Risk Assessment in Domestic Abuse
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/25/003367/H
Version Date: 08/07/2025
The Vulnerability Department have provided the following information.
I am writing to request the following under the Freedom of Information Act:
1. Is it a standard provision or requirement in contracts with third-party providers of relevant services (e.g. domestic abuse services, victim support), for them to use the DASH risk assessment checklist as part of their service?
2. Is it a standard provision or requirement in contracts with third-party providers of relevant services, for them to use the DARA risk assessment checklist?
3. Please provide any other information that may provide helpful context
Please be advised that the Force does not hold any recorded information to answer questions 1 – 3. This information will be held by the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner and you can submit a Freedom of Information request by clicking the following link: https://www.dorset.pcc.police.uk/information-hub/freedom-of-information/
- Is it standard practice for your frontline staff to use the DASH checklist
5. Is it standard practice for your frontline staff to use the DARA checklist
If the answer to any of the above is more complicated than a “yes/no”, please provide a short explanation.
The force has used the DASH risk assessment as a standard risk assessment tool for many years for all those dealing with domestic abuse.
The force is currently in the process of moving from the DASH risk assessment to DARA. DARA has yet to go live in PRONTO but will be doing so in the near future. This means we currently have a hybrid of risk assessments as we migrate to DARA. DARA will be the standard risk assessment going forward.