AAFDA - Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse

What AAFDA - Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse does

AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) is a UK registered charity (Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee, Charity Number 1185078) headquartered in Swindon and founded in 2008 by Frank Mullane MBE following the murders of his sister Julia Pemberton and nephew William in 2003. The pilot Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) conducted after those deaths contributed to the statutory DHR framework enacted in 2011. AAFDA operates as a Centre of Excellence providing specialist advocacy and peer support to families bereaved by domestic homicide, domestic abuse-related suicides, and unexplained deaths, helping them navigate statutory inquiries including DHRs, Mental Health Reviews, Inquests, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, and IOPC inquiries. The organisation also trains professionals (over 400 trained annually) and has quality-assured over 900 DHRs for the Home Office.

The service portfolio is anchored in three lines: (1) direct advocacy and peer support for bereaved families across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a Scotland page indicating parallel service availability; (2) Home Office-accredited DHR/DARDR Chair training and operation of the national Register of Accredited Chairs; and (3) knowledge products including the 'Learning Legacies' DHR analysis resources and the 'Justice Denied' policy paper advocating for legal reform on domestic abuse-related suicides. Supporting infrastructure includes a DHR Network membership community, an online forum, regular newsletters, and an annual national conference (e.g., 'Tip of the Iceberg' in 2025 with paid £225 tickets). The organisation operates with a very small staff base (1-10 employees).

AAFDA is funded entirely through charitable giving and grant income; no commercial revenue is generated and services are provided free to beneficiaries. Funding sources include major charitable foundations (The Henry Smith Charity, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund), the Home Office (for DHR Chair training and Register administration), at least 15 Police and Crime Commissioner offices across England and Wales, Masonic charities, and individual donations via JustGiving. Strategic partnerships extend to academic collaborators (the 'Learning Legacies' research team) and front-line specialist organisations (Wearside Women in Need).

Name

AAFDA - Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse

Legal name

Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse LTD

Website

https://aafda.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AAFDA is a UK charity providing specialist advocacy, peer support, and professional training for families bereaved by fatal domestic abuse and for agencies conducting Domestic Homicide Reviews, operating across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Victim Advocacy and Bereavement Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Domestic abuse advocacy
• Bereavement peer support
• Domestic homicide reviews
• Victim advocacy services
• Professional domestic abuse training

Headquarters

HQ city

Swindon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Grants: AAFDA operates as a registered charity (Number: 1185078) funded through charitable donations and grant funding from various trusts, foundations, and government bodies. The organization accepts donations via JustGiving platform and receives support from multiple funders including The Henry Smith Charity, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund, and various Office of Police and Crime Commissioners (OPCCs) across England and Wales.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AAFDA delivers free specialist advocacy and peer support to families bereaved by domestic homicide, domestic abuse-related suicides, and unexplained deaths, guiding them through statutory inquiries such as Domestic Homicide Reviews, Mental Health Reviews, Inquests, and IOPC inquiries. Alongside this family-facing service, it provides accredited professional training (including Home Office DHR/DARDR Chair training) and maintains the national Register of Accredited DHR/DARDR Chairs on behalf of the Home Office. The organization also produces learning resources (e.g., Learning Legacies) and convenes a DHR Network community of practitioners.

