Domestic abuse & safeguarding

Domestic abuse and violence/safeguarding

Anyone can experience domestic abuse

Domestic abuse/violence is a pattern of abusing and controlling behaviour which often escalates over time. It is more common than people think; it can happen between partners and within families. Domestic abuse can include emotional and financial abuse, physical assault, psychological abuse, sexual abuse and rape, threats, harassment and intimidation.

Domestic abuse can affect anyone – men, women and those who identify as non-binary. It can occur in any relationship – heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, young or old. 

If you are living with domestic abuse, there is support available. To download our ‘domestic abuse - a guide to support available’ leaflet please click here.

Domestic abuse is a crime and should be reported to the Police. Call 999 if it’s an emergency or if you are in immediate danger.

The Police take domestic abuse seriously and will be able to help and protect you. Contact your local neighbourhood policing team on 101 if it’s not an emergency.

Read about how our support made a difference to a young woman who had fled her family home due to domestic abuse.

Safeguarding – are you concerned about a person's safety, welfare or wellbeing?

We believe that safety, protection and welfare of everyone is vital. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. However, what do you do if you think that someone is in an unsafe situation? As a trusted partner, we will play our role in supporting local authorities to deliver their statutory obligations and put simply, it’s about us being able to identify safeguarding issues and then raising an alert to the relevant Local Authority/Safeguarding team.

If you are concerned about someone’s safety or wellbeing, please report it directly to your Local Authority Safeguarding team via www.gov.uk/find-local-council

If you are at immediate risk of harm or can see that someone else is, please contact the Police on 999.  Further information on contacting the Police can be found on the following link: https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-the-police/

If you have concerns about the welfare of a child, you can also contact NSPCC www.nspcc.org.uk or 0808 800 5000.

If you are a young person and need support, you can contact Childline at  www.childline.org.uk or 0800 1111.