Answering the Call for the Regulation of Expert Domestic Abuse Assessors
- Claire Verney
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
For many years DVACT-PAI have strived to set the highest standards for our expert domestic abuse risk assessments and have now published those standards which commissioners and service users should expect from child-focused expert assessments.
The need for regulation in domestic abuse expert assessments
The purpose of domestic abuse risk assessments is to establish and quantify the risks to the children of exposure to domestic abuse and conflict. The definition of expert as used by the family courts can lead to significant discrepancies in what is meant by expertise, resulting in difficulties for commissioners. Additionally, there is no official regulatory body for domestic abuse experts and recent questions regarding the use of experts that have caused harm to families (such as using parental alienation to remove children from protective parents) means that DVACT-PAI have sought to restore confidence in expert assessments by publishing a register of experts and relevant standards alongside an ethical framework that experts should adhere to.
The lack of any current regulation was noted in a recent report by the Professional Standards Authority concerning DVACT-PAI's register of experts 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 (PSA, 2026)
The importance of specific expertise in domestic abuse
Formal recognised qualifications and membership of professional bodies form the criteria by which many courts decide who to appoint to assist them in the role of expert.
However, many qualifications which are thought to be relevant do not ensure that a professional has the requisite expertise to address child protection issues relating to domestic abuse. Legal practitioners will often suggest a psychological or psychiatric assessment when confronted by concerns relating to domestic abuse despite domestic abuse being a specialised area with reliable risk assessment requiring specialist knowledge not covered by medical and psychology training.
The British Psychological Society (BPS) released guidelines in September 2023 in which the qualifications and specialisms required to adopt a protected professional labels as an expert witness in family court were set out. There is no reference within any of these criteria to domestic abuse or risk assessment. In practice, this means that expert evidence is often produced by appropriately registered and regulated psychologists but still fails to address some of the most basic questions in family court enquiries where domestic violence is a key factor. It can also lead professionals towards a mental health/pathology led approach when there may well be a more appropriate formulation based on the family’s history of domestic abuse.
Whist training in other forensic settings may provide a similar skill-set to domestic abuse risk assessors, it cannot be automatically assumed that mental health professionals (even those with experience in other areas of child protection work) have this expertise. This is acknowledged within the psychiatric literature:
the key lessons of research on violence risk assessment have not been systematically incorporated into the daily practice of most mental health professionals. Risk assessment technologies are generally used in a highly variable way, if at all.” (Carrol, 2007)
An example of an area where psychological assessment may fail to manage the risk relates to domestic abuse dynamics. Perpetrators of domestic abuse often deny or minimise the abuse, or blame others for their behaviour. Abusers may do well in psychological testing, often better than their victims, be adept at convincing others that they have ‘learned their lesson’ or ‘put their past behind them’ and may present as mild mannered and appear reasonable despite severe risk, (or conversely be noisy and intimidating with professionals despite presenting only moderate risk). In contrast, victims may appear angry with services, emotionally dysregulated and difficult to work with. Therefore, relying on clinical presentation or psychometric testing may fail to adequately present the risks to the court.
The benefits of specific expertise in domestic abuse
When coupled with a sound assessment methodology, experience of direct work with domestic violence perpetrators and victims in both assessment and treatment settings provides:
a capacity to assess the significance and impact of individual incidents of abuse alongside the context of the pattern of abuse across the whole relationship,
skills in clarifying accounts of violence and abuse in the face of the high levels of denial and externalisation of blame which are common in abusers,
and a capacity to assess the risk significance of dynamic variables, such as denial, victim empathy, remorse and the range of attitudes or cognitive distortions which may underpin abusive behaviour.
In the more serious cases, domestic abuse expertise is needed to create risk management strategies which will be positive for the child, and provide adequate safeguarding. Expert input may be required because there are uncertainties about the extent, severity and nature of the domestic violence; because levels of hostility, conflict and fear need to be more fully understood and addressed; or because there is a complex pattern of intersecting risk concerns such as a history of violence, substance misuse, non-violent criminal activity, and mental health concerns.
A review of domestic violence risk assessment (Newman 2012) emphasised the importance of specialist domestic violence expertise in providing risk management. A legal practitioner responding to this review highlighted this as ‘utterly invaluable’ in providing the confidence and expertise to distinguish levels of risk and to match these to appropriate risk management strategies.
What a domestic abuse risk assessment should include
In conducting an assessment where domestic violence has been alleged, commissioners should look for an expert who is able to include the following:
Place children at the centre of concerns - It is crucial to recognise the harm to children caused by living with persistent emotional abuse. Experts carrying out a risk assessment with the parents take into account the children’s experiences and needs via collateral sources of information and from the children’s guardian. It is not recommended that expert assessors interview children directly thus adding to the burden experienced by the children in repeating their stories to multiple professionals.
