Specialist Domestic Violence Court

The West London Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC) was developed by the Magistrates’ Court, working in partnership with Standing Together. It grew out of years of multi-agency working to improve the criminal justice response to the crime of domestic violence in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.  The establishment of good working relationships, consistent practice embedded in protocols and monitoring, and ensuring advocacy for victims of domestic violence from the point of the police call-out onwards, makes the SDVC a model of best practice.

“I am very pleased to have received such understanding and support whilst going through this process.  I feel that this has benefited myself and others whom have suffered domestic violence – if the occasion arose again I would not hesitate to press charges” 

Survivor of Domestic Violence

Launched in 2002, the SDVC was the first in London and second in the UK. The Court sits once a week and serves the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea. The key agencies involved in the SDVC are the Court, Police, CPS, IDVAs, Witness Service and the Probation Service. The involvement of these agencies is reflected in the personnel who are present in the court on each SDVC day, and in their representation on the SDVC Management Group. Each agency plays a unique role in the SDVC and where possible dedicated personnel ensure consistent and expert practice in the Court. All practice is founded upon specialist training in domestic violence awareness and familiarity with the locally agreed procedures and protocol.

Standing Together has been instrumental in the development of the SDVC and continues to provide operational coordination of the Specialist Court. Some of the tasks involved are:

• Coordination of the partnership, taking a proactive role on all issues, identifying problems and proposing solutions in a collaborative way

• Convening the multi-agency SDVC Management Group to address operational issues as they arise

• Developing and providing practical services and resources to partner agencies to support their roles in and around the court, such as training, data collection and analysis, identifying practice issues and servicing the partnership

• Taking the lead role in the negotiation and implementation of protocols

• Ensuring the focus on victim/witness safety is maintained throughout the entire SDVC process

• Sharing best practice ideas and experience locally and nationally.

Standing Together also monitors the performance of the SDVC against agreed aims, and can demonstrate that the SDVC partnership has:
• Increased the number of cases prosecuted in the SDVC

• Increased the conviction rate and reduced cases withdrawn or dismissed

• Encouraged the sentencing of men found guilty of domestic violence offences to an IDAP (Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme) which aims to change and challenge the behaviour of abusive men

• Increased orders to IDAPs.

"The experience was much better than expected. I was very nervous but seeing the court beforehand helped me. Using the witness room helped. I wished that I had gone to court years ago" 

Survivor of domestic violence

The continuous review of the SDVC processes and performance culminates in a multi-agency annual review where the work programme for the coming year is developed according to agreed priorities; read the SDVC Annual Review Reports (2003-2010).

The success of the SDVC at West London is due to the context of the coordinated response within which it is located and supported. It forms part of a combined approach to tackling domestic violence by the CJS and specialist support agencies. This situates the SDVC as part of a community-wide response to domestic violence.

Standing Together is committed to sharing experience and best practice in their promotion of the Coordinated Community Response to domestic violence. We have produced many resources to assist partnerships to develop an SDVC, and are represented on the Government’s National SDVC Steering Group which developed the core components necessary to implement and accredit an SDVC.

For more information about the SDVC and the Criminal Justice focused work of Standing Together, please contact Tanya Allen.

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Last Modified: 1st July 2011