DASH Masterclass - Risk Assessment Training

Overview

Why is it important that you are trained to assess risk of harm around domestic abuse and stalking?

In order to create a safety plan for survivors of domestic abuse, so called ‘honour’ based abuse (HBA) and stalking you will need to conduct a Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-based Violence (DASH) risk assessment. 

In order to refer to a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) you will need to conduct a DASH risk assessment. 

To ensure the survivor is kept safe during this process, it is essential that you are trained in how to conduct this risk assessment using trauma informed practice.

Many domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) highlight the lack of a DASH Risk Assessment used, DASH used as a tick-box exercise instead of as a tool to document the story of the survivor and the narrative around risk. DHRs always have a common theme of not sharing risk amongst appropriate agencies ie via MARAC.

What you will learn

This training will provide you with the tools and confidence to complete the risk assessment safely with the survivors of abuse that come into your service. The training is for those working in public protection such as police, social workers, housing, domestic abuse practitioners, health workers, safeguarding leads, etc. It will enable you to:

1. Appropriately risk assess domestic abuse, stalking & HBA survivors using the 27 questions 
2. Identify the level of risk & create safety plans
3. Correctly identify when to refer to MARAC
4. Understand the nuances between different VAWG-related legislation and crimes
5. Use and keep foremost high risk factors
6. Risk assess in a trauma-informed way - 2 way dialogue
7. Identify when other people around a survivor are also at risk
8. Empower survivors
9. Make defensible decisions based on the evidence from cases including domestic homicides & near misses
10. Use the S-DASH and HBA risk tool that sit alongside the DASH RIC 2009.

There will be a morning break, lunch break and afternoon break and the session will be interactive and take account of the amount of learning that will take place and the need for self-care.