Across the themes of Crime, Children, Housing and Health there are a number of domestic violence initiatives which have either been launched or are being developed in Nottingham.

Some of the new developments include best practice identified in the National Domestic Violence Plan published by the government each year. The Plan is developed by the Domestic Violence Unit in the Home Office and this year the Office expanded to include sexual crime.

Nottingham has a Local Area Agreement ´stretch target´ for domestic violence which is to increase reporting of domestic violence to the police and increase sanctioned detections (that is a caution, fixed penalty notice or charge for someone who has allegedly committed a crime related to domestic violence for example common assault, sexual assault or threats to kill). People in Nottingham are increasing in confidence in contacting the Police and between 700 and 900 people call the police each month.

Nottingham does not have more domestic violence than other areas, but communities in Nottingham are confident in contacting the Police.

Nottingham has developed a number of schemes to support the target to increase confidence in reporting. By encouraging survivors / victims to contact the police or other agencies as soon as possible Nottingham aims to make people safer.

Some of these schemes are:

• Specialist Domestic Violence Court based at the Magistrates Court in Nottingham - the SDVC has magistrates and court staff who are trained in domestic violence awareness, the Crown Prosecution Service provides specially trained prosecutors, the Police Domestic Abuse Support Unit are in attendance and survivors are allocated a support worker from Women´s Aid Advice Centre called an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate or a support worker from Victim Support.


• Probation Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme and Women´s Safety Service is aimed at working with perpetrators who have been sentenced at court for a domestic violence related crime to reduce offending. The Women´s Safety Service supports the survivors / victims of the perpetrators attending the course because the risk of assault often increases at this time.


• Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) - These are similar to Child Protection Conferences, Adult Protection Conferences or conferences to manage dangerous people. Agencies work together to share information and plan to support survivors and their children and to hold perpetrators to account. Each case is allocated an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate.


• Sexual Assault Referral Centre is also being launched in Nottingham, this centre will enable people who have suffered a rape or sexual assault to receive advice and support with making a prosecution if they would like to. Independent Sexual Violence Advocates work with these survivors and are based with Nottingham Rape Crisis Centre.

Nottingham also has a Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI 225) for domestic violence. This BVPI includes 11 pieces of work as follows:

• A service directory for domestic violence services
• 1 refuge space per head of 10,000 population (Nottingham has 35 refuge spaces)
• Domestic violence co-ordinator
• Multi agency domestic violence strategy
• Domestic violence forum
• Information sharing strategy to enable agencies to share appropriate information
• Sanctuary scheme to enable survivors and their children to remain in their home with extra security and support
• Reduction in homelessness
• Eviction clause in tenancy for perpetrating domestic violence
• Education pack for use in schools and with young people
• Multi agency training available to organisations in Nottingham

At present Nottingham successfully meets most of the requirements or is working to meet them. For more information about any of these initiatives please contact the Domestic Violence Strategy Officer or Nottinghamshire Domestic Violence Forum.

Other schemes in Nottingham to support survivors/ victims of domestic violence and their children include:

Women's Aid Advice Centre 24 hour free phone help line for survivors or agencies who require information and support (with text phone and language line) 0808 800 0340 / 0341 text phone.

Amber House, Central Women's Aid, East Women's Aid and Umuada refuge all provide refuge and support to women and children who are fleeing domestic violence and abuse. Umuada is primarily for women and children of African / Caribbean descent.

Roshni Asian Women's Aid as well as providing refuge also provides an Outreach Service to any women, especially older women, women with disabilities, mental ill health or substance misuse problems.

Nottingham Community Housing Association will be providing Housing Related Support to women who have been re-housed after escaping domestic violence and abuse through the Shine Project.

Nottingham City Homes Special Accommodation Service for tenants who have experienced domestic violence and need emergency re-housing.

The Sanctuary Scheme is a partnership between Nottingham City Council, Nottingham City Homes and Women's Aid Advice Centre to provide free extra security to any tenure (NCH, registered social landlords, private rented and owner occupier) with support to the survivor to enable women and children to remain in their own home.

Nottinghamshire Domestic Violence Forum Information and Resource Project provides a website, newsletter, information, resources and training for all local staff and volunteers. NDVF also manages the Impact Project which runs programmes on healthy relationships with vulnerable young people and the TRI project which runs sessions on respectful relationships in schools, alongside work on good practice for men as victims and perpetrators.

Family Care has a listening and support service for children affected by domestic violence called Time 4 U.

A number of organisations in Nottingham also work to support survivors of domestic violence and their children and to hold perpetrators to account. These include the Police Domestic Violence Support Unit, Victim Support, Midwives, Health Visitors, Education Welfare Officers, Social Workers, Substance Misuse agencies, mental health services, Probation and many others.

The Nottingham domestic violence sector and other Nottingham organisations also work with agencies in Nottinghamshire, the East Midlands and the UK to provide support to survivors of domestic violence and to hold perpetrators to account. For more information about Nottinghamshire domestic violence services please contact the Domestic Violence Policy Officer for Nottinghamshire County Council.