Danielle Sharp on Learning from Domestic Abuse-Related Deaths

Beyond Death

In this episode of Beyond Death, hosts Mark and Lindsay speak with Danielle Sharp, founder of the Centre for Safer Society, about her groundbreaking work leading domestic abuse-related death reviews. Danielle shares how these reviews uncover vital lessons from tragic cases, the evolving scope beyond homicides to include suicides and unexplained deaths, and the emotional toll on professionals involved in the process.

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Danielle has over 15 years’ experience in preventing and responding to violence, abuse, and harm. She has held senior roles in local authorities as a strategic lead and commissioner, managing multi-million-pound budgets for domestic abuse services. Nationally, she led the Knowledge Hub at one of the UK’s largest domestic abuse charities, overseeing an expert team and several national programmes including the Leading Lights service accreditation and the Home Office funded One Front Door pilot. She has worked extensively to improve responses to sexual exploitation and abuse including through her previous role as an Associate for Safe and Sound, in which she trained thousands of professionals and led participatory research with young people to review a children’s social care strategy process for a City council. She is currently the Founder and Director of Centre for Safer Society, through which she undertakes research, strategy and scrutiny projects, including statutory Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews. She has a BSc in Psychology from the University of West London and has been appointed as a Practitioner in Residence within the School of Policy & Global Affairs at London City St Georges University where she will work to bridge the gap between academia and policy to create change.