Mansfield District Council has become a beacon of good practice in its response to survivors of domestic abuse.
Last week it achieved the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) Accreditation (Foundational), a UK benchmark in supporting survivors of domestic abuse, after training its entire workforce to be more aware of the signs of domestic abuse and how to support survivors.
Survivors of domestic abuse can now look out for ribbons and badges worn by council staff if they wish to access support. The council will listen to what they need and discuss choices to enable them to make informed decisions about their life.
Adam Hill, CEO at the council, said: "We are very proud to have achieved this accreditation. We are the first local authority in Nottinghamshire to achieve this, and the first anywhere in the country to use an independent charity, Nottinghamshire Woman’s Aid, to support us through it.
"Every department has been involved in helping us achieve this and it’s been a fantastic example of us all working together. It aligns well with our corporate commitments to make Mansfield a safer place and improve the wellbeing of local people.
"It should help council workers have more confidence in identifying domestic abuse and knowing how to respond if and when they encounter it, and this should have a positive impact for our customers.
"We hope they will view the council as a safe opportunity for them to disclose abuse and in a way that empowers them."
Christie Conroy, of Nottinghamshire Women's Aid, led the co-ordination of the DAHA project at the council, delivering learning programmes which were tailored for every department at the council to help council officers spot indicators of domestic abuse and respond safely and effectively.
It meant, for instance, that a housing repairs team was encouraged to spot damage at properties that could indicate abuse, while reception staff learned to look out for a visitor displaying, for instance, an air of fearfulness.
The accreditation requires the council to take a proactive approach to domestic abuse, to embed a believing and non-judgmental culture and to hold perpetrators of domestic abuse to account for the harm they cause.
It also means that the council becomes an enabling environment empowering survivors of abuse to disclose details of domestic abuse, possibly for the first time.
It will also ensure that clear pathways are established with external agencies, as part of its co-ordinated response, so that survivors can be effectively supported.
This can help reduce the incidence of domestic abuse within the district, reduce homelessness and safeguard more survivors including children.
The DAHA accreditation is recognised in the Statutory Guidance that accompanies the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and is awarded through achieving a set of standards in eight priority areas of practice as detailed in the DAHA Accreditation Framework.
The project delivery in Mansfield, which has been carried out over the past 10 months, served to improve the council’s effectiveness in the local co-ordinated community response to domestic abuse – a model recognised by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Nicole Jacobs, as national best practice.
In order to meet these rigorous standards, the council has had to review all its policies and procedures and equip all staff with the skills, tools, and knowledge they need to have the confidence to identify and respond well to domestic abuse.
Judith Vickress, DAHA Programme Manager for domestic abuse charity Standing Together, said after the accreditation panel hearing last week (Thursday 30 March): "You are doing some really excellent work at Mansfield District Council that is truly survivor and safety led.
"Mansfield can be very proud of achieving this accreditation because we certainly do not make it easy for the very reason that we consider every standard through the survivor lens.
"I was really excited to hear of the model you adopted locally to work in partnership with Nottinghamshire Women's Aid Ltd. This is the first area to have done this and it’s absolutely shown how it can be done and in a remarkably short time, too.
"We applaud all who have been part of this work and that includes the Commissioners who have had the foresight to recognise this as an opportunity to strengthen partnership working in Mansfield and across Nottinghamshire."
DAHA now plans to showcase “the Mansfield model” of project delivery as good practice and encourage other authorities to work similarly in partnership with their specialist domestic abuse services to deliver the project.
The cost of meeting the standards of the accreditation was met by funding from Nottinghamshire County Council, which has a statutory duty to provide safe accommodation for domestic abuse survivors and their children, and the government.
Jonathan Gribbin, Director of Public Health at the county council, said: “We congratulate Mansfield District Council on leading the way in Nottinghamshire and being the first district to achieve DAHA accreditation.
"This is a fantastic example of how partnership working can be used to improve responses to domestic abuse across Nottinghamshire. We look forward to supporting other districts in Nottinghamshire to achieve DAHA Accreditation in the future.
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