In 2023, Jane* told her housing officer that she was experiencing domestic abuse.
It was a brave step which led to her being referred to our Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse service. One of our safeguarding and domestic abuse coordinators spoke with her the same day, where she told us that she didn’t feel safe to stay at home anymore and was staying with her sister. This meant that there was a small opportunity for her to get support.
We helped Jane to liaise with a domestic abuse helpline to help her to find a safe refuge. However, contact with her was difficult as she told us that her perpetrator was always present when she makes calls. This made it unsafe for her to speak on the phone, so text messages were the only way to communicate, as the messages could be deleted.
Therefore, due to the controlling and coercive behaviour from her perpetrator, text messages were the main way to keep in contact. An attempt was made to call her when the perpetrator had to leave the house for an appointment, but when he didn’t leave as planned it was time to try a different option.
Our safeguarding and domestic abuse coordinator considered another safe way to speak to Jane, such as finding her local GP and working with them to find a safe time to talk with her. The GP surgery helped us to book a private medical appointment, so we could speak to Jane without the perpetrator present.
A safety plan, needs assessment and risk assessment was completed, including a plan to remove the perpetrator from Jane’s home, as he wasn’t a tenant. We took care to plan in a way that prevented further risk or distress, as Jane was assessed to be at high risk of domestic abuse.
After the meeting, we took the lead to work with other agencies to rebuild Jane’s trust in other services that could support her. The safeguarding and domestic abuse coordinator worked with the local communities housing officer, the police, a lock smith, the allocated IDVA (independent domestic abuse advocate) and MARAC (a multi-agency risk assessment conference) to discuss a way forward. Throughout this time, we kept in contact with Jane to ensure her needs and wishes were put first.
The perpetrator was removed from Jane’s home which led to his arrest and an ongoing police investigation. We supported Jane to stay safe in her home and the locks were changed. Since then, Jane’s been moved to a new home and her perpetrator is unaware of her new address. She’s also continuing to make positive steps towards rebuilding her life, such as returning to work and completing courses for her career.
Partnership working between different organisations was the key to Jane being free from domestic abuse and knowing that support is always available.
Get help and support
We have specialist employees who are trained to provide domestic abuse support. Call us on 0300 456 2531 during office hours or email SafeguardingandDomesticAbuse@futureshg.co.uk. Read more information about where you can get help if you’re experiencing domestic abuse.
*Fake name used to conceal our customer’s identity.
