Domestic abuse specialists to be embedded in 999 control rooms across Northamptonshire as part of pilot
Northamptonshire Police has been chosen as one of five forces across the country to take part in a domestic abuse law pilot, which will see specialists embedded in 999 control rooms.
From today (Friday February 21), all five forces – Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Northumbria, Humberside and West Midlands – will have independent domestic abuse specialists working across their 999 control rooms.
The specialists are tasked with offering expert advice, specialist support and working to identify missed opportunities to properly safeguard victims.
According to the Home Office, which is running the pilot as part of Raneem’s Law, say the domestic abuse specialists will ensure that calls for help are properly assessed, managed and responded to.
Raneem’s Law was established in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband in August 2018 in Solihull. There were 13 reports made to the police about concerns for Raneem’s safety, but no arrests were made. On the night she was killed, she rang 999 four times but the police did not respond in time.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls Jess Phillips said: "Behind every 999 call is someone's daughter, mother, sister or friend in fear. That's why getting the response right the first time, every time, is absolutely crucial. Embedding specialism and expertise into 999 control rooms will ensure that when victims make that brave call for help, they get the expert response they need."
Duties for specialists can include:
- Providing advice to officers responding to incidents on the ground
- Reviewing incoming domestic abuse cases and their risk assessments
- Listening in to live calls and providing feedback to call handlers on victim engagement
- Facilitating training sessions on domestic abuse for force control room staff
- Ensuring victims are referred to specialist support services
- Using expertise and understanding to manually check over the decisions made by 999 call handlers and identifying any missed opportunities to safeguard victims
- Supporting the use of innovative technology such as responding to victims via videocall
The pilot is the initial phase to gain insight and understanding of who the approach is working, with the aim of a national roll-out and new statutory guidance for Raneem’s Law “as soon as possible”.
In Northamptonshire, Crisis Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) have been embedded in the force control room since 2021, thanks to the Office of the Police Fire and Crime Commissioner applying for Ministry of Justice funding to recruit these posts. The IDVAs work in peak times – from Thursday to Sunday – but the government pilot now means they can work Wednesday evening too.
Detective Superintendent Joe Banfield said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as a pilot force for Raneem’s Law.
"We recognise the enormous benefit these specialist workers bring to policing and to survivors of domestic abuse, so are pleased that through the Raneem’s Law initiative we can extend this further.
“Crisis IDVAs work in our control room at peak times, dealing with occurrences as they come in and deploying with police officers to live incidents or to scheduled appointments. This has already proved to be hugely effective, and through the Raneem’s Law pilot we are able to increase the support being offered, safeguard more victims and hopefully prevent repeated abuse.
“Our officers have an expert resource on hand for advice, who can provide help and emotional support at the very earliest moment to survivors who are often traumatised and fearful.
“At the time of an incident, we know it’s sometimes difficult for victims to share their experience and open up about the abuse they have suffered. This can be due to heightened emotions, fear, embarrassment, or shame, or sometimes because they don’t recognise hey are in an abusive relationship. Having domestic abuse professionals working alongside us means we can better assess risks and help victims through that immediate crisis and beyond.”
Fiona Campbell, Chief Executive of Voice added: “We’re very pleased that the government has initiated this scheme. We can now add another day to the service we were providing through the Force control room. The scale of these crimes and their impact on survivors, victims and their loved ones really cannot be overestimated.
“Receiving help from a domestic abuse professional as swiftly as possible after an incident is so important. We’ve seen first-hand in Northamptonshire what a difference having a Crisis IDVA working in partnership with police can make.
“Being part of Raneem’s Law means we can extend our existing service further. We can help more victims, and we can assist the police with more real-time incidents. This means that victims/survivors can access support and safety advice and take steps towards rebuilding their lives.”
Anyone suffering from domestic abuse is urged to call their Northamptonshire Police on the non-emergency 101 or, in an emergency, always call 999.
If you are not yet ready to contact the police, call Voice on 0300 303 1965 or visit www.voicenorthants.org.