Policy statement
The Council’s Housing Service will put victims and survivors at the heart of its response to identify, support and protect against domestic abuse.
Our aims:
- To provide an accessible, effective and supportive service, which encourages victims and survivors to seek help;
- To take a trauma informed approach to helping victims and survivors recover from domestic abuse;
- To offer a flexible range of housing solutions and support to assist victims and survivors to live safely, securely and free of abuse;
- To send a clear message to perpetrators that domestic abuse is unacceptable and take appropriate action against perpetrators if they are Council tenants;
- To promote awareness amongst other agencies of the role that the Housing Service can play in assisting victims and survivors experiencing domestic abuse;
- To work in partnership with specialist agencies to ensure an appropriate and coordinated response is given towards domestic abuse.
Our objectives:
- To take all reports of domestic abuse seriously;
- To take a trauma informed approach and keep the victim or survivor at the centre of our support and provide a sensitive, sympathetic, consistent and prompt response;
- To establish the safest way to communicate with the victim or survivor of domestic abuse;
- To be sensitive to the diverse needs of victims, survivors and their children, considering their gender, age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment and marriage and civil partnership;
- To establish if the victim or survivor of domestic abuse has any alternative format and communication needs such as the need for interpreters;
- To offer the opportunity for victims and survivors to speak to a member of staff who are of the same sex if this is preferred;
- To conduct interviews with victims and survivors in private and in a safe place;
- To undertake necessary risk assessments, enabling appropriate and necessary action to be taken;
- To signpost and refer victims and survivors to other agencies that can provide specialist support and assistance;
- To ensure that any information given will remain confidential and will only be given to other agencies (e.g. the Police and Social Services) where there is a lawful bases;
- To keep up-to-date records and provide information and options for victims and survivors to support them to make their own informed decisions;
- To keep victims and survivors informed about what is happening and any decisions taken;
- To ensure staff are trained to be confident and knowledgeable to identify domestic abuse, assess risk and take appropriate action.