Welcome One and All!
Join us for a day of insightful presentations, workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities at King’s College London on Friday, the 27th of November 2026.
We are pleased to announce that PLIAS Resettlement, in partnership with King’s College London, I AM Brent and Step Up Hub, will be hosting this year’s DARDR/DVA & Criminal Justice Summit 2026.
This event and theme: “The Voice of The Child, Young Person and Service User” will focus on addressing critical challenges around Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs), Domestic Abuse and Violence and the Criminal Justice system, by amplifying the voice of the child, the young person and the service user.
Building on the success and impact of the previous two Summits, the 3rd DARDR, DVA & Criminal Justice Summit 2026 will bring together national and international professionals, academics, lived experience voices, policymakers, safeguarding practitioners, and criminal justice leaders to explore the critical importance of hearing, valuing, and embedding the voices of children, young people, and service users within systems and services.
Hosted at King’s College London, this year’s Summit will provide a collaborative and reflective space to examine how institutions, professionals, and systems respond to lived experiences of domestic abuse, violence, trauma, exploitation, safeguarding failures, and systemic inequities.
Secure your spot at the Summit Today!
Overall Aim
To strengthen child-centred and service-user-informed approaches across Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs), Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs), safeguarding systems, and criminal justice responses by embedding lived experience into policy, prevention, intervention, and systemic reform.
Primary Objectives
(1) Amplify Lived Experience Voices
- Centre the perspectives of children, young people, and adult service users within safeguarding, reviews, and justice systems.
- Ensure lived experiences directly inform recommendations, learning, and policy development.
(2) Promote Trauma-Informed and Healing-Centred Practice
- Explore approaches that prioritise emotional safety, trust, resilience, recovery, and empowerment.
- Examine the long-term impact of trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and systemic harm.
(3) Advance Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Address racial, cultural, socio-economic, gendered, and intersectional inequalities within safeguarding and criminal justice systems.
- Promote culturally competent and anti-discriminatory practice.
(4) Strengthen Multi-Agency Collaboration
- Foster effective partnership working between health, education, policing, social care, voluntary sector organisations, and community services.
- Share innovative and evidence-based approaches to early intervention and prevention.
(5) Improve Institutional Accountability
- Examine how organisations can become more transparent, responsive, and accountable to the voices of service users.
- Identify systemic barriers that prevent meaningful participation and engagement.
The 2026 theme — “The Voice of the Child, Young Person and Service User” — recognises that meaningful systemic change cannot occur unless those directly impacted are central to decision-making, policy reform, safeguarding practice, and service design.
Outcomes for Attendees
Increased Awareness:
Develop a deeper understanding of the lived experiences, perspectives, and challenges faced by children, young people, and service users affected by domestic abuse, violence, trauma, safeguarding failures, and systemic inequalities across diverse cultural and social contexts.
Advocacy for Child-Centred and Service User-Informed Practice:
Champion approaches that meaningfully embed the voices of children, young people, and service users within safeguarding, DARDRs, criminal justice responses, policy development, and service delivery, ensuring systems are trauma-informed, equitable, and responsive.
Identification of Systemic and Structural Barriers:
Recognise and address the institutional, cultural, and systemic barriers that prevent children, young people, and service users from being heard, believed, protected, and meaningfully involved in decision-making processes.
Collaboration for Systemic and Inclusive Change:
Strengthen cross-sector collaboration and develop networks of professionals, academics, policymakers, community organisations, and lived experience advocates committed to advancing child-centred, culturally competent, and inclusive approaches across safeguarding and criminal justice systems.
Sponsor
Sponsorship/Exhibitor opportunities are available to put your organisation directly in front of all the attendees and organisations at the event. If your budget is grandiose or minute, the PLIAS Resettlement Summit has something for you!
Highlights from DHR/DVA & Criminal Justice Summit 2025
Project Partners
