Recommendation - Northumbria Police, April 2026

The IOPC recommends that Northumbria Police should conduct a review of their policy and practice in relation to post-arrest management and bail decisions in cases involving domestic abuse or violence against women and girls. 

The review should pay particular regard to how systems are updated with relevant information, how information is used in considering bail conditions, how officers engage with victims about bail, how this contact is recorded, and the quality control process for bail decisions. 

There should be a focus on how the force complies with national guidance and legislation such as the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on post-arrest management in domestic abuse cases and the duty to consult with victims under section 47ZZA of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE). Action should be taken to address any opportunities for systemic improvements identified in the review. 

This learning has arisen from an IOPC review of a complaint investigation by Northumbria Police. A victim-survivor who had experienced domestic abuse complained that her new address was inappropriately disclosed to her abusive former partner in his pre-charge bail conditions. He had been arrested and subsequently released on bail following a report of violent offending towards her. 

The victim-survivor had moved to a new address, unknown to the suspect, to reduce the risk to her and her children. This was facilitated by a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), and police systems should have been updated to reflect the risk of harm the suspect posed to the victim-survivor and her children. Records should also have shown that the suspect was unaware of the new address, and that it should not be disclosed to him. 

The evidence suggests that this information was not readily available to officers who arrested, interviewed and then bailed the former partner following a further incident of violence. This led to the complainant's address being disclosed to her former partner in the pre-charge bail conditions, putting her and her children at risk of further offending. 

The victim-survivor further complained that, when the suspect was released on bail, the officers transporting him then planned to take the suspect to the victim-survivor’s address – despite the fact that one of the conditions of the suspect’s bail was not to attend that address. This would have resulted in the suspect immediately breaching the bail conditions, and placing the victim-survivor and children at risk, but was avoided when the officers phoned the victim-survivor who then informed the officers of the error. This caused distress for the victim-survivor. 

The complaint investigation was unable to establish which officer had called the victim-survivor. APP states that, before a domestic abuse suspect is released from police custody, they should inform the victim-survivor of the suspect’s impending release and record this notification. The fact the complaint investigation was unable to establish which officer had called the victim-survivor suggests that the notification was not recorded in line with APP. 

This case highlights the importance of good record keeping on appropriate systems, good practice of checking information, effective victim engagement, good communication and systems which mitigate the potential for human error. This recommendation, if implemented, would help to safeguard victims, reassure officers, ensure the force complies with PACE and national guidance, and prevent suspects causing further harm.

Accepted

Northumbria Police accept the recommendation and have undertaken a review of current policy and operational practice relating to post-arrest management and bail decision-making in domestic abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG) cases.

The review has identified that the issues arising in this case were not indicative of a systemic failure but instead relate to inconsistent application of existing processes and the effective use of available systems. The force has robust policies aligned to College of Policing APP and PACE section 47ZZA, supported by established governance, audit, and supervisory frameworks. 

Since the incident, significant improvements have been made, including the implementation of the NICHE system (force-wide from February 2026), which integrates intelligence, warning markers, and case information to improve accessibility and decision-making.

The force has confirmed that:

• Systems exist to ensure accurate recording and updating of risk and safeguarding information, including MARAC outcomes and PPN processes, with layered supervisory and MASH oversight.
• Bail decisions follow a structured process involving the Officer In Charge, supervisory review, and Custody Sergeant authorisation, with clear expectations around safeguarding and non-disclosure of sensitive information.
• Victim engagement is embedded within policy and supported through NPT follow-up, specialist services, and safeguarding activity, with requirements to record all contact on auditable systems.
• Quality assurance is provided through audits (including Area Command audits, CDI, CASQT), Domestic Abuse Scrutiny Panels, and VAWG External Advisory Panels.

Several improvement actions have been identified and are being progressed to strengthen consistency, including: 

• Reinforcing the use of intelligence systems and address markers when making bail decisions.
• Strengthening compliance with recording of victim contact, including clear attribution to individual officers.
• Re-emphasising the importance of supervisory discussion and oversight in bail decisions.
• Face to Face training delivered to all RPT officers by in force experts (from MASH) on the DARA and RARA process focusing on content, quality and timeliness.
• Ongoing audit activity to monitor compliance and identify further learning.
• Development of a Domestic Abuse Investigation Guide to support consistent practice. 

Additional organisational learning is being supported through wider activity, including a Domestic Abuse “Deep Dive” review, enhancements to MASH and MARAC processes, and increased NPT involvement in managing high-risk victims. 

Overall, the force is satisfied that appropriate policies and safeguards are in place and that targeted actions are being taken to address the learning identified and prevent recurrence. 

Note:

MARAC - Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference

MASH - Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub