The main screening tool used to decide which domestic abuse victims get urgent support "doesn't work", Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips has admitted to the BBC. Police, social services and healthcare workers across the UK have largely relied on the Dash questionnaire to assess risk since 2009. But there are now mounting concerns from academics and those working in the sector that the checklist does not correctly identify victims at the highest risk of further harm.
Does anything work properly in the UK? Sometimes it just doesn't feel like it...
The Dash (Domestic, Abuse, Stalking, Harassment and Honour-Based Violence) assessment is a list of 27 questions put to victims, to 24 of which they answer yes, no or don't know. The questions include things like: "Has the current incident resulted in injury?" and "is the abuse getting worse?" The resulting score typically determines what happens next. If a victim is classified as "high" risk, they are referred on for specialist, intensive support.And perhaps scrap the idea that there's some sort of hierarchy of domestic abuse, and that some are more worthy of support than others?
Ministers are introducing a clearer legal definition of “honour”-based abuse in an attempt to catch more perpetrators and protect women and girls from violence and coercion.Teachers, police officers, social workers and healthcare workers will receive training to spot the signs of “honour”-based abuse and better support victims, while an awareness-raising campaign will encourage victims to come forward.
Maybe treat all domestic violence as serious from the get-go? It's a theory...
4 comments:
Sure government systems work in the UK all the time.
The Tax Collection system. There is not a more efficient collection system that that. The refund part not so much.
DVLA The taxing your vehicle and the ANPR fine system is top notch, again the rest of it is no so much.
Most of the other systems, those that don't collect revenue are crap as well.
So it is wrong to say ALL government systems are shit but you can qualify it as I do which is 'Most government systems are shit, the only working ones are those that fleece us of our hard earned.'
Basic definition of 'honour' based abuse is a criminal act committed to protect the (alleged) honour of an individual, a family, or a community, when the victim is perceived to have brought shame on that individual, family, or community.
As a (now retired) Police officer, I failed to see then, and sometimes suffered professionally for it, what 'honour' there is in the actions, often horrific, and sometimes fatal, committed against the victim, usually by members of their own family, and I fail to see it now.
This system of maintaining the family honour is, I would suggest, carried out by people who have brought this element of their culture into this country and have either failed to integrate into the British way of life, or ignored it. That some of these cultures have a misogynistic view of life, means that the victims are mainly women (in 20 plus years, I never heard of a male being a victim of this).
Only cowards commit abuse. Their is no honour in their actions, and if they feel there is, then they have no right to remain free in this society.
Penseivat
@ Lord T
Most of the revenue collected by HMRC is PAYE - in other words, private companies do most of the work.
@Matt,
I know having been many times working for free for the government but this article was about government systems being crap. Nothing more efficient for them than getting someone else to do the work where penalties, including jail time, can be levied and they get the dosh. Work outsourced at zero cost to them, all the costs are on the business and if they screw up more money in fines. How efficient is that.
Post a Comment