Case studies

Hertfordshire County Council’s Strategic Partnerships Team identified that there needed to be a stronger representation of voices from victims and survivors of domestic abuse within their approach to commissioning domestic abuse services.

In 2019, Central Bedfordshire identified that domestic abuse was part of a complex picture of need, with at least 30 per cent of all children’s services assessments carried out having an element of domestic abuse.

Chelmsford City Council implemented a local support hub for domestic abuse which co-located community safety, public protection, business compliance and housing with greater integration into public health and the local police.

In 2018, Northumberland County Council identified significant gaps in their multi-agency approach to tackling Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (DAandSV).

In response to the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) board in Warwickshire sought to review and understand the emerging needs of victims and survivors to prioritise resources and determine their strategic focus.

Brighton and Hove City Council have a diverse community with varying needs and have long valued engaging with victims and survivors to inform their domestic abuse service provision. In 2019/20, they wanted to ensure that their future local service provision would be truly inclusive of all victims and survivors.

Parental domestic abuse was a prominent feature in approximately one third of families who had a social work assessment. Norfolk recognised that early identification was key to reducing the number of safeguarding concerns and children going into care or receiving child protection plans.

In 2019, Barking and Dagenham set up the ‘Barking and Dagenham Domestic Abuse Commission’ (BDDAC) to examine the attitudes in the local community around domestic abuse, review the council’s service provision in response to domestic abuse and create a blueprint for other local authorities to follow.

Since 2016, HFH have provided the council’s domestic abuse and homelessness services, recognising the interconnectedness of domestic abuse and homelessness. Providing a safe and secure place to live free of the perpetrator is often a vital first step to providing support to victims and survivors escaping domestic abuse.

Commissioned by the council, the Derbyshire Autism Information and Advice Service is delivered by Citizens Advice Mid Mercia to offer free information and advice for Derbyshire’s community of people with autism and their families or carers.