‘Rallying together’: Town Hall assembles organisations to end gender-based violence

The Town Hall is to bring together key organisations working to end gender-based violence for a virtual event open to all Hackney professionals on 30 November as part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign.

Referrals to Hackney Council’s Domestic Abuse Intervention Service (DAIS) increased by 60 per cent at some points during lockdown, rising in May from around 25 cases per week to almost 40, in a stark reminder of the impact of the crisis on some of the borough’s most vulnerable.

The event will see organisations discussing how violence against women and girls (VAWG) intersects with other forms of discrimination and oppression, including on the basis of ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, disability, and immigration status, and the barriers faced by particular groups of people in accessing help.

Community safety lead Cllr Susan Fajana-Thomas said: “Domestic abuse is a crime, and we want everyone who is affected by it to know that help is available in Hackney.

“But it’s also important that people who work within communities can recognise the signs of domestic abuse and are able to address it safely, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, which has isolated those who are affected by domestic abuse.

“That’s why we’re training our housing staff, community groups, grassroots organisations and other professionals who work with residents as part of this year’s campaign activities – alongside recognising and addressing the wider issues that prevent domestic abuse survivors from reaching out for help.”

The Town Hall established a three-year VAWG strategy in 2019 to tackle the issue as a public health approach through focusing on early intervention and prevention. 

The strategy was drafted with the help of survivors of domestic abuse, young people, and those who have perpetrated abuse themselves, to identify what could have prevented the use of violence in the first place.

The Town Hall also adopted last year the ‘safe and together’ approach towards tackling domestic abuse, which focuses on keeping children with the non-abusive parent.

Lockdown made it difficult to contact victims of domestic abuse to advise them how to seek help, according to the council, with perpetrators more likely to be at home and able to overhear phone calls.

A council report on the issue found that a “significant number” of its self-referrals during lockdown were victims or survivors of domestic abuse who have used the service before and have “renewed concerns” during this time.

While domestic abuse referrals rose, child protection enquiries at the council were less than half the rate of the previous year, sparking “particular concern” and attributed largely to a fall in referrals initiated by local schools during lockdown.

The council’s 30 November event will see contributions from community support organisations including LGBTQ+ anti-violence charity GALOP, the Claudia Jones Organisation, which supports women of African Carribean heritage, and SignHealth, which helps deaf people affected by domestic abuse.

Also planned are virtual workshops for young people on healthy relationships, and domestic abuse training for Hackney Council housing staff, other Hackney-based professionals and local community organisations and grassroots groups.

As part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, Hackney and Waltham Forest councils will also hold an online event on the ‘safe and together’ model for their staff and volunteers on Wednesday 2 December.

Femicide Census‘ report into VAWG is being launched this evening, while GALOP will host a webinar on the impact of Covid-19 on domestic abuse and honour-based violence on 3 December at 1.30pm.

Sistah Space, a domestic violence charity for women and girls of African and Caribbean heritage, is also petitioning for a safe space for its users as part of the 16 Days campaign.

If you or someone you know is at risk of domestic abuse, you can access help, support and advice through the following channels:

• If someone is in immediate danger, call the police on 999 right away. If it’s unsafe for you to speak, you can make a silent phone call to the police by dialling 999 and pressing 55 when prompted to do so. If you’re deaf, hard of hearing or have speech impairments, you can call the police in emergencies on 18000 or text 999 if you’ve pre-registered for the Emergency SMS service: bit.ly/emergency-sms
• If you do not fear for your own or someone else’s immediate safety, you can report domestic abuse to the police by calling 101 or visiting bit.ly/report-domestic-abuse. If you’re are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can call the non-emergency textphone on 18001 101
• Contact Hackney Council’s Domestic Abuse Intervention Service (DAIS) on 020 8356 4458 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm), dais@hackney.gov.uk or hackney.gov.uk/domestic-violence
• If you’re concerned about the safety of children, you can call Hackney Council’s Children and Families’ Service on 020 8356 5500 from Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, or 020 8356 2710 outside office hours
• The National Domestic Abuse Helpline can be contacted 24-hours a day for free on 0808 2000 247 or by visiting nationaldahelpline.org.uk
• The National Stalking helpline is 0808 802 0330
• If you’re concerned about your behaviour towards your partner and want help to change, you can call the confidential Respect hotline on 0808 802 4040.