DHR Programme Learning
Research shows that Black and minoritised victims are overrepresented in domestic homicides, but professionals often have a lack of understanding of the barriers inhibiting these victims’ help seeking. This project supports by-and-for agencies to be involved with DHRs as chairs and expert panel members through mentoring and workshops.. As a pilot, 2 women from by-and-for agencies have been recruited to become DHR chairs. Mentees receive full training and support to develop their skills, whilst bringing their knowledge and expertise into the DHR sector.
In addition, the Coaction Hub has been working with by and for agencies around the role of the expert panel member. This has included facilitating tailored workshops on demystifying DHR processes, exploring barriers to engagement and supporting them in their role as expert panel members. One participant of these workshops has shared their experiences in a blog below.
The Role of Expert Panel Members in Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs): Guidance for By and For Agencies
Work with by and for partners has led to the co-creation of guidance for by and for agencies on the role of the expert panel member.
Why this matters:
DHRs are opportunities to reflect on domestic abuse-related deaths and identify systemic failings.
Without cultural competence and intersectional perspectives, reviews risk missing critical nuances of survivors' experiences.
Key insights from the guidance include:
The underrepresentation of by and for agencies and barriers to fair remuneration for expert panel members.
The need to integrate cultural competence and faith sensitivity into DHR processes.
Practical recommendations to embed intersectional expertise for more meaningful reviews.
Partners who co-produced this guidance include:
AWRC, Jewish Women's Aid, Sikh Women's Aid, Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women's Organisation (KMEWO) FORWARD, IKWRO, The Traveller Movement, The Lioness Circle, Latin American Women's Aid (LAWA), Pilas Resettlement, Al-Hasaniya Moroccan Women's Centre, The Sharan Project and STADA.
Expert Panel Member Blog
One of our Expert Panel Member attendees has shared her reflections on the programme in a blog:
DHR Chairs Webinar: Working More Effectively With Expert Panel Members
On 24th January 2025 Coaction Hub held a webinar exploring this topic with
Shabana Kausar, DHR chair who was been working with specialist by and for agencies around this issue
Sahdaish Pall, CEO of Sikh Women's Aid who has provided her expertise to a number of DHRs as an expert panel member
The webinar explored:
The role of the expert panel member and the value of their input
Best practice approaches to engaging and supporting expert panel members
Hearing directly from an expert panel member on what support should be offered
Recognising the role of the expert panel member within a broader understanding equality, diversity, and intersectionality