An innovative new tool developed in Surrey could help improve the way domestic abuse (DA) is tackled across the county—and possibly beyond—by making it easier for different agencies to work together and have better data insight into domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse is a serious public health issue that affects many areas of life, and responding to it effectively requires different organisations—like the police, health services, and local councils—to work closely together. But limited access to good-quality data often makes this difficult.
To help solve this problem, data analysts from Surrey County Council created a new platform called DAVIT (Domestic Abuse Data sharing and Visualisation Tool). The tool was developed in collaboration with various organisations responding to domestic abuse in Surrey. It is designed to help these organisations share, to have an easy and collective view of DA data.
As one of the leads on the development of DAVIT, Dr Sara Dicerto said:
“In Surrey we have an ambition to be at the cutting edge when it comes to developing intelligence tools that can help tackle systemic problems. DAVIT is evidence of us living and breathing that ambition.
"Our work has demonstrated that it is possible to bring together views from different agencies and synthesise them into a single tool that can help us act strategically in partnership to drive change and secure better outcomes for our residents every day.
"Our hope for DAVIT is that, in time, adoption of the methodology by other Local Authorities will make it into a national tool, helping us gain a better and more detailed understanding of domestic abuse not just for Surrey.”
Funded by the Applied Research Collaboration Kent, Surrey and Sussex (ARC KSS), a group of researchers from the University of Surrey and Kent held focus group discussions with 15 professionals from seven different agencies to see how useful DAVIT could be. Overall, they found that people liked the tool and saw its potential to support better planning, targeted interventions, and smarter use of resources. Participants described it as well-designed, easy to use, and flexible enough to fit local needs.
Leading the research, Dr Nyangi Gityamwi, Research Fellow at the University of Surrey and ARC KSS Digital Innovation Postdoctoral Researcher, said: "DAVIT could be a game-changer in how we understand and respond to domestic abuse across different services. It allows us to see the bigger picture, act faster, and work more effectively together. Every year, an estimated 2.4 million adults in the UK experience domestic abuse. These are not just numbers—they represent lives deeply affected by fear, trauma, and violence. Tools like DAVIT give us the insight we need to make a real difference.”
However, it was also noted that for DAVIT to reach its full potential, the quality and completeness of the data it uses needs to improve and the success of the tool will depend on several key factors:
- Having strong data-sharing policies and governance in place.
- Ensuring organisations have enough resources and knowledge to use the tool effectively.
- Support from senior leaders in the organisations involved.
- Providing basic training for staff working with the data.
In conclusion, the study suggests that with some improvements and the right support, DAVIT could play a valuable role in strengthening the response to domestic abuse. It has the potential to improve services, help agencies work together more smoothly, and ultimately provide better support for survivors.
Read full article here.
Find out more about DAVIT on the project website.
