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Learning across statutory reviews

This VISION policy briefing summarises themes arising from the symposium, Learning across statutory review practices: origins, ambitions and future directions, held as part of the 2024 VISION Annual Conference on 11 June.

The symposium was led by Dr Elizabeth Cook, City, UoL, and Dr James Rowlands, University of Westminster.

The following panellists introduced several of the statutory reviews and shared their thoughts on lessons learnt and the future:

  • Dr Bethan Davies, Cardiff University: Wales Single Unified Safeguarding Review (SUSR)
  • Professor Emeritus Jonathan Dickens, University of East Anglia: Child safeguarding
  • Frank Mullane, Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA): Ambitions for learning and change across systems
  • Professor Emeritus Michael Preston-Shoot, University of Bedfordshire: Adult safeguarding
  • Sumanta Roy, Imkaan: Domestic Homicide Reviews

After the series of presentations, as part of breakout roundtable discussions, conference attendees were invited to explore how different statutory reviews are conducted and practised, their ambitions, and challenges for the future.

This briefing is for practitioners and managers who participate in or lead statutory reviews. The briefing will also be of interest to policy makers and senior leaders from local and national government who commission or oversee statutory review processes.

The policy is available in the public domain, Learning across statutory review practices: Origins, ambitions, and future directions (figshare.com), and below as a download.

For further information, please contact Lizzie at elizabeth.cook@city.ac.uk.

VISION Learning across statutory reviews – FinalDownload

Reflections on producing evidence syntheses on violence and abuse

The VISION systematic review team, Dr Natalia Lewis, Dr Elizabeth Cook, Dr Jessica Corsi, Dr Sophie Carlisle and Dr Annie Bunce, presented at the London Evidence Syntheses and Research Use Seminars on 17 July 2024. The event was an initiative jointly hosted by the EPPI Centre (at UCL) and the Centre for Evaluation at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

The team presented under the collective theme Producing evidence syntheses on violence and abuse: reflections on the disciplinary variations and practicalities, with the aim of prompting conversation about how systematic review methodologies can be adapted across disciplines. Dr Natalia Lewis (Systematic Review Lead, University of Bristol) introduced the session, describing the emergence of systematic reviews at the top of the ‘hierarchy of evidence’ that is often referenced in evidence-based medicine. Accompanying systematic reviews are a range of reporting standards, tools and guidance stipulating recommended practices for conducting reviews. However, as the team discussed in their presentations, such standardised frameworks and approaches do not provide space for reflection on the process and implications of adapting these methodologies to evidence on violence and abuse.

The seminar included the following presentations:

  • Dr Elizabeth Cook (City, University of London): Evidence syntheses in a global context: A systematic review of sex/gender disaggregated homicide.
  • Dr Jessica Corsi (City, University of London): Evidence synthesis on legal records: challenges and adaptations.
  • Dr Sophie Carlisle (Health Innovation East Midlands): Evidence synthesis in the context of UK domestic and sexual violence services: Involving professional stakeholders.

The presentations are available to view and download below.

Dr Natalia Lewis, Producing evidence syntheses on violence and abuse: reflections on the disciplinary variations and practicalities

Lewis – IntroductionDownload

Dr Sophie Carlisle, Evidence synthesis in the context of UK domestic and sexual violence services: involving professional stakeholders

Carlisle – Involving stakeholdersDownload

Dr Elizabeth Cook, Evidence synthesis in a global context: A systematic review of sex/gender disaggregated homicide

Cook – Homicide in a global contextDownload

Dr Jessica Corsi, Evidence synthesis on legal records: Challenges and adaptations

Corsi – Evidence synthesis on legal recordsDownload

The seminar was held in hybrid format. The talks were recorded and are available through the following link: https://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Coursesseminars/Previousseminarsandevents/tabid/3317/Default.aspx

VISION Knowledge Exchange Manager wins City Staff Excellence Award

VISION is pleased to announce that Kimberly Cullen, Knowledge Exchange Manager of the research consortium and the Violence & Society Centre (VASC), won the 2024 City Excellence Award for Outstanding collaboration with business, practice and the professions (Professional Services).

