Disclosure Log

Notifications of deaths for consideration as a DHR/DARDR (FOI/6302)

Message from Nottinghamshire County Council - 18 August 2025

Dear *****

Freedom of Information Request – Ref: FOI/00006302

Thank you for your email of 15 August 2025 where you requested:

The domestic homicide review (DHR) process is set out in Section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, amended by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, so that a Community Safety Partnership (CSP) is notified when a death has, or appears to have, resulted from domestic abuse as defined by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Accordingly, this process is to be renamed as domestic abuse related death reviews (DARDR).

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request anonymous information about notifications of deaths for consideration as a DHR/DARDR. The team/officer responsible for community safety will most likely hold this data.

I am requesting data in two parts:

First, an aggregate information request – we are seeking aggregated data on the number of domestic abuse-related death notifications that the CSP received between January 2017 and December 2024 (inclusive) related to cases that the CSP was responsible for.

Second, an anonymised case level data request – we are seeking data about each notification referred to in the aggregate information request. I.e., for each notification received, an individual case level data record should be provided. The data provided should be based only on the information available at the time (e.g., notification/referral, scoping activities).

To provide this data, I include templates as an appendix to this document.. However, our preference would be for you to complete an Excel template that we have provided, on which you can record these returns directly. You can access the Excel template at: https://tinyurl.com/4uws5xba (when you click on the link, you cannot preview the template, but click ‘download" to access it).

To assist with your responses, we have provided guidance. If you have any questions, please refer to the Q&A document using this link (https://tinyurl.com/hbmusbkh).

I understand that you are required to respond to my request within 20 working days after you receive this email. I would be grateful if you could confirm by email to [email protected] that you have received this request.

If this request is too wide or unclear, I would also be grateful if you could contact Althea, as I understand that, under the Act, you are required to advise and assist requesters.

Finally, if you are unable to provide this data - for example, because DHR/DARDR commissioning is shared on a regional basis - please can you identify the appropriate regional body to whom a request could be directed.



APPENDIX

PART 1: AGGREGATE INFORMATION REQUEST

GUIDANCE ON COMPLETING THE AGGREGATE INFORMATION REQUEST

When responding to questions, please base your response on:

• The procedures you had in place with reference to the 2016 Home Office Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance for the Conduct of Domestic Homicide Reviews.

• The decision-making process leading to the decision to commission/not commission a DHR/DARDR between January 2017 and December 2024.

o N.B.: In Wales, since October 2024, notifications should be made via the Single Unified Safeguarding Review (SUSR) process. If you are providing data on behalf of a Welsh CSP or partnership body, please only report on notifications received between January 2017 and September 2024 inclusive..

• The information that you had based on the original notification and any scoping activity that was undertaken to make a commissioning decision.

o NB.: Please do not refer to information obtained after a commissioning decision was made (i.e. from any DHR/DARDR that may have been subsequently conducted).

• Where appropriate, additional guidance is provided on the template.

AGGREGATE INFORMATION REQUEST:

1. Name of responding CSP(s):

2. Local authority area(s) covered:

4. How many domestic abuse-related death notifications did the CSP area(s) receive between January 2017 and December 2024 related to cases the CSP was responsible for

By ‘responsible for", we mean that the final decision was made by the CSP. Do not include cases here where the CSP was not the lead. (E.g., if a DHR was jointly commissioned with another CSP, or if a DHR was jointly commissioned with another statutory review, only answer if you were the CSP responsible for contracting the Chair).

Please provide your answer with reference to the year period the notification was received.

1st January 2017 – 31st December 2017:
1st January 2018 – 31st December 2018:
1st January 2019 – 31st December 2019:
1st January 2020 – 31st December 2020:
1st January 2021 – 31st December 2021:
1st January 2022 – 31st December 2022:
1st January 2023 – 31st December 2023:
1st January 2024 – 31st December 2024:

Total:

5. a) As of 31st December 2024, what was the process for the CSP to make decisions about whether to commission a DHR/DARDR following a domestic abuse-related death notification If you consult stakeholders, please include details in your response:

b) If the decision-making process has changed over time in your local authority area, what has changed and why Please provide a summary:

PART 2: ANONYMISED CASE LEVEL DATA REQUEST

GUIDANCE ON COMPLETING THE ANONYMISED CASE LEVEL DATA REQUEST

When completing the anonymised case level data, for each of the notifications that you referred to in the aggregate information request, please complete an anonymised case level data request to individually record ALL notifications made to the CSP.

When completing the return:

• Please respond in relation to the primary victim and the primary perpetrator (i.e. if there are additional victim(s) or perpetrator(s), you do not need to provide case data for them).
• Where appropriate, additional guidance is provided on the template.
• Please fill in ALL fields (i.e. dont leave any of the fields blank). If you cannot answer any given question (i.e. you do not have the data, please write in unknown or state ‘not applicable" for 9a and 9b).
• Please do not refer to any personal identifying information or data.

