Domestic abuse case training 181/2024

FOI Reference: 181/2024

Request:

1. Is your force currently delivering formal or informal training in handling domestic abuse cases? 

If yes, 

2. What does the current training consist of? Please provide details of the following. 
3. I would like to request all course material delivered in the training, such as papers, exercises and powerpoints. If any material is protected under copyright I would instead like the title, author or similar. 
4. Does your training go through scenarios with different genders as the perpetrators/victims? Or does the training have another element of gendered focus? 
5. How many hours or days will the training take? 
6. How regularly do you give this training? And how regularly are staff offered or provided with this training in their careers? 
7. Is it online or in person?
8. Is it individual or in groups, if the latter how big are the groups then? 
9. Is it mandatory? Is it assessed? And can you fail the training? If yes, will it have any consequences if a staff member fails? And how many have failed the last year?
10. Who delivers the training?
11. Is it external organisations, like SafeLives? If not, is the training done by internal staff and if that is the case, what are their qualifications? Please provide a list of organisations that have carried out training in the last 10 years.
12. Are members of staff actively offered the training, or will they apply for it themselves? 
13. If it is offered, then what members of staff is it offered to? 
14. How long have you been providing this, or similar, training? In the last 10 years, have there been any significant changes in how you provide this training, for who and by who? Please provide details of any changes. 
15. Do you track the completion and impact of the training? 
16. If yes, how? 
17. Please, can you tell me how many staff members have received and finished the training each year since 2015?
18. If your force is not offering training, do they signpost knowledge about domestic abuse in another capacity? (Online, from other organisations and so on.) 
19. If your force is not offering training, can you please explain what the reasoning behind this is? 

 

Response 1:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Yes

 

Response 2 & 3:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

All Detectives in Dyfed-Powys Police on the PIP 2 Investigators programme attend the PIP 2 Investigators course on which Domestic Abuse is covered.  

The session is for 3 hours; it is delivered in person to groups of 8-12 students; the session is not assessed. Prior to attending PIP 2 Training the Officers would have had relevant training in DA at PIP Level 1 including Divisional training which consists of inputs from external agencies.

Please find below the learning objectives from the PIP 2 Investigators Training course:

• Understand the definition of Domestic Abuse and importance of risk assessments.
• Gain a knowledge and understanding of the term ‘Evidence led prosecution’.
• Identify evidence gathering methods to assist with successful evidence led prosecutions.
• Identify options to safeguard and protect vulnerable victims and children.
• Knowledge of stalking legislation and how controlling and coercive behaviour is intrinsically linked to domestic violence incidents.

It is highlighted during the session that victims can be male or female.

 

Please find attached the following training material:

• Eight stages of Domestic Homicide
• DA_Matters_Champions (learning outcomes)
• DA_Matters_First_Responder (learning outcomes)
• Domestic Abuse 2022 - Redacted
• New Vulnerability Definition 2
• COP Checklist building Evidence led case

Please note that some material has been redacted as it is exempt under Section 31(1)(a)(b) – Law Enforcement, please see the bottom of this document for an explanation.

Please note the below listed documents are exempt under Section 31(1)(a)(b) – Law Enforcement in their entirety, the explanation at the bottom of this document outlines the exemption. 

• 7 Stage DVPN-DVPO Proposal V7
• Safeguarding – Safety Planning aide V1

 

Response 4:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Yes

 

Response 5:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

2 Weeks specific to DA on each Policing Education Qualification Framework (PEQF) course.

 

Response 6:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Officers participate in a one day, face to face DA Matters First Responder Training.  Officers and staff investigators are also mandated to view an informal 2-hour online package, which is a recording of a CPS event which discusses topics such DA, evidence led investigations and special measures.  

 

Response 7:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

In person.

 

Response 8:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Groups, averaging 40.

 

Response 9:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Yes, yes, yes - supportive development plan performance. 0 failures.

 

Response 10 & 11:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Qualified internal trainers – Experienced DA investigators.

 

Response 12:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Mandated.

 

Response 13:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

To all PEQF students.

