Domestic Abuse JSNA

What is being done and why

Nationally

  • Women’s Aid
  • Refuge
  • Man Kind
  • Men’s Advice Line
  • Dog’s Trust Freedom Project
  • Forced Marriage Unit
  • Galop
  • Paladin
  • Respect

Regionally

There are several agencies who provide specialist services across the Cleveland and Tees area including -

Halo provides safeguarding and on-going confidential advice, help and support to black and minoritised women, girls and children who are at risk of and/or are survivors of domestic and sexual violence and abuse, including forced marriage, honour-based abuse and female genital mutilation. Community support includes refuge accommodation, help to stay safe, practical, emotional and cultural support, including legal, financial and community education.

ARCH Teesside is a specialist sexual violence service offering free and confidential support, help and advocacy to people in the Teesside area who have experienced rape and sexual abuse at any point in their lives.

A Way Out is an outreach and prevention charity which aims to engage, empower and equip vulnerable and excluded women, families and young people to live lives free from harm, abuse and exploitation and to reduce life-limiting choices and behaviour.

Suzy Lamplugh Trust offers expert advice in lone-working and personal safety training, stalking training, as well as consultancy, campaigning, and support services. Across the Cleveland area, Suzy Lamplugh Trust provides support to victims of stalking via an Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker (ISAC).

Locally

Harbour is the commissioned service provider for an integrated response to victims and survivors, including children, and perpetrators of domestic abuse in Hartlepool. This includes the provision of safe accommodation comprising of –

  • a 7-unit refuge for women and children, inclusive of one space for disabled people and one space to be used for emergency use for a maximum of 7 days,
  • a 6-unit refuge for single women with complex needs
  • 3 dispersed properties for all victims of domestic abuse

Harbour also delivers a Sanctuary scheme to residents of Hartlepool in tandem with Crime Prevention Officers in Cleveland Police.

The number of units of safe accommodation available in Hartlepool has increased year on year since 2021. However, Hartlepool does not currently have any specialist or second stage (move-on) accommodation.

In addition to safe accommodation, Harbour are commissioned to deliver –

  • outreach and assertive outreach in the community,
  • empowerment programmes,
  • counselling
  • a dedicated children and young people therapeutic service
  • a preventions service and programme for those who cause harm.
  • Three specialist roles for the CHUB, safeguarding and assessment teams and early intervention.

Service users are also encouraged to access the recovery service once formal support has ended and contribute to the Service User Panel to inform strategic decisions.

Harbour offers services to the whole community, including –

  • Women, men and trans people
  • People from all ethnic groups and backgrounds
  • People from the LGBTQ+ community
  • Disabled people
  • Children

In addition to this, the Office for Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland fund an IDVA in each locality, as well as specialist IDVA’s for –

  • Mental Health
  • Hospital
  • Children and Young People
  • Court

They are subject to grant funding until March 2026.

The Office for Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland has launched a Teeswide Tackling Domestic Abuse Perpetration Strategy for 2025 – 2035.[xi]

The Tackling Domestic Abuse Perpetration Strategy identifies three key priorities:

  • Prevent – by identifying, responding and referring concerns at the earliest opportunity.
  • Protect – by identifying perpetrators and holding abuse behaviour to account.
  • Pursue – by using protective measures to disrupt and prosecute perpetrators.

Hartlepool Borough Council has commissioned the Safe and Together[xii] Model as framework to improve the response to domestic abuse to families involved in children’s services. An implementation plan is underway to develop this across multi-agency partners.