Product overview

AAFDA is a Centre of Excellence providing specialist advocacy services and peer support to families bereaved by domestic homicide, domestic abuse-related suicides, and unexplained deaths. The core offering consists of advocacy and support services helping families navigate statutory inquiries including Domestic Homicide Reviews, Mental Health Reviews, Inquests, and IOPC inquiries. Supporting this core service, AAFDA offers professional training programmes (including Home Office-accredited DHR Chair training), maintains a register of accredited DHR/DARDR chairs, provides learning resources like the Learning Legacies suite, and operates community platforms including a newsletter and forum. The organization operates nationally across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland with specialized support for Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialist Advocacy Services Expert advocacy and specialist peer support provided to families and friends bereaved by domestic homicide, domestic abuse-related suicides, and unexplained deaths, helping them navigate statutory inquiries such as Domestic Homicide Reviews, Mental Health Reviews, Inquests, and IOPC inquiries. Delivered free of charge to bereaved families.
• Domestic Homicide Review (DHR) Support Assistance for families participating in statutory Domestic Homicide Reviews, ensuring victims' voices are heard and supporting families through the review process.
• Inquest Representation Support and representation for families at inquests following deaths related to domestic abuse.
• Mental Health Reviews Support Assistance with Independent Investigations (Mental Health Reviews) for families bereaved by domestic abuse-related deaths.
• Professional Training Training, information, guidance, and advice to professionals involved in cases of fatal domestic abuse. AAFDA trains over 400 professionals each year.
• Home Office DHR/DARDR Chair Training Programme Home Office funded accredited training programme for professionals to develop the knowledge and skills required to chair Domestic Homicide Reviews / Domestic Abuse-Related Death Reviews effectively.
• Register of Accredited DHR/DARDR Chairs National register of appropriately qualified and trained DHR/DARDR Chairs, maintained by AAFDA for the Home Office, allowing Community Safety Partnerships to access information about accredited chairs for review assignments.
• Help for Families - Scotland Specialized support services for families in Scotland following fatal domestic abuse, adapted to Scottish statutory frameworks.
• Help for Families - Northern Ireland Specialized support services for families in Northern Ireland following fatal domestic abuse, adapted to Northern Ireland statutory frameworks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported over 400 families bereaved by fatal domestic abuse since 2008
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Home OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAFDA was selected as the provider for Home Office DHR Chair Training. They Quality Assure DHRs for the Home Office. The organization was involved in developing Home Office DHR Guidance.
• Wearside Women in Need (Findaway Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAFDA collaborated with Wearside Women in Need on a report titled 'Domestic Homicide Reviews: The role of family, friends and community' for The Findaway Project.
• University Research Team (Learning Legacies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAFDA collaborated with a research team behind 'Learning Legacies: An Analysis of Domestic Homicide Reviews in Cases of Domestic Abuse Suicide' to launch practical resources for professionals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Scottish Women's Aid: National umbrella for domestic abuse services in Scotland, engaged in policy, training, and review processes including Domestic Homicide and Suicide Reviews. Directly comparable in mission; regional because AAFDA only recently began Scottish DHSR training.
• Welsh Women's Aid: National federation for domestic abuse services in Wales, providing training, advocacy, and policy work including input to DHR/DARDR processes. Comparable in mission; operates regionally where AAFDA also provides advocacy support.

Emerging players

• Galop: UK charity providing advocacy and support for LGBT+ victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. Comparable as a specialist domestic abuse advocacy organisation, but with a specific victim-population focus rather than fatal-case specialism.

Others

• Mind: Large UK mental health charity that intersects with AAFDA's work through Mental Health Reviews and domestic abuse-related suicide. Adjacent rather than competing, but a relevant ecosystem partner given shared service users.
• Samaritans: UK suicide prevention charity closely thematically linked to AAFDA's domestic abuse-related suicide advocacy. Not a competitor but a natural cross-referral partner and co-advocate on the suicide-after-DA policy agenda.

Direct peers

• SafeLives: UK charity working on domestic abuse with a strong training, research, and DHR-related practice focus. Closely comparable to AAFDA in serving professionals, producing national resources, and engaging with statutory review processes; operates at larger scale in training and data.
• Respect: UK charity running the Respect Phoneline and perpetrator intervention programmes, with strong links to statutory reviews and professional training on domestic abuse. Comparable specialist UK domestic abuse organisation with overlapping professional training and policy engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Women's Aid Federation of England: National federation of domestic abuse services in England, providing policy, training, and member services. Comparable in being a national domestic abuse infrastructure body, but with a broader remit across live abuse and a federation model rather than specialist fatal-case focus.
• Victim Support: National charity providing advocacy and support to victims of all crime types, including domestic abuse. Comparable in providing advocacy through statutory processes (including inquests), but covers all crime rather than specialising in fatal domestic abuse.
• Refuge: Largest specialist domestic abuse charity in the UK, running the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and a national network of refuges. Comparable as a national domestic abuse advocacy organisation, though far larger and focused on live abuse rather than post-fatal advocacy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aafda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AAFDA - Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse