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Political correspondent Leila Nathoo and Daniel Kraemer from File on 4 Investigates reported that Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips admitted to the BBC that the main screening tool utilized to determine which domestic abuse victims receive urgent support is ineffective. Since 2009, the Dash questionnaire has been relied upon by police, social services, and healthcare workers across the UK to assess risk. However, concerns have arisen from academics and professionals in the sector that the checklist fails to accurately identify victims at the highest risk of further harm. Phillips acknowledged the flaws in the system supporting victims and highlighted the need for a gradual transition to a more effective solution.
The Dash assessment consists of 27 questions posed to victims, to which they respond with yes, no, or don’t know to 24 of them. Questions address issues such as the presence of injuries resulting from the incident and the worsening nature of abuse. The classification of victims as “high” risk based on their score leads to their referral for specialized and intensive assistance. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 108 domestic homicides in England and Wales in the year ending March 2024. Families of women who were fatally harmed after not receiving a high-risk rating are considering legal action against the institutions they believe neglected their loved ones.
Lawyer Matthew Jury, representing the affected families, emphasized the preventable nature of these tragedies and expressed the devastation experienced when victims are inadequately assessed and left vulnerable. Phillips, tasked with addressing violence against women and girls, acknowledged the limitations of the Dash questionnaire. She emphasized the importance of maximizing the existing system’s potential until a more effective alternative is implemented. The Home Office is currently evaluating how all agencies manage domestic abuse cases, including risk assessments, as part of a broader effort to combat violence against women and girls, with plans to release the strategy in the fall.
Academic studies spanning almost a decade have scrutinized the effectiveness of Dash in identifying high-risk victims and found it lacking in predictive accuracy. Dr. Heather Strang from the University of Cambridge’s Jerry Lee Centre for Experimental Criminology highlighted the growing consensus that Dash fails to fulfill its intended predictive role. Former police officer and data scientist Tori Olphin emphasized the significance of improving decisions concerning vulnerable individuals at risk of experiencing severe outcomes due to domestic abuse. The government has enlisted SafeLives to conduct an initial review of the entire domestic abuse risk assessment process across various agencies
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