 

Response 14:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

The content for PEQF has been delivered since 2019. The curriculum is updated in accordance with the College of Policing.

 

Response 15:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Not specifically.

 

Response 16:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

n/a

 

Response 17:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

	Dates	Number of staff trained
DA Matters (BCU Training Days)	23/04/19 – 16/07/19	887
DA Champions	04/09/19 – 06/09/19	41
DA Matters Train the Trainer	19/09/23 – 21//09/23	9
DA Matters First Responder	08/11/23 – 14/12/23	148
DA Matters First Responder	03/01/24 – 13/03/24	182

 

Response 18 & 19:

n/a

 

Explanation of the applied exemption for Question 3

Section 31(1)(a)(b) Law Enforcement exemption has been applied to part of the requested information thereby exempting its release.

Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1) (a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1) (b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.

Where exemptions are relied upon section 17 of FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which:

a) States that fact

b) Specifies the exemption(s) in question and

c) State (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies

Section 31(1)(a)(b) Law Enforcement:

(1)  Information which is not exempt information by virtue of section 30 is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to prejudice -

(a)  the prevention or detection of crime

(b)  the apprehension or prosecution of offenders

Section 31 is a prejudice based qualified exemption and as such there is a requirement to provide details of the harm as well as the public interest test.

Harm in Disclosure

The FOI Act is ‘applicant blind’. This means that we cannot, and do not, ask about the motives of anyone who asks for information. In providing a response to one person, we are expressing a willingness to provide the same response to anyone, including those who might represent a threat to the UK.

Where disclosure will likely jeopardise the primary functions of Dyfed-Powys Police, namely to prevent and detect crime as well as apprehend and prosecute offenders, information needs to be protected.

To release training materials has the potential to be harmful as it would provide an insight how the Force responds to reports of non-fatal strangulation and non-fatal suffocation incidents. Disclosure risks building a wider picture, by providing specifics of training provided to officer, could provide positive intelligence to the criminal fraternity.

The disclosure of information which is likely to undermine the Police service’s ability to serve the public by providing the primary functions stated, can only be considered as being harmful to the public.

Public Interest Test

Considerations favouring disclosure:

Disclosure would allow for greater public awareness and openness over Dyfed-Powys Police training resources. As a result, the public would become more informed on how and where public funds are being spent in this area of policing and gain a greater knowledge of the resources available to prevent and detect crime. In itself that can lead to a reduction of crime and give the public more confidence in reporting incidents of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour.

Considerations favouring non-disclosure:

Disclosing the requested information would have a detrimental impact upon operational policing. Disclosing training materials would provide those individuals or groups within the criminal fraternity a significant operational advantage as the information could be used with a view to disrupt training or develop tactics that could avoid attention from themselves. This would clearly jeopardise the ability of Dyfed-Powys Police to respond appropriately to criminal activity and thereby protect the public.

The requested information could be used to compromise law enforcement capabilities by decreasing the ability of the police to fight crime, which would increase the commission of crime and subsequently have a detrimental impact on public safety as well as decrease public confidence in the police force.

Balancing Test

After weighing up the competing interests I have determined that the disclosure of the requested information would not be in the public interest. I consider that the benefit that would result from the information being disclosed does not outweigh the considerations favouring non-disclosure. 

I find that the strongest reasons favouring disclosure are to provide greater public awareness and openness in how public funding is being spent, and whether Dyfed-Powys Police is suitably resourced to deal with spending on training.

Clearly the release of any information that is likely to assist the criminal network and impact on our operational and tactical capabilities cannot be in the public interest and whilst wishing to embrace the ethos of information disclosure, this cannot take precedence over public safety.

Please note that some of the contents of the course is owned by the College of Policing. The College of Policing legal team have advised us to provide you with the course objectives documents: DA_Matters_Champions_PowerPoint_v1.1 & DA_Matters_First_Responder_Powerpoint_v3.1, and that if you require further information please contact their FOI team by emailing [email protected] or writing to: FOI team, College of Policing, Leamington Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3EN.                                         

                                                           

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 07/08/2024)