DVACT-PAI Achieves Key Milestone in PSA Accreditation for Register of Experts
- Claire Verney
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
For many years DVACT-PAI assessors have set the benchmark for standards in domestic abuse risk assessment. Today the PSA published their report into the DVACT-PAI Experts Register as a step towards accreditation for the only register of domestic abuse experts in the UK.
DVACT-PAI is pleased to announce that its Register of Expert Domestic Abuse Risk Assessors has successfully met Standard One of the Accredited Registers programme, administered by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) for Health and Social Care.
This achievement marks a pivotal step in our commitment to public safety and professional excellence. By meeting Standard One, we have demonstrated to the PSA that our register holds a clear public interest, operates in the public interest, and manages risks effectively to ensure the safety of service users.
In particular, the complexity of domestic abuse risk assessment and the implications of the lack of regulation for public protection was recognised by the PSA stating that:
The inescapable conclusion from this analysis is that domestic abuse risk assessment is such a complex process that it needs to be undertaken by specialists who operate under oversight.
The evidence suggests that expert domestic abuse risk assessment improves outcomes for families and children affected by domestic abuse with the PSA reporting:
The Team concluded from its analysis of the evidence that key to enhancing the protection of children affected by domestic abuse is an efficient and focused assessment that identifies the source of danger. Of particular significance is evidence of the need for expert assessment in cases where coercive control is detected.
Additionally, the regulation of domestic abuse risk assessment could raise the level of expertise that contributes to key child protection decisions and therefore benefiting not only families and children but also professionals and public finances.
Alan Clamp, Chief Executive of the Professional Standards Authority said:
Domestic abuse risk assessment is complex and sensitive work which can have a significant impact on the safety and wellbeing of adults and children. We are pleased that DVACT-PAI has met Standard One, which is an important first step in the accreditation process. This decision recognises the essential contribution of expert domestic abuse risk assessors in the UK and the importance of strong professional standards to underpin their work. We look forward to working closely with DVACT-PAI as they prepare their full application.
Following publication of the full report, Co-Founder and Clinical Manager of DVACT-PAI Tracey Boylan said:
Meeting this standard is a testament to our ongoing commitment to robust, high-quality risk assessment. We are dedicated to ensuring that our registrants meet high professional standards, and this milestone reinforces our commitment to transparency, safety, and excellence in domestic abuse risk assessment
This is a significant step toward full accreditation, and we are now working closely with the PSA on the next stages of the assessment process.
We thank our registrants and stakeholders for their continued support in helping us reach this milestone.
The full report can be accessed here:
You can find out more about our register and our role in the regulation of expert domestic abuse risk assessors by visiting our post Answering the Call for the Regulation of Expert Domestic Abuse Assessors
You can access the register through our website at https://www.dvact.org/expertsregister
If you are a professional who is interested in joining our register of experts or an organisation that wants to know more about the regulation of domestic abuse risk assessment please contact our registration team at expertsregister@dvact.org
About us
DVACT-PAI are a team of domestic abuse experts, available throughout the UK, who provide assessments, programmes, consultancy and training to local authorities and the family courts. Our experts have decades of experience working directly with domestic abuse perpetrators and victims, as specialist assessors and as expert witnesses in the family courts.
DVACT-PAI was formed with the aim of using our expertise to help safeguard children from abuse, this is at the heart of everything that we do. To read more about us please visit our post - Who are DV-ACT?
