Domestic abuse is one of the most legally complex, emotionally charged, and high-risk disclosures a clinician will ever face. In one moment, patient trust collides with your statutory safeguarding duty — and exactly how you respond can determine whether harm escalates or is prevented.

In this essential deep-dive, you’ll learn the full GMC-aligned, legally defensible domestic abuse framework for UK clinicians, including when confidentiality must be overridden to prevent serious harm.

You’ll master:
✅ The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 definition (including coercive control & economic abuse)
✅ Why children are automatic victims if they witness abuse
✅ The mandatory private inquiry & validation first response
✅ Immediate operational safety rules (never contact unsafe addresses)
✅ The DASH risk assessment tool (24-item national standard)
✅ Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) as a medical & homicide red-flag
✅ High-risk escalation to MARAC (multi-agency coordination)
✅ The role of the IDVA as the patient’s primary advocate
✅ When you are required to disclose without consent
✅ How to share safely using the minimum-necessary rule
✅ Safe documentation in the era of shared patient portals
✅ Why couples counselling is dangerous when abuse is active
✅ A complete step-by-step safeguarding workflow
✅ The SAFE HOME mnemonic for instant recall under pressure

This episode is essential for:
• MSRA SJT candidates
• Foundation Doctors & GP Trainees
• Emergency, medical, surgical & community clinicians
• Anyone responsible for adult & child safeguarding in the NHS

📎 More MSRA resources to accompany this episode:
https://passthemsra.com

00:00 — High-stakes domestic abuse disclosure scenario
01:02 — Core professional safeguarding mindset
02:04 — Domestic Abuse Act 2021: full legal definition
02:30 — Economic abuse explained
03:04 — Children as automatic safeguarding victims
03:24 — GMC duties when abuse is disclosed
04:03 — Immediate best-practice response: privacy & validation
04:44 — Immediate safety checklist
05:03 — Communication safety traps (texts, letters, emails)
05:28 — Why mediation with the partner is always unsafe
06:04 — DASH risk assessment explained
07:01 — Non-fatal strangulation (NFS) as a homicide predictor
07:28 — Other high-risk red flags (weapons, pregnancy, separation)
08:13 — When to escalate to MARAC
08:43 — The role of the IDVA
09:04 — The full step-by-step safeguarding workflow
09:41 — When confidentiality can be lawfully overridden
10:25 — Minimum-necessary information sharing
11:08 — Digital records & safeguarding documentation risks
11:49 — The SAFE HOME mnemonic explained
12:21 — Three non-negotiable professional takeaways
13:09 — Why couples counselling during abuse is dangerous
13:49 — Final safety-first professional message