DARDR/DVA & Criminal Justice Summit 2026

This Summit will be focusing on addressing critical challenges faced by amplifying the voices of children, young people and service users
About this Event

Overview

The DARDR/DVA & Criminal Justice Summit 2026 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, this, our 3rd DARDR, DVA & Criminal Justice Summit, 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.

Our 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.

Primary Objectives

The Summit will focus on five main objectives:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This event is open to all who may be working directly in this field or sector; those who may be decision-makers, service users or, if you are just intrigued and want to know more. Do join us either in-person or virtually.

We look forward to seeing you there!

https://vimeo.com/1143434813?share=copy

The theme last year was "Mental Health Through An Equitable Lens". This was a most enjoyable day, giving attendees insight to so many areas often overlooked and, gave them the opportunity to network, and have those thought-provoking and meaningful discussions with speakers, panel members and other attendees on the day.

Do watch the highlights from our Summit 2025 video