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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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_outline
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Annual Report 2024–25: Familiar Themes, Increasing Complexity
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
In this episode I explore the key findings from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Annual Report 2024–25 and what the latest national learning tells us about the risks facing children across England. Whilst many of the themes will feel familiar, the report highlights the increasing complexity of children’s lives and the importance of understanding cumulative harm, family adversity and children’s lived experiences. In this episode you will hear: • The vulnerability of babies under one year of age demosntrated within safeguarding reviews • How neglect, domestic abuse,...
info_outline
When equality does not mean treating everybody the same
The Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Sector Podcast
In this episode I explore why specialist “by and for” domestic abuse services are not optional extras, but essential lifelines for many survivors. We discuss how culture, disability, race, immigration status and systemic inequality can shape both experiences of abuse and access to safety. In this epsiode you will hear: Why a “one size fits all” approach to domestic abuse services does not work for all survivors What “by and for” services are and why culturally specific expertise matters The barriers many Black, minoritised, migrant and disabled survivors face when engaging with...
info_outlineIn this episode I explore the transition from Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) to the proposed Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs), and what this shift means for those working in safeguarding, domestic abuse and independent review work.
This conversation explores:
- Why the proposed move from DHRs to DARDRs represents a significant shift in how domestic abuse deaths are understood and reviewed
- The widening scope of reviews to include coercive control, economic abuse and deaths by suicide linked to domestic abuse
- Why the sector is still in a period of transition two years after the Home Office consultation closed, with no revised statutory guidance or implementation timeline published
- The growing conversation around accountability
- What this means for practice
You can download my free workshop 'How to Establish an Independent Review Practice which Aligns with the Next Steps in Your Career' to find out how you can begin your journey to Independent Review work. Download the workshop here.