Domestic Abuse Alliance

We have taken Hourglass's OATH (Older Age, Tomorrow’s Hope) to help build a safer ageing society. Older people are victims of the same forms of abuse as all other age groups. Yet their voices are rarely heard. OATH is about creating a voice so loud that it cannot be ignored any longer. We've added our signature to the OATH to make that voice louder, and to make a commitment to helping older victims of abuse when they need it most. Safer ageing shouldn't be a hope, it should be a promise. #oath #elderabuse #domesticabuseawareness #survivorsupport #SayNoToDomesticSilence

Rethink Mental Illness, a charity that seeks to improve the lives of people severely affected by mental illness, has launched an online Women’s Group for survivors of and those living with domestic abuse or trauma. Details about how to join the group can be found in the poster below. #domesticabuseawareness #survivorsupport #mentalhealth #WEPROTECT #SayNoToDomesticSilence

“Patients have said ‘if it wasn’t for you, I would still be in that relationship’. 💡 A Garforth GP who asks patients one simple question is helping domestic abuse victims find support, and could now see her pilot rolled out across the city of #Leeds. Dr Nighat Sultan started routinely asking her female patients about whether they were experiencing domestic abuse two years ago, and nearly one in five answered ‘yes’. Dr Sultan said: "Studies have shown that a simple intervention like this in the community can make a massive impact on picking up on problems much earlier, and ending the abuse earlier. The GP surgery is safe and confidential. We are ideally placed for patients to come in here and be able to speak. And if they’re asked the question, they’re given an opportunity to talk and that’s what I’ve found. They may not tell me this time, but the next time I see them or the time after, they will tell me." #earlyintervention #survivorsupport #domesticabuseawareness #WEPROTECT #SayNoToDomesticSilence

When you work with Ambassadors who are also fellow 'Swifties', you know it was meant to be. Shared musical tastes aside, Holly R. plays an important role in our Ambassador network, driving awareness of domestic abuse and the importance of abuse prevention. Holly has commemorated domestic abuse victims killed by their partners or exes with a series of unfinished portraits – drawing each woman for one minute for every year she lived. The collection, “Not Enough Minutes”, represents the lives that have been tragically cut short by abuse.   Holly’s portraits are inspired by the work of U.S. artist Adrian Brandon, who created a series of unfinished portraits of Black people killed by police in a project called “Stolen” that attracted global attention following the death of George Floyd.   “I want to show that it can happen to anyone – it doesn’t matter how old you are, where you come from, your race, ethnicity, or economic background. Domestic abuse is still quite taboo. People think it’s none of their business, but girls and women are losing their lives. We need to speak about it. I hope the drawings will make people more aware of what goes on behind closed doors and encourage them to help those who may be experiencing abuse,” says Holly. The subjects of Holly’s portraits are drawn, at random, from the Femicide Census, which says a woman is killed by a current or former partner every four days in Britain. In November 2021 we lit up St Albans’s clock tower with Holly’s portraits, earning a Mayor’s Pride Award for raising awareness of domestic abuse in the local community. A permanent display is installed in our office to remind colleagues how vital the support we provide is to those experiencing domestic abuse. We look forward to sharing Holly's poignant artworks with an even wider audience in the future. 📸 Digital drawing by Holly Ringrose. This is Giselle Marmon-Herrera (age 37) and her daughter Allison (age 15). Giselle was strangled to death by her partner who then raped and strangled Allison to death, before killing himself. #ambassador #WEPROTECT #domesticabuseawareness #abuseprevention #SayNoToDomesticSilence

Thank you techUK for inviting us to take part in #techukDigitisingJustice2024. We've shared how our WEPROTECT service is enabling UK police forces to improve their compliance in processing court orders so they are available more quickly on the PNC and, crucially, so officers can act more robustly on reported breaches. Read all about it below ⬇ #WEPROTECT #survivorsupport #policetech #domesticabuseawareness #SayNoToDomesticSilence Razi Hassan | Chris Luff MBE | Sahiel Shoeb | Zeeshan A.

