- Description
-
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS or Clare’s Law) will be introduced to Essex on Friday, 7 March 2014, to provide procedures for disclosing information which will enable a partner (the applicant) who is in an intimate relationship with a previously violent individual (the subject) to make informed choices about whether and how to take forward that relationship.
'Intimate relationship' means a relationship between two people which may reasonably be characterised as being physically and emotionally intimate.
A third party can also make an application if they have some form of contact with the person at risk. This could include a parent, neighbour or friend.
However, if a third party makes an application they will not necessarily receive a disclosure as a more appropriate person to receive a disclosure may be the person at risk or a person deemed by a risk assessment as the person best placed to safeguard the person at risk eg a parent.
The 'Right to Ask' process is where the applicant can make a direct application to the police for information about the subject. Members of the public can access the scheme by one of the following routes:
By phone - applicants wishing to use the telephone should be directed to call 101 where their call will be directed to the Domestic Abuse Intelligence Team (DAIT) based within the Force Control Room (FCR) for an application form and initial checks to be completed.
Attending a police station - applicants wishing to attend a police station in person should be directed to their local police station, which is staffed by Customer Contact Administrators (CCAs). A PPU13 Initial Application Form will be completed and emailed to the Domestic.Violence.Disclosure.Essex mailbox (listed in the Outlook Address Book).
Officer contact – officers taking a request for the DVDS should take the applicant's contact details - including their name, address and a safest contact telephone number or means of contact. These details can be emailed to the Domestic.Violence.Disclosure.Essex mailbox.
There is also a 'Right to Know' process which is triggered when the police receive indirect information or intelligence about the safety of a person and where, after appropriate checks are made, the force decides that a disclosure should be made to safeguard that person.
'Indirect information' is likely to be information received by the police from intelligence-gathering arising from the following activities:
- an investigation into a criminal act where, as part of that investigation, the police have reason to believe that a person may be at risk of harm from the perpetrator
- information on alleged violent offending by the perpetrator that is received from: partner agencies (statutory and/or third sector) as part of routine information-sharing at local safeguarding meetings; intelligence sources; or either the person at risk or the perpetrator coming into contact with the police as part of their routine operational duties
If the information highlights that someone may be at risk of harm from domestic violence then the following procedures must be completed:
The police officer or member of police staff should email their concerns to the Central Referral Unit (CRU-PP).
The CRU-PP will then complete the PPU13 Initial Application Form and conduct the initial checks within 24 hours.
If, at any time during the 'Right to Ask' or 'Right to Know' processes, it becomes clear that an offence is being reported or that the applicant highlights that urgent action needs to be taken to safeguard the victim, then immediate action should be taken in line with current policy and procedure.
The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme is not a replacement for the vetting procedures that the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) manages. Any enquiries seeking the history of, or risk posed by, a potential volunteer or employee will need to be
- Telephone
-
01245 491491
- LO provider type
-
Local Offer - General Provider
- Offering services to;
-
- carers
- older people
- adults
