Domestic abuse policy

Date approved: February 2024
Review date: February 2027

See below for the full policy, but please be aware this may include acronyms or technical jargon used internally within Raven. If you have any questions, please contact us.

1. Purpose and scope of the policy

1.1. The purpose of this policy is to create a safe and inclusive environment for all individuals within Raven and to address and respond to any reports or matters relating to Domestic Abuse.

1.2. This policy has been reviewed in conjunction with East Surrey Domestic Abuse Service (ESDAS), the lead organisation in Reigate & Banstead managing and supporting victims or survivors of Domestic Abuse.

1.3. This Policy should be read in conjunction with Ravens Safeguarding Policy, to ensure all aspects relating to vulnerabilities have been considered.

2. Detailed policy content

2.1. Domestic Abuse is unacceptable and will be dealt with sensitively and with compassion.

2.2. Any individual who witnesses or is a victim of domestic abuse should promptly report the matter to the Police, their local domestic abuse outreach service, or to Raven and this can be via Ravens portal, by email, phone, in writing or face to face.

2.3. Raven is committed to maintaining confidentiality for all parties involved in a domestic abuse incident report, however in the majority of cases Raven would look to refer the matter to the local domestic abuse service, to take the lead on any support or enquiries, as these partners have the necessary skills. We would look to make this referral with the agreement of the customer.

2.4. Where a domestic abuse organisation or Police are taking the lead on a matter, Raven may be required by to disclose information related to the incident to partner agencies, to support criminal or safeguarding proceedings. Raven has signed both the Surrey Information Sharing Protocol and the Sussex Data Sharing Protocol, which allows data to be shared with professionals, in these cases.

2.5. When a report of a domestic abuse is received, this will be logged & passed to the Tenancy Enforcement Team who will contact the victim within 24 working hours and then complete a thorough and impartial investigation, considering any vulnerabilities. This investigation may include interviews with the parties involved, reviewing relevant documents or evidence, and seeking external expertise if necessary.

2.6. If after speaking to Police, they believe that a criminal offence has taken place, Raven may be asked to postpone any civil action or tenancy enforcement until criminal proceedings are completed or withdrawn, although if required Raven will still offer support, if this is not being supplied by another agency.

2.7. If the investigation determines that a domestic abuse incident has occurred, then Raven will work with other agencies to take appropriate action to address the situation.

2.8. The tools and powers available to Raven are detailed in Ravens ASB procedure.

2.9. Raven is committed to providing support and resources to individuals who have experienced domestic abuse. If this is not being provided by specialist agencies, Raven will consider other support partners, such as witness support or Support Coaching

2.10 Raven will maintain records of all reported domestic abuse incidents and their resolutions
while ensuring the privacy of individuals involved.

3. Applicability

3.1 This policy applies to all employees, contractors, volunteers, board members and visitors associated with Raven.

3.2 Domestic abuse can occur anywhere. If an incident occurs in the workplace, this should be reported to Ravens People Team immediately.

3.3 If the victim of Domestic abuse is a member of staff & the perpetrator is linked to their personal life, this should be reported to Raven’s People Team.

3.4 This Policy operates within relevant legislation, as follows;

• the Housing Act 1996
• the Human Rights Act 1998
• the Protection from Harassment Act 1997
• the Data Protection Act 2018
• Crime & Policing Act 2014
• Domestic Abuse Act 2021

4. Definitions

4.1. Domestic Abuse is defined (by government) as;

• Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.

(note – this is an abridged definition, the full definition can be found here)

5. Implementation procedures

5.1. Raven will provide ongoing training on diversity, equity, and inclusion to prevent Domestic Abuse incidents. This training will be made available to all employees and may include workshops, seminars, and resources for self-education.

5.2. Further guidance on domestic abuse can be found on Ravens internal training platform.

5.3. Refresher training for front line staff is available from ESDAS upon request.