To ask the Minister of Justice for an update on improvements she intends to make to the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference process.

Mrs Long

I am committed to ensuring that the risk that is posed to victims of domestic abuse is assessed and managed as effectively as possible. Members will be aware that Leonard Consultancy conducted an independent review of the multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC) arrangements on behalf of all strategic partners involved. The review examined MARAC's operational effectiveness and identified potential learning and opportunities for improved effectiveness. My Department has now established a dedicated multi-agency working group to consider and respond to that review's findings, with a view to strengthening the responses to and protections for victims of domestic abuse. The group's key objectives are to identify costed recommendations for new multi-agency risk assessment arrangements and supporting processes; improve risk assessment and management in order to increase the safety of victims of domestic abuse; and reduce the risk posed by perpetrators of domestic abuse. The working group plans to hold a series of facilitated workshops to work through and agree recommended changes for how new arrangements should operate.

Through those workshops, members will consider how to build in a "person of concern" focus in order to ensure that new arrangements will focus not only on reducing the risk to the victim but on reducing the risk from the person of concern. I am confident that this work will result in a robust multi-agency arrangement that will make a material difference to the safety of high-risk victims of domestic abuse.

Mrs Long

As part of the work that we are undertaking, we are exploring the potential to pilot arrangements for a daily risk assessment meeting (DRAM) that would operate in support of MARAC in the first instance but would look at more immediate interventions for high-risk victims. We are also exploring how to pilot the arrangements in a single health and social care trust area, building on already established partnerships between trusts and the PSNI. We hope to launch that pilot in January and run it until the end of the financial year 2025-26, with an evaluation to follow.

Ms Ferguson

In relation to MARAC, what consideration will be given to a child or children of victims of domestic abuse?

Mrs Long

It is important that, when we look at those who are at risk, we consider the impact on children. As you are aware, in the domestic abuse offences, there are statutory aggravators that take account of children being aware of, having had sight of or hearing domestic abuse taking place. It is important that, when we look, for example, at that person of concern, who is essentially the person about whose violent behaviours we are concerned, we remember that that person of concern will have links to other people, including children, as well as the main intimate partner, who may be the subject of their domestic violence. That will be taken into account.