Domestic Abuse (including MARAC and MATAC)

1. What is Domestic Abuse?

Definition of Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is defined in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 as “abusive behaviour between two people aged 16 years or above that are personally connected to each other, regardless of whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct (pattern of behaviour)”.

Abusive behaviour

Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, behaviour is abusive if it consists of any of the following:

  • Physical or sexual abuse;
  • Violent or threatening behaviour;
  • Controlling or coercive behaviour;
  • Economic abuse;
  • Psychological, emotional or other abuse.

The following specific types of abuse are all recognised as types of domestic abuse:

  1. 'Honour' based violence;
  2. Forced marriage;
  3. Female Genital Mutilation.

For information about honour based violence and forced marriage, see Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage Procedure.

For information about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), see Female Genital Mutilation Procedure.

Personally connected

The term ‘personally connected’ means any of the following:

  • They are, or have been, married to each other;
  • They are, or have been, civil partners of each other;
  • They have agreed to marry one another;
  • They are, or have been in an intimate personal relationship with each other;
  • They each have, or there has been a time when they each have had, a parental relationship with the same child;
  • They are relatives.

Definition of controlling or coercive behaviour

Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent:

  • Isolation from sources of support;
  • Exploitation of resources;
  • Depriving of a means to resist or escape;
  • Regulating everyday behaviour.

Coercive behaviour is an act or pattern of acts used to harm, punish or frighten:

  • Assault;
  • Threats;
  • Humiliation and degradation;
  • Intimidation.

It can also include technological abuse where technology and social media controls and coerces victims. For example, disclosing or threatening to disclose private sexual photographs and films with the intent of causing distress (known as revenge porn).

Coercive or controlling behaviour does not relate to a single incident, it is a purposeful pattern of incidents that occur over time in order for one individual to exert power, control or coercion over another.

Controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship is a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.

Victims

Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse.

This includes children when the child hears, sees or experiences the effects of the abuse between its parent or another relative. This includes unborn children.

Note: The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 uses the term ‘victim’ but not everyone who has experienced, or is experiencing, domestic abuse chooses to describe themselves as a ‘victim’ and they may prefer another term, for example, ‘survivor’.

2. Domestic Abuse and Safeguarding

Safeguarding adults

A considerable proportion of safeguarding adults work relates to the abuse or neglect of people with care and support needs who are living in their own homes. Domestic abuse is perhaps most commonly thought of as violence between intimate partners, but it can take many forms and be perpetrated by a range of people. For example, Child to Parent Violence and Abuse (CPVA).

A safeguarding adults concern should be raised for adults that meet the criteria for safeguarding who are experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse.

For guidance, see: Adult safeguarding and domestic abuse: a guide to support practitioners and managers.

Controlling or coercive behaviour

Where there are concerns of controlling or coercive behaviour, the Controlling or Coercive Behaviour Statutory Guidance framework should be used to inform and guide the safeguarding response. Issued under the Serious Crime Act 2015, it provides information to assist in identifying, evidencing, charging, prosecuting and convicting the offence.

See: Controlling or coercive behaviour: statutory guidance framework.

Safeguarding children

In accordance with the Domestic Abuse Act, children and now recognised as victims in their own right.

A child is considered a victim of domestic abuse if they hear, see or experience the effect of the abuse and are related to either the victim or the perpetrator. This includes children being used as a means to coerce or control the victim. This includes unborn children.

Whenever the above applies or may apply, a referral should be made to Children’s Services (if not already involved).

Where Children’s Services are involved with the family, it is essential that there is effective joint work to maximise the effectiveness of any intervention for the whole family.=

3. Specialist Domestic Abuse Services and Support

Local domestic abuse service

With the consent of the victim/adult a referral should always be made to a local domestic abuse service. This will ensure that the victim/adult has access to specialist support and advocacy to reduce the level of risk and future harm. This may include support to obtain a Domestic Violence Protection order or an injunction.

Women's Aid have a directory of local services online: Local support near you.

Information about local services may also be available in the Contacts and Practice Resources area.

A DASH Risk Identification Checklist (RIC) should be completed to determine the current level of risk and onward referrals. If the risk is assessed as standard/medium then referral to local support services should be considered, if high risk a MARAC referral.

