June 26, 2025 | Organisational Information and Performance , Procedures
Request Number: FOI/14940
Category: Policy and Procedures Procedures
Subject: Risk Assessment in Domestic Abuse
Request and Answer:
Request 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?
Answer
It should be noted that FOI is requesting ‘recorded information’, and if a record is not held we are not obliged to create information for the purpose of requests under FOI. This includes requests seeking YES/ NO answers.
PSNI do not make any requirements on 3rd party partners/agencies to use a specific risk assessment tool. Most use DASH, however PSNI cannot provide any further comment regarding any other standardised risk assessment tool being used.
Request 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?
Answer
This request is not applicable as DARA is a police specific risk assessment tool developed by the College of Policing, we do not currently use it in Northern Ireland.
Request 3
Please provide any other information that may provide helpful context.
Answer
PSNI have used DASH since its launch in 2009, we do not use any other risk assessment tool in terms of ‘domestic abuse cases’. PSNI complete a DASH for partner on partner domestic incidents, irrespective of age, young person on young person domestic incidents where one or both parties are aged 16 or over, and adult on young person domestic incidents where the young person is aged 16 or over.
Request 4
Is it standard practice for your frontline staff to use the DASH checklist?
Answer
PSNI policy is that the attending officer in all cases of domestic abuse will complete a DASH. A secondary DASH may then be completed by PSNI’s Public Protection Branch if required in high risk cases. A Stalking DASH will be completed in cases of non-domestic stalking (it is also completed for domestic cases where a victim indicates they are being stalked), and the Honour Based Abuse DASH is completed for all cases of Honour Based Abuse. We further have 5 supplementary risk assessment questions which should be completed where parties identify as LGBTQ+.
Request 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.
Answer
Not applicable please refer to response 2.