Kim was nominated by her VASC and VISION colleagues for the pivotal role she has played in developing, sustaining and enhancing collaborative relationships between policymakers and practitioners to optimise the impact of research into reducing violence. Her stakeholder engagement and communications skills have been instrumental in forging strong links with the VISION Advisory Board and other important connections and networks.

Many congratulations to Kim!

Gene Feder elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences’ Fellowship

Professor Gene Feder OBE, Professor of Primary Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, and the VISION Director, was recently elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences’ esteemed Fellowship in part in recognition of his ground-breaking national and international research on domestic violence and abuse.

Gene joins a respected Fellowship of approximately 1,400 researchers working alongside the Academy to influence research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.

The Academy is the independent, expert body representing the diversity of medical science in the UK. Its mission is to advance biomedical and health research and its translation into benefits for society. The Academy’s elected Fellows are the most influential scientists in the UK and worldwide, drawn from the NHS, academia, industry and the public service.

The VISION consortium congratulates Gene on this prestigious accolade.

For further information, please see: 2024: Professor Gene Feder elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship | Centre for Academic Primary Care | University of Bristol

New infographic illustrating lived experience as essential knowledge

In February 2024, the Violence, Abuse, and Mental Health Network (VAMHN) Lived Experience Advisory Group members and several UKPRP VISION Consortium researchers explored together the role of lived experience as a form of knowledge and evidence. They addressed lived experience’s placement within the “evidence hierarchy” and the impact of language on engagement.

Key points included the significant influence of labels and power dynamics in determining which experiences are deemed valuable, the potential negative connotations of the term “lived experience,” and the necessity for lived experience to be integrated into research processes rather than being an afterthought.

Discussions underscored the evolving nature of lived experience, the challenges in showcasing expertise, the importance of ethical considerations, and the need for ongoing support and safe spaces for meaningful engagement. The workshop emphasised that lived experience should be a foundational element in research, akin to an integral ingredient, not merely an optional addition.

The discussions were summarised as a colourful and exciting infographic, illustrated by Jenny Leonard (www.jennyleonardart.com).

Illustration licensed by VAMHN and Jenny Leonard Art

Calling all crime analysts: Share your experiences of using text data in analysis

Are you a crime analyst or researcher? If so VISION would really like to hear about your experiences of using text data in your analysis.

We developed a short survey that will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Qualtrics Survey | Crime Analyst Survey

This survey is designed to explore your experiences working with free-text data. Your feedback will enable us to evaluate the need for software designed to assist analysts working with large amounts of free text data.

Participation is voluntary and all responses will be anonymous. Information will be confidential and will not be shared with any other parties, and will be deleted once it is no longer needed.

The deadline to provide feedback using the link above is 30 June 2024.

Illustration from licensed Adobe Stock library

Small projects funded by the VISION consortium

We are pleased to announce the five successful proposals for the VISION Small Projects Fund.

Over 70 proposals were submitted to our call for projects that contribute to VISION  objectives. This incredible number highlighted not only the strong interest there is in violence-related research, but also the urgent need for increased funding for this type of work.

It was a difficult selection process, and we were sorry that we could not fund more.

The successful projects were selected by a panel that included experts by experience, and representation from specialist services and a range of academic institutions from around the country. The final portfolio was selected to ensure some diversity of sectors, disciplines, methodologies, and regions.

Each project will enhance the VISION research and inform our work. We are excited to work with each of the Principal Investigators (PIs) and their partners.