ANONYMISED CASE LEVEL DATA REQUEST

1. What was the notification source:

2a. What was the case type (i.e. homicide, suicide, unexpected death (e.g. fall from a height), or other (e.g. neglect):

2b. What was the victim"s relationship to the (alleged) perpetrator:

3a. Victim characteristics
- Age:
- Country of Birth:
- Disability:
- Ethnicity:
- Gender Identity:
- Immigration Status:
- Parent/carer to a child under 18:
- Pregnant:
- Religion:
- Sex:
- Sexual Orientation:

3b. (Alleged) perpetrator characteristics
- Age:
- Country of Birth:
- Disability:
- Ethnicity:
- Gender Identity:
- Immigration Status:
- Parent/carer to a child under 18:
- Pregnant:
- Religion:
- Sex:
- Sexual Orientation:

4a. Were stakeholders outside of the responsible authorities in the CSP consulted in the decision-making process about whether to commission a review For example, this could include seeking advice from a specialist domestic abuse or led-by-and-for service. (Yes or No. If not known, please state ‘unknown"):

4b. If yes, which services outside of the CSP were consulted (Free text) (If not known, please state: ‘unknown"):

5. What was the outcome of the notification I.e. was a DHR/DARDR commissioned or not, some other alterative process undertaken such as a rapid learning review or multi-agency professional form and/or a statutory review commissioned like a review into the death or serious incident of children or adults, a mental health homicide or offensive weapons homicide review). (Free text) (If not known, please state: ‘unknown"):

6. What was the rationale for this commissioning decision Please describe any specific case circumstances that informed the decision, including case circumstances (e.g. specific vulnerabilities, honour-based violence, the relationship status between the subjects was unclear, a history of violence and abuse) or other considerations (e.g. the most appropriate type of statutory review, or where the victims residence was not clear, etc). (Free text) (If not known, please state: ‘unknown"):

7. Was the Home Office notified of the commissioning decision (Yes or No.. If not known, please state ‘unknown"):

8. Was the family notified of the commissioning decision (Yes or No. If not known, please state ‘unknown"):

9a. If a DHR/DARDR was not commissioned by the CSP, what was the Home Office Quality Assurance Panel"s decision (Free text. If not known, please state ‘unknown". If not applicable state ‘not applicable"):

9b. If the Home Office Quality Assurance Panel asked for further information or a review of the decision, what was the final outcome (i.e. did the CSP then commission a review or not) If the reason for the decision is not available, please state: ‘unknown". (Free text. If not known, please state ‘unknown". If not applicable state ‘not applicable"):

10. To your knowledge, in addition to the DHR/DARDR, were any other statutory reviews separately commissioned into this death (In this question, by statutory reviews, we mean other multi-agency reviews like reviews into the death or serious incident of children or adults, mental health homicides, offensive weapons homicide reviews, etc.). (Free text) (If not known, please state: ‘unknown"):

11. For this case, please gives the month and year for: (If the data is not available, please state: ‘unknown") (use format MONTH/YEAR i.e. 01/2001)

Date of the death:
Date of the notification to the CSP:
Date the decision to commission/not commission a review was taken:
Date the family was informed of the decision:

I am writing to advise you that, following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by this authority.  In Nottinghamshire the Community Safety Partnerships are led by the district and borough councils who are likely to have collated the information you have requested.

The district and borough councils in Nottinghamshire may hold the information you are seeking.  If you have not already done so, then you may wish to write to:
 
  • Ashfield District Council, Urban Road, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, NOTTINGHAM, NG17 8DA or [email protected].
  • Bassetlaw District Council, Queen’s Buildings, Potter Street, WORKSOP, S80 2AH or [email protected].
  • Broxtowe Borough Council, Council Offices, Foster Avenue, Beeston, NOTTINGHAM, NG9 1AB or [email protected].
  • Gedling Borough Council, Civic Centre, Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, NOTTINGHAM, NG5 6LU or [email protected].
  • Mansfield District Council, Civic Centre, Chesterfield Road South, MANSFIELD, NG19 7BH or [email protected].
  • Newark and Sherwood District Council, Castle House, Great North Road, NEWARK, NG24 1BY or [email protected].
  • Rushcliffe Borough Council, Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 7YG or [email protected].

Your privacy: we use your personal information such as name and address so that we can comply with our legal obligations to respond to FOI requests.  For further details about the use of information about you, please see the information handling privacy notice on our website at https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/media/4323566/informationgovernanceandinformationrightsprivacynotice.pdf.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review.  Internal review requests should be submitted within 40 working days of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be addressed to: Complaints and Information – Team Manager, Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 7QP or [email protected].

Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications. 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, WILMSLOW, SK9 5AF or https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/foi-and-eir-complaints/.

Yours sincerely

Colin Sawers (He/Him)
Information Case Officer | Customers, Complaints and Information
Chief Executive"s Department | Nottinghamshire County Council
County Hall | Loughborough Road | West Bridgford | NOTTINGHAM | NG2 7QP
Tel: (0115) 977 3714