Wolverhampton Homes awarded DAHA accreditation for commitment to tackling domestic abuse

Wolverhampton Homes is the newest housing provider to receive prestigious national accreditation for its work supporting customers who are affected by domestic abuse.

An estimated 2.3 million adults each year experience domestic abuse and it is the leading cause of homelessness amongst women. Reported cases of domestic abuse increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many victims trapped at home with their abuser, and the number of reports has continued to rise. 2021/22 multi-agency data on high-risk cases in the West Midlands from Safe Lives shows an increase of 15% compared to the previous year – more than 231 people are considered to be at high risk of serious harm each week in the West Midlands area alone.

DAHA assesses providers against eight priority areas including policies and procedures, partnership working, staff development and perpetrator accountability, with a focus on organisations providing survivor-led support.

Over the past year, Wolverhampton Homes have developed a company-wide See It, Report It initiative to support all colleagues to recognise potential signs of domestic abuse in customers’ homes and provide a clear internal referral process. There are clearly defined pathways for referrals from the Wolverhampton Anti-Social Behaviour unit which helps the team to identify potential domestic abuse cases from noise and other reported incidents. The company has also completed a programme of research with customers who have accessed domestic abuse support, with the aim of improving the information available to customers seeking help.

Angela Barnes, Director of Homes and Communities at Wolverhampton Homes said:

“We manage more than 21,000 properties and keeping customers safe in their homes is our number one priority. Hundreds of people are affected by domestic abuse every week in the West Midlands alone, which has a significant and devastating impact.

“We know that many victims will leave their home, often giving up a secure tenancy to escape their abuser and potentially ending up in temporary accommodation or in an area they have no connection to. This will not automatically keep people safe and the resulting lack of support and the disruption to their job, children’s schools and community only increases the impact on the household.

“We are committed to improving the safety and lives of victims and survivors of domestic abuse, supporting them to sustain their tenancies and remain safely in their homes. DAHA accreditation is a fantastic achievement for Wolverhampton Homes and for key partners across the city such as The Haven, who work in collaboration with us to keep residents safe. It will give us a strong foundation to build on as we continue to develop and improve the services we provide for our customers.

Councillor Asha Mattu is a council board member for Wolverhampton Homes and runs a community charity which supports victims of domestic abuse. She said:

“Keeping people safe is everyone’s business and the DAHA accreditation for Wolverhampton Homes is hugely positive for the city. We take a co-ordinated approach to tackling domestic violence in Wolverhampton with many partners working closely together.

“Being able to share best practice and continually improving what we do, means our residents can have peace of mind that high-quality, non-judgemental support is available should they need it.

Please see our website for more information about local and national advice and support services for domestic abuse.