  •  Changing Relations Community Interest Company (C.I.C), Weaving stories of peer sexual abuse, PI: Lisa C Davis
  •  Surviving Economic Abuse, A rapid impact survey to monitor the nature and prevalence of economic abuse in the UK, PI: Rosa Wilson-Garwood
  • Anglia Ruskin University, ‘Nothing about us without us’: Investigating the impact of the leadership of ethnic minority women on domestic abuse service provision in East England, PI: Mirna Guha
  • University of West London, Enhancing the wellbeing of victims of Hate Crimes who occupy multiple minority identities, PI: Maya Flax
  • University of South Wales, Stalking and Young People in Wales: Exploring and increasing knowledge, awareness and understanding, PI: Sarah Wallace

For further information on the individual projects, please see the VISION Small Projects Fund webpage: Funded Small Projects – City Vision

Final reports from each of the projects will be published on the VISION website when available. We will also organise project presentations via the VISION and VASC Webinar Series and advertise the events on the VISION Publications, Events & News webpage.

Illustration from licensed Adobe Stock library

Consultation: Is there a need for a VAWG data dashboard?

In 2022, the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) developed a prototype violence against women and girls (VAWG) dashboard. The tool presents statistics and charts on violence against women and girls in England and Wales, drawing on multiple sources. However, due to re-prioritisation at ONS, maintenance of the dashboard was halted and from 1st April 2024 it will no longer be accessible.

The VISION consortium is consulting on whether there is need for a VAWG data dashboard. This consultation is seeking views on:

  •  Whether the dashboard was useful
  •  Who used it and why
  •  If the dashboard was to continue, what aspects should be kept, dropped or added.

The consultation link is here: Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management

Anyone interested in the idea of a VAWG data dashboard is welcome to respond to the survey, particularly if interested in using one in the future.

Answer as many questions as you like. You can provide contact details or complete this anonymously. The findings will be used to draft a report and provide recommendations on whether the dashboard should continue. The report will include a list of the groups and organisations that participated (where details are provided). Individuals will not be named, although quotes may be taken from the text provided. The report may be published, for example on the VISION website.

The ONS VAWG dashboard was available online until 31 March 2024. Therefore, if you would like to participate in this consultation, please view the sample screenshots of the tool below.

This consultation closes Monday 22 April.

For further information, please contact us at VISION_Management_Team@city.ac.uk

Sample-screenshots-of-ONS-VAWG-dashboardDownload

VISION responds to Parliamentary, government & non-government consultations

Consultation, evidence and inquiry submissions are an important part of our work at VISION. Responding to Parliamentary, government and non-government organisation consultations ensures that a wide range of opinions and voices are factored into the policy decision making process. As our interdisciplinary research addresses violence and how it cuts across health, crime and justice and the life course, we think it is important to take the time to answer any relevant call and to share our insight and findings to support improved policy and practice. We respond as VISION, the Violence & Society Centre, and sometimes in collaboration with others. Below are the links to our published responses and evidence from June 2022.

  1. UK Parliament – Women and Equalities Committee – Inquiry: The rights of older people. Our submission was published in November 2023
  2. UK Parliament  – Women and Equalities Committee – Inquiry: The impact of the rising cost of living on women. Our submission was published in November 2023
  3. UK Parliament – Women and Equalities Committee – Inquiry: The escalation of violence against women and girls. Our submission published in September 2023
  4. Home Office – Legislation consultation: Machetes and other bladed articles: proposed legislation (submitted response 06/06/2023). Government response to consultation and summary of public responses was published in August 2023
  5. Welsh Government – Consultation: National action plan to prevent the abuse of older people. Summary of the responses published in April 2023
  6. Race Disparity Unit (RDU) – Consultation: Standards for Ethnicity Data (submitted response 30/08/2022). Following the consultation, a revised version of the data standards was published in April 2023
  7. UK Parliament – The Home Affairs Committee – Call for evidence: Human Trafficking. Our submission was published in March 2023
  8. UN expert – Call for evidence: Violence, abuse and neglect in older people. Our submission was published in February 2023
  9. UK Parliament – The Justice and Home Affairs Committee – Inquiry: Family migration. Our submission was published in September 2022 and a report was published following the inquiry in February 2023
  10. Home Office – Consultation: Controlling or Coercive behaviour Statutory Guidance. Our submission was published in June 2022

For further information, please contact us at VISION_Management_Team@city.ac.uk

Photo by JaRiRiyawat from Adobe Stock downloads (licensed)