Recommendation - College of Policing, September 2026

The IOPC recommends that the College of Policing review and, where appropriate, update the domestic abuse APP on risks and vulnerabilities and associated DARA learning materials to strengthen guidance for officers on communicating risk to victims in domestic abuse cases. This should make clear that officers should use professional judgment when discussing the outcome of the risk assessment with the victim. 

Officers should also clearly explain the nature and significance of identified risks and ensure communication is accurate, consistent and supports a victim's understanding and informed decision making about safety and safeguarding options. This should include examples of good practice for safeguarding medium-risk victims in the community, such as the structured neighbourhood policing follow-up approach identified by Dyfed-Powys.

This recommendation has arisen as a result of an independent investigation in which a victim was not informed that her situation involved high-risk elements of domestic abuse. Although national guidance, frameworks and training support risk communication and victim-centred safeguarding, the investigation found these were not consistently reflected in practice. 

In this case, risk was not clearly communicated to the victim which is believed to have impacted her understanding of high risk elements and her decision making. This recommendation is intended to address gaps in guidance and application. It ensures officers have clear direction to support decisions about sharing risk information with victims. It also requires officers to explain what that risk means for victim safety and available safeguarding options. 

In addition, it highlights examples of good practice for safeguarding medium-risk victims in the community, such as the structured neighbourhood policing follow-up approach identified by Dyfed-Powys. This may help reduce escalation or repeat harm. 

Failing to communicate high-risk factors clearly can leave victims unaware of the seriousness of their situation. It can reduce their ability to take protective action and hinder informed choices about safeguarding. Information about risk should therefore be communicated to victims in a timely, appropriate and consistent manner with sufficient clarity to enable them to understand the nature and significance of the risks identified.