Thames Valley Police

Role of the Police

To attend all domestic related calls.
Positive intervention at the scene, enabling offenders to be held accountable for their actions.
To protect the lives of both adults and children who are at risk of domestic violence.
Risk assessment: to assess the iminent risk of harm to a victim and manage this risk accordingly.
If no offence has taken place, police may still remove the offender as a precaution to prevent further Breach of the Peace.
Police have powers under the Children's Act to remove children to a place of safety if they are considered to be at risk during an incident of domestic abuse.
To investigate all violent incidents.
To have a proactive multi agency approach.

Role of the Domestic Abuse Unit

The Domestic Abuse Unit is based at Maidenhead Police Station and covers Maidenhead, Windsor and Ascot with the following remit:

To effectively investigate all reports of domestic abuse
To risk assess every domestic abuse incident
To case manage 'High Risk' victims to protect the lives of both adults and children who are at risk as a result of domestic abuse
When deemed necessary to put safety mechanisms in place for victims' protection
To offer advice and help to victims experiencing domestic abuse, signposting them to relevant support agencies
To take a pro-active approach to preventing and reducing domestic abuse throughout Berkshire East
To facilitate effective action against offenders in order that they can be held accountable through the Criminal Justice System
To notify the Referral and Assessment Team and the Designated Nurse for Child Protection if there are children in the family who are present/or not, when a domestic incident is reported to the Police *
To attend Case Conferences with other agencies regarding children and victims
To work closely with external agencies such as Women's Aid
To refer cases to the MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) and IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) service in order to reduce and manage the risk of serious injury or death to victims and their children.

* A decision on whether or not to undertake an assessment into the children's needs will depend on a number of factors: the seriousness of the incident reported to the Police, the ages of any children living in the household (present or not), the frequency of any repeat incidents, whether or not a child is being hurt or directly witnessing the domestic incident, any protective action the victim takes to protect themselves and their children from future incidents.

A real worry for many parents is that their children will be taken away from them but the simple and reassuring answer is that it is highly unlikely. Social Workers always try and keep families together if possible, even where a child is believed to be at some risk.

If an assessment is carried out by Social Services and further support is required, Social Services have a wide range of options. This can involve referring children on to other services to help them overcome difficulties with anger management, self esteem, or putting them in contact with counselling services and self help groups. Sometimes Social Services can help adults by pointing them in the direction of community resources that will assist them, especially if they are isolated and vulnerable. We also work with families to help them manage conflict more effectively. Each situation is assessed individually and therefore each package of support is also an individual thing.

Contact Us: Domestic Abuse Unit,
Maidenhead Police Station,
Bridge Road,
Berkshire,
SL6 8LP
Tel: (01628) 645680 or (01628) 645685