A full account of the abuse - Incidents should be considered across the full range of abusive behaviours, identifying whether there are patterns of behaviour. Incidents of abuse that may, in isolation, seem less severe, will give rise to greater concerns if they fit within a larger pattern of abuse and domination. An informed assessment of the impact of such patterns of behaviour on the non-abusing parent is central to understanding the risks to children.
Quantify the risks - The purpose of domestic abuse risk assessments is to establish and quantify the risks to the children of exposure to domestic abuse and conflict. The most important element of any risk assessment is in establishing, as far as is possible a picture of the nature, severity, frequency and pattern of abuse and violence that has been happening in the family so that professionals can understand what the children are likely to experience if nothing changes.
Based on a variety of sources - Effective risk assessment in domestic abuse requires the application of several methods of enquiry and should include information from direct interviews alongside numerous other sources. In order to establish the presence or absence of historical risk factors, it is necessary to take a detailed history from the alleged abuser to ascertain how their own experiences in childhood may have impacted upon their capacity to manage intimacy and consider their children’s needs. Assessors must have the requisite skills to conduct detailed interviews with a forensic focus.
Provide appropriate risk management strategies - Recommendations should be realistic, take into account local resources, and match the level of risk identified. Expertise is required to convey to the court and other professionals their opinion on the utility of pursuing treatment as an option for perpetrators, to avoid delay in the court process, raising false hope in parents, and waste of public funds in pursuing treatment options which have little hope of success.
Highly professional - In addition to offering professional expertise, a report must be appropriate for use in a court setting. This means that high standards of professionalism must be met when writing documents which will form part of a court bundle and be used to assist in decision-making. Families that are subject to care proceedings face a uniquely high level of scrutiny and are judged on their honesty and compliance with professionals it is therefore essential that professionals ensure that those they assess are treated with dignity, respect and care. This should be reflected in the care taken to write accurately.
The DVACT-PAI Register of Experts
DVACT-PAI has built a solid reputation for providing high quality assessments and bringing much needed expertise to the family court arena. The combination of professionalism, high standards and specialist knowledge is reflected in the first and only UK Register for Expert Domestic Abuse Risk Assessors. The purpose of the register is to:
Ensure that children are adequately safeguarded by the assessments provided
Promote and maintain proper professional standards and conduct for those delivering domestic abuse risk assessments
Protect the integrity of domestic abuse risk assessment within the family courts and with local authorities
Promote and maintain public confidence in the effectiveness and reliability of domestic abuse risk assessments.
Choosing a DVACT-PAI registered assessor provides assurance that the professional:
Will prioritise child safety and wellbeing
Has verified qualifications and extensive specific experience in the field of domestic abuse
Will adhere to ethical standards of conduct and performance
Meets the required competence and good character to complete domestic abuse assessments and give evidence as expert witnesses for the family courts
Will produce a report that clarifies the risk concerns, provides appropriate risk management strategies and is professionally written to a high standard.
DVACT-PAI are dedicating to upholding standards in domestic abuse risk assessments and holds a regulatory role over those professionals who appear on our register. To meet concerns regarding registered assessors we:
Publish ethical standards on our website for commissioners and service users to access
Have a clear process for considering complaints within a professional conduct procedure
Provide ongoing training and ensure registered assessors have access to supervision
Working Towards Accreditation
Our commitment to upholding standards was acknowledged within the published report by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) following our application to join the accredited registers programme. The PSA accredits registers of people working in health and social care occupations not regulated by law. To be accredited, organisations must prove they meet PSA Standards for Accredited Registers.
This achievement marks a pivotal step in our commitment to public safety and professional excellence. Meeting the first stage of this application indicates that our register holds a clear public interest and manages risks effectively to ensure the safety of service users.
Children affected by domestic abuse suffer multiple negative health outcomes. They deserve domestic abuse assessments by experts who are fully qualified and adhere to the highest standards. Clear, accurate assessment contributes to key child protection decisions and benefits not only families and children but also increasingly busy professionals in children’s services and the family courts as well as the public purse.
Resources
The PSA report concerning the DVACT-PAI's Register of Expert Domestic Abuse Risk Assessors can be downloaded here
You can access the Register for Expert Domestic Abuse Risk Assessors through our website at https://www.dvact.org/expertsregister
If you are a professional who is interested in joining our register or an orgnasation that wants to know more about the regulation of expert domestic abuse risk assessment please contact our registration team at expertsregister@dvact.org
