New Domestic Abuse Strategy Launched – A Positive Step, But We Must Go Further
- Deanna Newell
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
By Deanna Newell
Founder - DN Family Law | Campaign Lead – Reform That Works
BCP Council has approved a new five-year Domestic Abuse Strategy (2026–2031) focused on prevention, survivor support and tackling perpetrators. It is a welcome commitment that recognises domestic abuse as a serious public health and safeguarding issue.
The strategy includes:-
Earlier intervention and prevention
Improved professional training
Education for children and young people
Greater public awareness
Better support for survivors
New safe accommodation, including provision for male victims and families with additional needs
A new integrated domestic abuse service from August 2027
These are important developments and demonstrate a commitment to improving outcomes for victims.
However, one important question remains:-
What happens when survivors enter the Family Justice System?
Domestic Abuse Does Not End at Separation
For many survivors, abuse continues after the relationship ends however it can take new forms:-
Coercive control
Economic and financial abuse
Ongoing litigation
Child arrangement disputes
Child maintenance disputes
Repeated court applications
Restriction of a child’s relationship with the other parent, where supported by evidence
Many survivors describe post-separation abuse as one of the longest and most exhausting parts of their experience.
While support services are improving, the systems families enter after separation are often not designed to identify these complex patterns at an early stage.
Why We Need Family Justice Triage
The Family Court and Child Maintenance Service deal with thousands of families every year.
Some cases are straightforward.
Others involve multiple overlapping issues, including:-
Domestic abuse
Coercive control
Economic abuse
Complex finances
Safeguarding concerns
Neurodivergent children
High parental conflict
And yet many families still enter the system through broadly the same process.
That is why I believe we need a Mandatory Three-Tier Family Justice Triage Assessment Framework.
Rather than treating every case the same, families would receive an assessment based on the complexity of their circumstances.
A Better Way Forward
The proposed framework would introduce:-
Tier 1 – Standard Assessment
Early identification of children’s welfare, safeguarding and immediate support needs.
Tier 2 – Enhanced Financial and Family Assessment
For cases involving domestic abuse, coercive control, economic abuse, disputed finances, complex income structures or children with additional needs.
Tier 3 – Court and Multi-Agency Review
For the most complex cases requiring coordinated oversight by the courts and relevant agencies. The aim is not to presume wrongdoing by either parent.
The aim is to ensure that where evidence indicates complexity or risk, families receive the right assessment at the right time.
Why Start with the Child Maintenance Service?
The Child Maintenance Service already gathers financial information that may help identify cases requiring enhanced assessment.
A pilot programme could explore whether, with appropriate legal safeguards and data protection, this information could support better decision-making across the Family Justice System and reduce duplication between agencies.
Reform Should Be Evidence-Based
The Government is increasingly using pilot programmes to test reforms in other public services before introducing national change.
Family justice deserves the same evidence-based approach.
A pilot of a Mandatory Three-Tier Family Justice Triage Assessment Framework would allow Government to evaluate whether earlier identification, better coordination and proportionate assessment improve outcomes for children and families.
Putting Children First
BCP Council’s new Domestic Abuse Strategy is an important step forward.
But if we are serious about protecting survivors and improving children’s lives, reform cannot stop at housing, support services and prevention.
It must also extend to the systems families rely on after separation.
Children deserve a Family Justice System that identifies complexity early, responds proportionately and places their welfare at the centre of every decision.
Reform That Works
Let’s pilot a Mandatory Three-Tier Family Justice Triage Assessment Framework.
Let’s start with the Child Maintenance Service.
Let’s build the evidence.
Let’s create a Family Justice System that is fairer, safer and more transparent — one that truly puts children first.
Deanna Newell
Founder - DN Family Law | Campaign Lead – Reform That Works
Deanna Newell | Founder | DN Family Law
Advocacy for truth-tellers, survivors, and the children who deserve better
