CARA: Cautioning and Relationship Abuse for Domestic Abuse

The challenge

The most recent crime survey for England and Wales estimates 2.3 million people aged 16 years and over to have experienced Domestic Violence/Abuse (DVA) in 2023-24. Despite the prevalence, only 851,062 cases were recorded by the police, with only 38,776 of these leading to a conviction (ONS, 2024). Where DVA is reported, it is common for victim-survivors to withdraw support for further police action (HMIC, 2014; Elkin, 2018) for reasons including fear of re-victimisation and/or re-traumatisation; reprisals from the perpetrator and/or their family; being disbelieved and stigmatised and a lack of confidence in the criminal and procedural justice system (Evans and Feder 2016, Hester, Williamson et al. 2023).

From 2012, police forces in England and Wales have tested a conditional caution as an alternative to criminal prosecution in cases of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) that have not been assessed as ‘high’ risk. Project CARA is a conditional caution offered by the police to first time adult offenders of DVA of standard (and in some areas medium) risk. Offenders are required to undertake two mandatory workshops that increase awareness of their abusive behaviour and the safety of partners and children. In contrast to restorative justice, CARA is an awareness raising intervention for offenders, that utilises a trauma informed approach and motivational interviewing techniques across the two workshops. In these workshops offenders are further signposted onto services that support improvements in the wider determinants of their offending behaviour, such as to their GP, drug and alcohol services or onto a community perpetrator programme. Although there is an element of discretion, for an offender to be offered CARA, the following eligibility criteria must be met:

1. Referrals can only come through the police
2. The offender must be able to give consent
3. Males/Females 18+ (only males in some areas)
4. Relationship between parties: Present or past intimate partners (IPV) and in some force areas non-intimate partners (Non-IPV, i.e. family members)
5. No previous convictions or cautions for domestic abuse in the previous two years
6. No evidence of Coercive or Controlling Behaviour
7. Offending partner must not be under Police investigation or bail for another offence
8. Eligible offences: minor assaults categorised by law as common assault and battery, criminal damage, harassment, domestic theft related offences, threatening behaviour.
9. Offending partner must admit the offence to receive a conditional caution
10. DASH risk assessment assesses risk to victim as ‘standard’ or ‘medium’ (In some force areas, only standard)

The CARA intervention was originally piloted in Hampshire, and in 2018 the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) granted dispensation for ten police forces, including Hampshire, to further pilot conditional cautions for cases of DVA assessed as ‘standard’ or ‘medium’ risk. On 1st August 2024, the decision was taken by the DPP to roll out the option of conditional cautions for DVA to all police forces in England and Wales, for cases assessed as standard risk only. In order to issue a conditional caution for a medium risk case, forces outside the original group of ten pilot forces are still required to seek CPS authority.

The CARA intervention has been subject to two previous evaluations. Strang et al. (2017) evaluated an initial pilot in Hampshire through a randomised controlled trial, finding fewer charges for domestic abuse crimes for the CARA group in the year subsequent to the intervention. CARA was evaluated further in Hampshire and West Midlands police force areas (Christie et al., 2022; Karavias et al., 2023). Using propensity score matching, Karavias et al. (2023) found lower subsequent ‘reoffending’ and fewer arrests for offenders subject to CARA compared to comparison groups. Myhill and Bartlett (2024) highlighted shortcomings with both existing evaluations of CARA. Notably, neither existing evaluation included robust, longitudinal qualitative follow-up with victims as has been conducted as part of this national evaluation.

Our approach

This national evaluation of the CARA programme was funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaborations (ARCs) National Priority Research Consortium for Health and Care Inequalities and included a consortium of Universities and partners including the Universities of Southampton, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sheffield and Leeds Beckett, as well as the Hampton Trust. The evaluation, led by Dr. Sara Morgan at the University of Southampton, aimed to explore:

• The impact of CARA on re-offending (both domestic and other offences).
• The cost-effectiveness of the CARA intervention.
• Victim/survivor perceptions and experiences of the CARA intervention.
• Service user experiences and perceptions of the CARA intervention.
• The perceptions and experiences of those delivering CARA, including commissioners, facilitators and managers of the programme.

Professor Armitage was involved in both qualitative and quantitative elements of the project. Findings have been shared with the police forces involved in the evaluation as well as National Police Chief Council (NPCC) leads for Out of Court Resolutions and Domestic Abuse. There are currently three papers in press, focusing on the lived experience of victims; professionals involved in the delivery of the scheme, as well as the quantitative findings from the evaluation.