South Lakes Housing are Making a Stand against domestic abuse
South Lakes Housing has signed up to a new national campaign to help it tackle domestic abuse in communities across South Lakeland.
The Make a Stand campaign centres around a pledge which has been developed by the Chartered Institute of Housing in partnership with Womens Aid and the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA).
Vicky Battista, The Domestic Abuse Champion at South Lakes Housings said:
“Over the past year, we have seen a rise in domestic abuse cases that have been reported to us by our tenants. This makes our commitment to our pledge with Make a Stand more important than ever. We are dedicated to keeping our pledge to help tackle any domestic abuse our tenants are experiencing as well as continuing to provide support and solutions to any tenants who have already reported domestic abuse to us.
It is imperative that South Lakes Housing continues to work closely with relevant agencies to not only help improve our understanding of domestic abuse but also so we can continue to provide solutions to our tenants and help them improve their lives.
This is an incredible campaign and we are very honoured to help raise awareness of domestic abuse with the help of Make a Stand.
Depending upon the wishes of the victim and the seriousness of the situation, South Lakes Housing will:
- Discuss the situation immediately with you
- Talk to the victim within 24 hours of receiving the report and investigate fully
- Work with relevant agencies involved such as the police or the local authority
- Review the security of the home if necessary
- Take appropriate legal action against the person causing the abuse
- Provide support to find alternative accommodation if needed
- Regularly keep in touch with you until the matter is resolved
We must respect the wishes of the victim unless they or others are in immediate danger, they are incapable of making a decision themselves, or a criminal offence has been committed. ”
It consists of four commitments which housing organisations can make to support people that live and work in housing who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Alison Inman, CIH president, said: Im thrilled that South Lakes Housing has signed the Make a Stand pledge as this could make a very real difference in local communities.
Domestic abuse is one of the biggest problems we face today. Millions of people are affected and two women a week are being killed by their partner or ex-partner.
Housing organisations house and employ millions of people and it is our duty to do more to tackle this issue. These are our homes, our people and this is our problem.
By signing the Make a Stand pledge South Lakes Housing has committed to supporting people in its communities and it is no exaggeration to say that this could save a life.
Kelly Henderson, co-founder of DAHA, said: We are very proud to be part of this pledge and commend South Lakes Housing for signing up. We know the housing sector plays a crucial role in recognising and responding to domestic abuse and this pledge is a really easy way to not only demonstrate commitment but also take the first practical steps to improving the response for both staff and residents.
Katie Ghose, chief executive of Womens Aid, said: For thousands of women and children across the country, their home is the most dangerous place they can be.
By signing up to the Chartered Institute of Housings Make a Stand pledge, South Lakes Housing has sent out a powerful message to survivors of domestic abuse that they are not alone and that there is help and support available to them.
Make a Stand was launched as part of CIH president Alison Inmans presidential appeal and Jim Strang has already agreed to continue to support the same cause when he takes the helm in September.
Organisations can sign the Make a Stand pledge on CIHs website and receive a support pack and other information to help them put the commitments in the pledge in place.
Our four commitments are:
- To put in place and embed a policy to support residents who are experiencing domestic abuse
- To make information about national and local domestic abuse support services available on your website and in other places which are easily accessible to residents and staff
- To put in place a HR policy and procedure on domestic abuse, or to incorporate this into an existing policy, to support members of staff who are experiencing domestic abuse
- Appoint a champion in your organisation to own the activity you are doing to support people experiencing domestic abuse.
For more information on Make a Stand visit: cih.org/makeastand
Services that can help:
https://springfieldsupport.org/
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-and-support/get-help/support-near-you/north-west/cumbria
www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk
http://cumbrialscb.com/LSCB/professionals/supportandservicesforfamilies/domesticabuse.asp