Domestic Violence Protection Orders

Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPO’s) provide protection to victims by enabling the police and magistrates to put in place protection in the immediate aftermath of a domestic violence incident.

With DVPOs, a perpetrator can be banned with immediate effect from returning to a residence and from having contact with the victim for up to 28 days, allowing the victim time to consider their options and get the support they need.

For further information see: Domestic Violence Protection Notices and Domestic Violence Protection Orders Guidance

NOTE: Domestic Violence Protection Orders will be replaced by Domestic Abuse Protection Orders and Domestic Abuse Protection Notices in 2023.

Injunctions

An injunction is a court order that either:

  • Protects the victim or their child from being harmed or threatened by the perpetrator - this is called a ‘non-molestation order’;
  • Decides who can live in the family home or enter the surrounding area - this is called an ‘occupation order’.

For further information see: Get an injunction if you’ve been the victim of domestic abuse.

Independent Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Advisors (IDVA/ISVA)

An Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) is specially trained to support a victim of domestic abuse with everything they need to become safe and rebuild their life. This can include help with housing, benefits, navigating the criminal justice process, representing the victim at meetings (such as MARAC) and working with all agencies to ensure an effective overall response. They assess and monitor risk and help develop and review safety plans.

An Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) is similar to an IDVA, but they provide specialist support to victims of sexual violence or abuse. This includes those who have experienced violence or abuse that does not meet the definition of domestic abuse.

It is important to note that an IDVA or ISVA is not an advocate and the duty to appoint an advocate under Section 68 of the Care Act 2014 may still apply.

Specialist services for the perpetrator

When arranging specialist services for the victim, consideration should also be given to the benefit and availability of a referral to a specialist domestic abuse perpetrator service.

Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, support for perpetrators should go hand in hand with coordinated services for the adult.

The Home Office policy paper ‘Standards for domestic abuse perpetrator interventions’ provides practice guidelines for commissioning and delivering interventions and sets out 7 standards:

  1. The priority outcome for perpetrator interventions should be enhanced safety and freedom (space for action) for all victim-survivors, including children.
  2. Interventions should be located within a wider co-ordinated community response in which all agencies share the responsibility of holding abusive behaviour in view, enabling change in perpetrators and enhancing the safety and freedom (space for action) of victim-survivors and their children.
  3. Interventions should hold perpetrators to account, whilst treating them with respect, and offering opportunities to choose to change.
  4. The right intervention should be offered to the right people at the right time.
  5. Interventions should be delivered equitably with respect to protected characteristics that intersect and overlap.
  6. Interventions should be delivered by staff who are skilled and supported in responding to domestic abuse.
  7. Monitoring and evaluation of interventions should take place to improve practice and expand the knowledge base.

For information about local services see: Contacts and Practice Resources

Other support for the victim/adult

Under the duty to provide information and advice, it may be appropriate and beneficial to share some/all of the following additional sources of support that are available to anyone who is, or may be experiencing domestic abuse:

Refuge

24 hour helpline: 0808 2000 247
Website: www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk

Available online:

  • Live chat;
  • Online message form.

Bright Sky

Bright Sky is a safe, easy to use app and website that provides practical support and information on how to respond to domestic abuse. It is for anyone experiencing domestic abuse, or who is worried about someone else. The app can be downloaded for free from the app stores. 

Website: www.hestia.org/brightsky

Womens Aid

Email: helpline@womensaid.org.uk
Website: chat.womensaid.org.uk

Available online:

  • Live chat;
  • Email contact;
  • Survivors Forum.

Comprehensive list of specialist sources of support - GOV.UK

Website: Domestic abuse: specialist sources of support

Included are:

  • Support for children and young people;
  • Specialist services for specific groups including but not limited to LGBT+, older adults, deaf people, Muslim adults and the Jewish community;
  • Welfare benefits and housing advice;
  • Advice for victims with unsettled status in the UK;
  • Support for specific types of abuse.

4. MARAC

Whenever a concern relates to Domestic Abuse all agencies should consider the benefit in making a referral for a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC).

The MARAC is a meeting where agencies talk about the risk of future harm to adults experiencing domestic abuse and draw up an action plan to help manage that risk.

The four aims of a MARAC are as follows:

  1. To safeguard adult victims who are at high risk of future domestic abuse;
  2. To make links with other public protection arrangements in relation to children, people causing harm and vulnerable adults;
  3. To safeguard agency staff;
  4. To work towards addressing and managing the behaviour of the perpetrator.

