Older adults and criminal justice outcomes
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
Release Date: 04/15/2026
Recognising domestic abuse in young people
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
When we talk about domestic abuse, how often do we picture an adult relationship? And how often do we stop to consider that the person experiencing coercion, control, sexual violence or physical violence might be 15, 16 or 17 years old? In this episode, I explore domestic abuse within teenage relationships. In this episode I discuss: The prevalence of violent and controlling behaviour within teenage relationships Whether our assumptions about what domestic abuse "looks like" influence what we recognise How narratives and language about teenage relationships can create barriers to...
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Deprivation of Liberty Part 2
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
The legal landscape around deprivation of liberty has changed. In this episode, I continue the conversation about the recent UK Supreme Court judgment following the reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland. The decision marks a significant shift in how practitioners should determine whether someone is deprived of their liberty, moving away from the familiar Cheshire West “acid test” towards a broader, more holistic assessment of each individual’s circumstances. In this episode I explore: Why the Supreme Court judgment represents a significant change in deprivation of...
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Deprivation of Liberty Part 1
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
The legal framework around deprivation of liberty has changed following the Supreme Court’s AGNI judgment. But what does that actually mean for safeguarding professionals and independent reviewers? In this episode, I explore the Department of Health and Social Care’s interim guidance, why this judgment matters beyond its legal implications, and why good safeguarding has always been about far more than simply meeting legal requirements. In this episode I discuss: What the AGNI judgment changes. Why safeguarding is about more than legal compliance. The questions that...
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Breaking Cycles Through Storytelling with Louisa Herridge
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
In this episode I am joined by writing coach and publisher Louisa Herridge to explore why storytelling matters and how it link to creating meaningful change. Together we discuss the power of lived experience, finding your voice, and why the stories we choose to tell can influence individuals, organisations and even future generations. In this episode we discuss: Why everyone has a story worth telling The difference between writing from pain versus writing from perspective. Why your story isn’t really about you How storytelling creates social change The legacy we leave for the...
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Why Family Voices Matter in Reviews
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
What is it like for a family member or someone close to a victim to take part in a safeguarding review? In this episode I speak with Sue, who participated in the Safeguarding Adults Review following her best friend’s death. Together we explore what it feels like to contribute after a traumatic bereavement, why family and those closest to the person matter so much, and how meaningful participation can support both the review and those involved. In this episode we discuss: Why she said yes to participating in the review and impact it had The value of lived experience. How...
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Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews which analyse domestic abuse part 2
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
In this episode, I continue my series exploring what Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews teach us about domestic abuse and the impact on children. This time, I’m discussing the research report Rethinking Domestic Abuse in Child Protection: Responding Differently and some of the important questions it raises about how we respond to families experiencing domestic abuse. In this episode I discuss: Why the research argues that child protection responses often focus too heavily on the non-abusing parent, while those causing harm receive comparatively little meaningful engagement. How taking a...
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Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews which analyse domestic abuse
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
In this episode I am exploring the latest NSPCC Learning from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews publication 'Domestic abuse: learning from case reviews' and the powerful messages it contains for everyone working with children and families. Domestic abuse is often viewed through the lens of adult relationships, but Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews continue to remind us that children are victims in their own right. In this episode I explore: Why domestic abuse rarely exists in isolation how this increase risk for children. How coercive and controlling behaviour can remain hidden,...
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Learning from Preston Davey’s death
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
In this week's episode I am reflecting on the tragic death of 13-month-old Preston Davey and asking the difficult question that follows so many safeguarding tragedies: how can warning signs exist, yet a child still isn't protected? Rather than focusing on blame, this episode explores what statutory reviews repeatedly tell us about how systems fail, why information doesn't always become understanding, and what we can all learn as about the system. In this episode I discuss: Why safeguarding failures are rarely the result of one individual mistake, but an accumulation of small decisions and...
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Domestic Abuse and Childhood Harm: Are we listening to children?
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
In this episode I explore why children affected by domestic abuse must be recognised as victims in their own right, rather than simply witnesses to the abuse experienced by adults. In this episode you will hear: • Why children do not need to be physically harmed to experience significant harm from domestic abuse • How living with fear, coercion, control and unpredictability can affect a child's development, wellbeing and future relationships • The challenges created by a lack of data about children's experiences and outcomes following domestic abuse interventions • How Pathfinder...
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Cuckooing as a standalone offence
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
In this episode I explore the new standalone offence of cuckooing, introduced under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, and why this legislation represents an important shift in recognising exploitation hidden behind closed doors. In this episode you will hear: • What cuckooing is and how criminals take control of vulnerable people’s homes for illegal activity • Why the new offence is significant and how it shifts the focus onto the exploitation experienced by victims • The three key elements prosecutors must prove • Why apparent cooperation or resistance to support does not...
info_outlineDo older adults experience the criminal justice system differently? Research and reviews suggest the answer is yes — and the reasons are rarely visible on the surface. Policy, guidance, and legislation all point toward equality, protection, and access to justice. But practice tells a more complex story.
In this week's episode we discuss:
- Why criminal prosecutions involving older victims remain comparatively low, and what that tells us about how the system responds.
- How abuse in later life is frequently reframed as a safeguarding issue rather than recognised as a crime.
- The tendency to view older people primarily as vulnerable and how this quietly shapes decision-making in ways that are rarely explicit.
- The critical questions that reviews must ask to ensure age does not become a silent barrier to justice.
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