testimonials 󠀠

I made the life choice to move from a Local Authority Assistant Director role to establishing a company to provide domestic homicide review Chair and Author services. Supporting victims of domestic abuse has always been my passion, so I completed the AAFDA Domestic Homicide Chair training.

Having been so competent and confident during my career, I felt that this next step would come naturally to me, and I successfully applied for my first Domestic Homicide Review Independent Chair position. 

I found the reality quite different to what I expected. I was alone, chairing a review with a panel of professionals looking to me for direction while struggling to put the theory and guidance into practice. I missed having a team around me, where did I turn if I wasn’t sure? The practical application of the review process, the administration and delivery were my responsibility and I needed reassurance that I was providing the best service for the deceased and their family.

I knew I had to meet other chairs and utilise their knowledge and experience, so I joined the AAFDA DHR Network. This is how I met John. John and Malcolm are members of the Network, both Independent Chairs with years of experience between them and many, many reviews and reports completed. 

In a little over a week, I had been accepted on to the Aegis Mentoring Programme, supported with business process ideas, and was Chair of my second DHR! The Mentoring Programme has proven to be everything I was missing; I am part of a team once again. I am confident that John is readily available to work through next steps, review progress and to ensure that I am not overlooking anything. I am learning so much and I am incredibly grateful for their support, I really think I may have given up on my new career without them.

Chrissie Geeson

Independent Review Chair and Author

Associate of Aegis Safeguarding Services Ltd.

Malcolm  has vast experience as a Detective Superintendent in West Midlands Police being the Senior Investigating Officer responsible for the investigation of many murders and having force-wide responsibility for Child Protection.

I have known Malcolm for many years, initially when he was providing senior detective training to numerous police forces, and latterly in the role of independent review Chair.

Malcolm has particular expertise in safeguarding, child protection, and domestic abuse and this was evident in the training he presented to policing.

When I decided to perform the role of independent review Chair Malcolm was already established as a very experienced chair and author of Domestic Homicide Reviews; he agreed to mentor me in that role. Within days Malcolm contacted me and told me that he had secured a DHR, together with permission for me to shadow him in that review. 

We worked closely together; I attended panel meetings and visited family members with him, and I learned a vast amount about the process, dealing with members from different agencies and the intricacies of the various organisations and their management. He sighted me on the many letters that had to be written during the review process.

Within a very short time, with Malcolm’s support, I secured a DHR Chair contract. The mentoring I had received from Malcolm put me in a very positive position, able to effectively and efficiently Chair DHRs, with the reassurance of having Malcolm available as a professional friend.

I continued to work with Malcolm in the DHR arena, for example, we hosted a day-long seminar on Domestic Homicide Reviews supported by numerous eminent speakers, including Frank Mullane MBE, CEO of the national charity Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse (AAFDA) and the then Head of Home Office Domestic Abuse Department, Christian Papiliontou. 

Martyn Jones

Mayor of Bridgend.