Agencies at the MARAC will include:

  1. The police (normally Chairing the conference);
  2. Health;
  3. Local authority children's services;
  4. Housing;
  5. Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA's);
  6. Probation;
  7. Local authority adult services;
  8. Other specialists as relevant.

Agency representatives will discuss the case then agree and allocate actions, which may include:

Agency Action
All agencies Identifying high risk victims so they can provide an enhanced and responsive service in the event of an incident.
Police Placing the victim's home on 'cocoon watch'; taking further action against the perpetrator if required; target hardening; providing panic alarms.
Health Heightened awareness by health professionals around injuries sustained; ensuring that the victim is separated from the perpetrator upon presentation so that she is attended to by health professionals whilst she is alone.
IDVA / ISVA Feeding back MARAC actions to the victim where safe; providing ongoing support to the victim; attending appointments with victims; assisting victim with finding new housing and education; ongoing co-ordination and communication between all agencies; continued risk assessment; feeding back on repeat victimisation to the MARAC; assisting victims with seeking legal assistance.
Children's Services Agreeing to undertake an initial assessment of children involved in MARAC cases as appropriate; give additional support to the family; making referrals to children and adolescent mental health services.
Housing Assisting with finding alternative accommodation; supporting applications for housing benefit and homelessness; implementing safety devices on the home property.
Education Sharing information with appropriate staff to support children effectively; monitoring school performance and behavioural issues.
Probation Using information from MARAC for pre-sentence report writing.
Adult Services Making referrals to Safeguarding Adults and/or voluntary sector support, for example, Age Concern.
Refuge Providing refuge accommodation; providing ongoing support to the victim.
Drug and Alcohol Team Fast tracking access to specialist services and support.

Each agency is responsible for carrying out actions allocated to them.

Involvement and consent of the victim/adult

The consent of the victim/adult should be sought before making a referral. If the victim/adult does not provide consent, a referral should still be made if there are children involved or the level of risk is too high to manage by other means.

A referral should NEVER not be made because the victim/adult has been deemed to have the capacity to consent to the abuse taking place. Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, such consent can never be given:

“a person may not consent to the infliction of serious harm and, by extension, is unable to consent to their own death”.

The victim/adult should be informed of the referral, even if they did not wish it to be made.

The victim/adult is not directly involved in the MARAC, but represented by an appropriate advocate (normally an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor).

Making a referral

Before making a referral a DASH Risk Identification Checklist (RIC) should be completed to confirm whether or not it is appropriate. Note: The RIC should be used to record all disclosures of domestic abuse, not only those that are referred to MARAC.

Referrals for a MARAC should be made in line with local processes and requirements.

Please note: The DASH Risk Checklist is no longer used by the police but still being used by social services and other partner agencies. The tool that the police use is called the Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment (DARA).

For further information about DARA please see: Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment (DARA) Information for stakeholders.

5. MATAC

MATAC refers to the Multi-Agency Tasking and Coordination process of identifying and tackling serial perpetrators of domestic abuse perpetrators.

The overarching objectives of the MATAC are to safeguard adults and children at risk of domestic abuse and to reduce the offending of domestic abuse perpetrators.

A serial perpetrator is defined as an offender who:

  • Is listed as a domestic abuse suspect or offender;
  • Has more than one domestic abuse incident or HRN record (which incorporates both when crimes are recorded and when they are not);
  • Has offended against two or more different domestic abuse victims;
  • This includes; partner/ex-partners, familial relationships, non-violent incidents and nominals aged 16 and over within the last 2 years.

In order to identify the most harmful perpetrators, a process has been developed using an analytical programme namely the Recency, Frequency, Gravity and Victims process. Data is extracted to identify the most harmful perpetrators of domestic abuse by a process of quantitative analysis, using weighted matrices.

The MATAC process is:

  • Determine most harmful domestic abuse perpetrators from police data using the RFGV analytical process;
  • Incorporate partner referrals and assess against RFGV data;
  • Determine subjects for targeting and produce subject (perpetrator) profiles;
  • Hold 4 weekly MATAC meeting and determine method of targeting each perpetrator;
  • Manage and track partnership actions;

Further information is available within the local MATAC guidance.