Failing the Most Vulnerable: Is the UK's Domestic Abuse Screening Tool Putting Lives at Risk?

Domestic abuse victims may not be receiving the urgent support they need due to a flawed screening tool, the Dash questionnaire, which has been in use since 2009. Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips recently stated that the assessment tool “doesn’t work” and highlighted the necessity of a system review to better support these victims. The Dash assessment, consisting of 27 questions aimed at classifying the risk level of victims, has raised concerns from academics and practitioners alike regarding its effectiveness.

Last year, there were 108 domestic homicides recorded in England and Wales, a statistic igniting outrage from families of victims who believe they were misclassified as lower risk. Phillips acknowledged the ”obvious problems” with the Dash questionnaire, stating, “Until I can replace it with something that does [work], we have to make the very best of the system that we have.” However, experts argue that the system is currently inadequate.

Deriving conclusions from several studies dating back almost a decade, there is a growing consensus that Dash fails to accurately identify high-risk victims. A study by the London School of Economics found that in 90% of repeated violent cases, victims were previously assessed as standard or medium risk, reinforcing the tool’s shortcomings. Alternatives like the newly developed Dara questionnaire are being implemented, yet many police forces are still relying on Dash.

Charities in the field have echoed these concerns. Djanomi Robinson, of Sistah Space, pointed out that cultural nuances are often missed by the Dash tool, resulting in an inadequate risk assessment of women from diverse backgrounds. Moving forward, the Home Office is examining how all agencies manage domestic abuse cases, with a new strategy expected to be introduced soon. Phillips’ commentary emphasizes a need for not only better tools but also enhanced training for practitioners, as the effectiveness of any risk assessment remains dependent on the expertise of the person using it.