Introduction
As most domestic abuse happens in the home, housing providers are often at the forefront of tackling abuse and play a key role in supporting victims and survivors.
We have a zero-tolerance approach to domestic abuse for our tenants and all residents in the borough. The council is committed to good practice and continual service improvement and has joined the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) as a member, working towards accreditation.
DAHA is an accreditation scheme run by Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse and is recognised under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 as best practice for housing providers.
This policy outlines how H&F housing services staff will support residents or service users at risk of or experiencing domestic abuse, and how staff will respond to perpetrators of harm who are residents or service users.
For information on how to access support if you are experiencing domestic abuse, go to our website or speak with your housing officer if you are a tenant.
Our response is underpinned by integrity, collaboration, empathy, empowerment, respect and accountability, in line with the values of the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance.
This policy will be reviewed at a minimum every 3 years to reflect changes in legislation, research, national and local policy.
It can be reviewed sooner to incorporate lessons learned from local serious case and domestic homicide reviews.