Southend recognised for pioneering scheme to help domestic abuse victims
Published Friday 10th September 10 in Council - news and information releases news
The effectiveness of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s Sanctuary Scheme, which helps victims of domestic abuse, has attracted the attention of a national research report.
The Council was one of 11 authorities positively highlighted in a research report by the Department for Communities and Local Government on the effectiveness of schemes that allow victims of domestic abuse to stay safely in their own homes.
Councillor Anna Waite, Executive Councillor for Adult and Community Services says: "It is a great achievement for the Council that we have been nationally recognized for the work we do to try and keep victims of domestic abuse safe.
"I am pleased that the Sanctuary Scheme has been recognised for achieving this successfully."
The Sanctuary Scheme is a multi-agency initiative, centred on providing victims of domestic abuse a safe environment so they can remain in their own homes. This is achieved by providing enhanced security measures and a strong support network for the victims in order to reduce repeat violence against them.
The scheme involves modification of a victim's home, often involving installation of a safe room. This means that if there is a threat at the house, there is a safe haven for them to go to and they can contact the police once safely inside.
As part of the research, service users were interviewed, and most reported that they felt much safer following the installation of Sanctuary.
The Department for Communities and Local Government report concluded that overall, providing victims with sanctuaries was successful at both reducing incidents of domestic violence and from preventing homelessness related to domestic violence.