A national policing strategy has been developed to help police forces combat an expected rise in domestic abuse during the European Football Championships this summer. The strategy, which was produced by the UK’s Football Policing Unit and sent to all police forces in England and Wales, outlines the need for a proactive, multi-agency approach to safeguard victims and pursue perpetrators, with a focus on: ✔ Intelligence gathering across football banning orders and serial domestic abusers to identify victims who could be most at risk and target the highest harm offenders in communities. ✔ Joint patrol cars during key match fixtures, teaming officers with Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs), to provide an effective response to incidents. ✔ A victim-focussed approach to safeguarding and investigations, including the use of protective orders. ✔Pre-emptive case file building for known suspects to expedite arrests, investigations and charges where possible. National Police Chiefs' Council Domestic Abuse Lead, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, highlights the factors thought to exacerbate abusive behaviour during football tournaments, including "the increased and prolonged consumption of alcohol around matches...and the intense emotional highs and lows of a tournament, which can act as a catalyst for pre-existing abuse." Data from police forces will be collated at a national level throughout the Euros to support further analysis of the correlation between international football tournaments and domestic abuse. 📷 Lincolnshire Police #NoExcuseForAbuse #SayNoToDomesticSilence #domesticabuseawareness #WEPROTECT #survivorsupport #ShowDomesticAbuseTheRedCard #BlowTheWhistleOnDomesticAbuse

#ThrowbackThursday...to this Tuesday when we were among delegates and exhibitors at this year's Victims Awareness Conference in #Hatfield, delivered by Hertfordshire Beacon Victim Service, which focused on "meeting the needs of victims today and tomorrow". The conference featured workshops and talks from speakers with lived experience and professionals dedicated to supporting victims. There was also an awards ceremony to recognise and celebrate the work and achievements of individuals and organisations in the sector. #SayNoToDomesticSilence #survivorsupport #WEPROTECT #domesticabuseawareness #domesticabuse

📢 A national law firm is taking the government to court over legal aid fees for immigration and asylum work - claiming the lord chancellor is failing to fulfil his statutory duty to secure legal aid for the vulnerable individuals eligible for it but struggling to find a lawyer. Duncan Lewis Solicitors Ltd. has filed a claim in the High Court challenging the failure to raise legal aid rates for ‘controlled work’ or take any other action to address problems in provision in a timely and effective way. Jeremy Bloom, lead solicitor at Duncan Lewis, said: ‘It is heart-breaking for us, but over the last five years we have had to make massive reductions in the number of legal aid asylum claims and appeals that we take on. Legal aid will never be wildly profitable, and that’s ok. But providers of legal aid cannot continue taking on work that causes financial losses. It is not sustainable, and the losers are the people who need representation.’ Link in the comments below to the full article from The Law Society Gazette.

Thrilled to be part of the delegation at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Crime, Policing and Justice two-day Conference, which brings together academic researchers to address some of the challenges facing the criminal justice system. Among the panel discussions today was a session about Randomised Controlled Trials, highlighting the ongoing evaluation of WEPROTECT, which is assessing its impact on reducing revictimisation and the mental health burden on survivors of domestic abuse. Three UK police forces are currently trialling WEPROTECT as part of this Home Office-funded evaluation, which is due for completion in spring 2025. #evaluation #research #domesticabuseawareness #survivorsupport #WEPROTECT #SayNoToDomesticSilence

As the numbers of people representing themselves in family court rises, The Law Society is calling on the next government to: ✔ increase civil legal aid fees so that legal aid providers remain viable and people can access their right to legal advice ✔ uprate civil legal aid means test eligibility so more people on lower incomes can access justice ✔ collect and publish better data on the family justice system Many family cases involve domestic abuse and are emotionally distressing - even more so when those involved have to represent themselves. #LegalAid #CivilLaw #LegalSupport #DomesticAbuseAwareness #WEPROTECT #SayNoToDomesticSilence