- Government funding will expand women's refuges, support and awareness raising in the community and help for families.
- Over the past two years, 4,000 number of women and children have been supported by Stop Domestic Abuse.
ACTION
"We believe in partnership working," says Claire Lambon, chief executive of Stop Domestic Abuse. "We have partners across Hampshire delivering services for both victims and perpetrators, including voluntary sector organisations, local authorities and the police."
Stop Domestic Abuse was established as a charity in 2012; a spin off from Havant Women's Aid which was set up in 1977 and ran refuges for women affected by domestic violence. The charity now employs 92 staff and can accommodate 89 women and 178 children in 13 refuges across Hampshire.
In recent years, Stop Domestic Abuse has specialised in putting together consortia to bid for government funding, which have enabled it to expand and develop its services. In 2015, it received funding from the then Department for Communities and Local Government in two different partnerships, one led by Hart District Council, alongside partners Hampshire County Council and the You Trust.
In November 2018, these consortium partners were joined by Dorset County Council, and the Isle of Wight Council in a successful bid to the government's Domestic Abuse Fund. This, says Lambon, enabled the charity to take a "wider look at domestic abuse services" and illustrates the "collaborative approach" taken in the region in tackling domestic abuse. Stop Domestic Abuse was also part of a successful bid led by Portsmouth City Council.
"Commissioners and providers in the voluntary sector worked together to achieve these really exciting projects," says Lambon.
There are three key elements to the new funding, including training health professionals to identify women that present at hospital emergency departments and at maternity wards.
"Lots of domestic abuse starts in pregnancy and victims end up in A&E," says Lambon. "There will be advocates working in hospitals to refer people to mainstream domestic abuse services."
Another aspect of the successful bid is to fund investment in making victims' homes more secure. This "target hardening" work is vital to help support women and men to stay in their communities and have options other than moving into a refuge. Target hardening could involve improving security measures such as better outside lighting, locks on windows and reinforcing doors to address the "perception and physical aspects of feeling safer".
"Some people need to go into a refuge," says Lambon, "but others can stay in their home and it is far better than having to move."
"We recognise that not everyone needs or wants to go into a refuge," she explains, because of the upheaval it can cause for children both when there and once the time comes to leave.
A third element of the project is about promoting openness in the community about discussing domestic abuse. The "Ask Me" initiative will launch in May and involve training local ambassadors in areas in Hampshire where "there's urban deprivation and cohesive communities but we don't get the number of referrals we think we should", explains Lambon.
Stop Domestic Abuse has identified a handful of small businesses in the county that are well placed to engage local women about the issue, including a tattoo parlour, hairdressers, cafés, shops and community centre.
"It will encourage the whole community to start talking about domestic abuse and then there can be a culture shift so that everyone takes ownership of the issue," explains Lambon. "If someone comes into a tattooist with bruising or mentions something to a hairdresser, the ambassador can have these conversations. It's about talking about it and challenging it."
Another characteristic of Stop Domestic Abuse is the emphasis it puts on supporting children and young people affected by domestic abuse. It is funding a pilot for up to 100 families to provide support to address underlying social issues that make them vulnerable to domestic violence. Five workers will work closely with these families to address "unhealthy" behaviours to end the cycle of abuse.
Direct work with children, includes therapeutic outreach support for mothers of pre-school children; and one-to-one support for five- to 18-year-olds. This involves the development of age-appropriate support plans covering all aspects of a child's life such as safety, education, physical and mental health, confidence and self-esteem, relationships, the home environment, feelings and behaviour.
Lambon explains that the service is an opportunity for children and young people to "explore issues in a supportive environment".
There are also group workshops for 5-11 year olds and 12-18 year olds, and Stop Domestic Abuse also delivers sessions on healthy relationships and domestic abuse in local schools.
IMPACT
Over the past two years, Stop Domestic Abuse has worked with 2,650 women and 185 men. It has significantly increased the number of children and young people supported from602 in 2017/18 to 780 in 2018/19. It also engaged 6,637 children and young people in group workshops, a rise of 12 per cent on the previous year.
