focus and awareness raising of domestic abuse in October alongside how this could be embedded in further work.

SG thanked members for their updates on the follow up actions they had received following the Cabinet Secretary’s meeting with victims from the BBC documentary.

Main agenda items

Criminal and civil interface

SG officials updated members on the ongoing work on the criminal and civil interface with two workshops held last year with justice agencies and voluntary organisations.

Ongoing work will focus on the points raised in the workshops alongside other materials such as the research by Professor Richard Whitecross and others on domestic abuse and child contact; the interface between criminal and civil proceedings: Domestic Abuse and Child Contact: The Interface Between Criminal and Civil Proceedings | Scottish Civil Justice Hub.

In broad terms, the points raised seem to fall into 10 areas:

• Training
• Data sharing
• Courts process and structure. 
• Case management by the courts.
• The judicial consideration.
• Support and guidance for parties
• Child welfare reporters
• Child contact centres
• Implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020
• Research, data and improvement work

Officials will write to participants of the workshops with the minutes of the meetings and outline next steps. Officials also noted they had an upcoming meeting with an Improvement Advisor as to the best way to move forward.

Members noted the positives in this ongoing work and the linking of criminal and civil courts. Members also noted potential greater opportunities in smaller courts to enable stronger communication and the difficulties that can arise in larger courts.

Data mapping tool

JAS Colleagues shared an update on the domestic abuse evidence tracker with members, noting the publications tab and ability to monitor and share upcoming publications. This includes regular and one-off publications.

Continued work is ongoing regarding how to finalise this piece of work and how best to make this operational whilst also ensuring this is regularly updated.

Equality data was discussed with members including what protected characteristics are held by organisation and if this is published.

Members also discussed how the information within the tracker could be shared publicly and how best to do this, recognising that management  information has not always been widely available and publicised.

JAS colleagues noted a future phase of work could look at wider data sets including third party data.

Members were asked to consider if the tracker was meeting the original aims and what should be prioritised next.

The work of the Scottish Law Commission was outlined, including if there should be a statutory requirement for the Scottish Government to collect disaggregated statistics on the number of civil protection orders sought and granted in relation to domestic abuse.

Members outlined the previous discussions regarding a Domestic Abuse Conference. Members noted that if this was to go ahead, key tangible topics and areas would be required. Progression on some of the previous actions to date of the Roundtable could create the foundations for a meaningful conference. JAS colleagues advised that Richard Whitecross was keen to work collaboratively with members on identifying research priorities and activities which could include a series of workshops with academics to map current understanding, research activities and research gaps.

Police Scotland update

Police Scotland noted that DSDAS has risen overall by 435% since its inception in 2015 and has had consistent increases in Right to Ask and Power to Tell, with the biggest increase in Right to Ask which Police Scotland noted is the pathway for members of the public.

Wider benefits of the scheme were discussed including how this feeds in to other processes, for example the work of MARACs, how to identify risks and how this feeds in to adult protection processes.

The scheme will now have been live for 10 years and members discussed how this can drive other work or if there are other areas that may need strengthened or amended.

Police Scotland colleagues noted the need to review this in relation to internal processes and whilst this still sits with Police Scotland, how partners can feed in to this.

Domestic abuse training

Police Scotland colleagues outlined the ongoing train the trainer events and refresher event for existing trainers regarding the Domestic Abuse Matters Training.

Training has now started again and will run through to end of March with plans to embed the training. Elements of probationer training will also be embedded within the training.

COPFS highlighted that one part of e-learning previously prepared in collaboration with Police Scotland, for their use, now needs to be updated in light of the LA’s Reference (No. 1 of 2023) [2023] HCJAC 40 and Reference (No. 2 and 3 of 2023) [2024] HCJAC 43. COPFS are happy to discuss this with Police Scotland.

Silent Solutions

Police Scotland noted this is not a Police Scotland area of work and will require further liaison with BT. Police Scotland will address with internal colleagues and have further conversations with BT and feed back to members.

Scottish Government update

SG officials updated partners on the ongoing court advocacy work which is being delivered by SafeLives and ASSIST through VCAF funding. Members were updated on what could be done to help support development in areas where coverage is more sparce and what support may be required to embed the standards. Members discussed how broader provision could be achieved, not only through geographical gaps but through service offering and how child advocacy could build on from the existing offering.

Members discussed the importance in ensuring the standards were being met in advocacy for women and men. It was suggested that this would require a broader look at not only achieving the DACA standards but ensuring advocacy is available for everybody. COPFS also noted the importance of ensuring a consistent understanding of what is required in the court reports, ensuring that only relevant information is included within the reports. SG advised that they would progress with Safelives as part of their next funding award through VCAF. Members noted this is an area that has been highlighted to the DACA standards steering group.

SG officials also noted continued conversations with colleagues in the Home Office regarding the impact of precarious immigration status in relation to the reporting of domestic abuse incidents. Officials will update members as these discussions progress.

Conclusions and observations

Scottish Government will send a calendar invite for the next Roundtable meeting. SG will also share agenda items in advance and seek any potential agenda items from members. SG will send a meeting note to Roundtable members for review prior to the next meeting and will upload this to the roundtable webpage.

Next steps/actions

• SG will send an invite to members for the next meeting.
• SG will circulate agenda items ahead of the next meeting and seek feedback from members on potential areas of discussion.
• SG will send a meeting note to Roundtable members for review prior to the next meeting.
• SG will write out to members with several questions about next steps with the tracker.
• COPFS to feedback on steps taken to incorporate lived experience in to training.