Newark and Sherwood District Council has been awarded the bronze standard from The Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) for its work on supporting survivors of domestic abuse.
DAHA awarded the accreditation following an in-depth, rigorous assessment process, which found the District Council demonstrated passion, dedication, and commitment to adopting and embedding the standards of the DAHA framework.
DAHA sets rigorous standards for how local authorities prevent, identify, and respond to domestic abuse in a safe, compassionate and survivor led way.
Achieving Bronze is the District Council’s first step on its continued commitment to support survivors and it is already looking to apply for its Silver status, the next step in the DAHA accreditation process. Achieving Bronze means the District Council:
- has strong and robust policies and procedures in place to offer the right support,
- works closely with relevant partners to offer a range of support avenues,
- has ensured staff have completed relevant training and development to support survivors, and
- demonstrates it operates a survivor centred practice.
As part of the assessment, DAHA completed a thorough review of the council’s service against its national framework. This included scrutiny of referral pathways, policies and procedures, the Domestic Abuse Champions scheme, staff learning and development, and in-depth reviews of real cases over the last six months.
Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Communities at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “DAHA’s feedback highlighted we have strong referral processes and effective partnerships for people who use our services. They also recognised the quality of our teams’ responses to initial disclosures, the identification of multiple needs, the use of alerts for high-risk cases, the availability of training, and the application of trauma informed practice when supporting survivors.
“We will continue building on this work, with the ambition to further strengthen our services and progress towards the DAHA Silver Award, before our ultimate aim of achieving gold status.”
Jonathan Nelson, DAHA Regional Lead said: “Newark & Sherwood District Council has demonstrated a safety-led response to domestic abuse that is non-judgmental, person centred and tailored to the needs of the survivor. Housing officers work creatively with the survivors to reduce risk and alleviate their financial pressures; a variety of housing options are explored and we've seen successful rehousing outcomes.
“There's a strong framework in place to support a systemic change to the domestic abuse response that NSDC can build upon. Congratulations to everyone involved in the Bronze award, you should all be proud of this achievement!”
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or know someone that is, please contact Newark and Sherwood District Council for confidential advice and support. Visit www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/domesticviolence, email customerservices@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk or call 01636 650 000.