Clare’s Law
Known as Clare’s Law the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme is a police run scheme. The scheme aims to reduce intimate partner domestic abuse. Helping you make an informed decision on whether to continue a relationship.
The Clare’s Law Processes
When you contact us, a Police Officer or specially trained member of Police Staff will take details of what prompted your enquiry and the nature of your relationship with the person.
You will need to give your name, address and date of birth. At a later stage, you will need to provide proof of your identity. We will also ask you when and where it is safe to contact you again.
We will run some initial checks based on the information you have provided and conduct an initial risk assessment. The purpose of these initial checks is for us to establish if there are any immediate concerns. They will not be undertaken while you are present.
If, when speaking to us, you allege a crime against the person you are in a relationship with, then we may investigate this as a crime and arrest the person.
No disclosure of information will take place at this stage unless we feel that you are at immediate risk and it is necessary to provide immediate protection to you.
Depending on the outcome of step one, you may be asked to attend a meeting with us so we can obtain further details, assess any risk and establish proof of your identity. This should happen within ten days of when you made contact.
As proof of identity, you will need to bring one photo ID and another form of ID (if you don’t have photo ID, we will consider other forms of ID).
The forms of ID you could use are:
- your passport
- your driving licence
- A household utility bill
- your bank statement
- your birth certificate
At the meeting, we will ask you more about the nature of the relationship between you and your partner or ex-partner, in order to determine whether you are at risk of domestic abuse.
Depending on the information you give us, we may run checks and speak to other agencies including the prison service, the probation service and social services. We will work as quickly as possible to complete the checks, but it can take some time for the results to be received.
The maximum time it is likely to take to complete the whole process, including these checks and the disclosure of information (if decided necessary) is 28 days.
We will act immediately if at any point we consider you to be at risk and in need of protection from harm.
What kind of information might you be given?
If checks show your partner or ex-partner has a history of abuse or other information indicating a disclosure is needed to prevent crime, we may share this with you or someone who can help protect you.
Previous convictions are confidential and will only be disclosed if lawful, proportionate, and necessary to prevent further crime.
If there is no pressing need for disclosure, we will tell you. This may be because:
- They have no record of abusive offences
- No information suggests they pose a risk
- Information exists but is not enough to justify disclosure
Even if no disclosure is made, if there are signs of worrying behaviour, we and other agencies can offer advice and support.
Request Information Under Clare's Law
FAQ
How do I make an application?
You can make your application by:
- Visiting Lancashire.police.uk
- Calling us on 101
- Visiting a police station
- Speaking to a Police Officer on patrol
Remember, if you believe there is an immediate risk to someone’s life or a crime is ongoing, please dial 999.
An application can be made yourself or on your behalf if a third-party has a concern that you may be at harm. If a third-party person does make an application, they may not receive the information. Information will only be given to you or someone who is able to use the information to protect you from the abuse.
A disclosure is the sharing of specific information about the person you are in a relationship with, for the purposes of protecting you from domestic abuse.
If checks show that there is a record of violent behaviour or you may be at risk, it is possible that this information will be shared with you via a disclosure.
Under Clare’s Law, you may receive a disclosure even if you have not asked for one.
This is because if we receive information about your partner that we believe puts you at risk of harm, we may disclose that information to you or to another person who is best placed to protect you.
The decision to disclosure information when you have not asked for it, will only be made if it is lawful and proportionate, and there is a pressing need to make the disclosure to prevent further crime.