Domestic Violence: Partnership Achievements 2001/2002

Transcription

1 Domestic Violence: Partnership Achievements 2001/2002 The Partnership and Harrow Domestic Violence Forum have made considerable progress in addressing the crime of domestic violence in the London Borough of Harrow. The Forum has been identified by other London boroughs as an example of good practice in multi-agency working. We are very pleased to be able to list below the achievements for 2001/2. The four headings reflect the sections within the Mayor for London s Strategy on Domestic Violence. Much of the work was carried out prior to the publication of the strategy. Policy development Public education and targeted awareness raising! Established a common definition for domestic violence in Harrow.! Review of domestic violence policy, within agencies represented on Harrow Domestic Violence Forum, completed and gaps identified.! Social Services Children and Families policy on domestic violence completed and currently under consultation.! Housing policy on domestic violence launched and training for all housing officers on the domestic violence policy, domestic violence awareness and legislation relevant to domestic violence cases.! Personnel policy on domestic violence completed and under consultation.! Expansion of domestic violence information in the ACPC (Area Child Protection Committee) guidelines. For more information contact Pattie Friend Domestic Violence Co-ordinator on

2 ! Domestic violence in Health Improvement Programme (mental and physical health), Quality Protects, Supporting People Shadow Strategy, Community Plan, Children s Services Plan and Crime Reduction Strategy.! Contribution to the development of guidelines for health professionals on domestic violence.! Co-ordination of multi-agency response to Mayor for London Strategy on Domestic Violence and submission to GLA. Dissemination of information! Presentation to Women s Aid Federation of England National Conference: a Stitch in Time-October 2002.! Attendance at ALG meetings on implementation of London Strategy.! Attendance at GLA pan London DV Forum.! Presentations to Hounslow and Ealing Domestic Violence Fora.! Public Education Programme established by the Education and Training Sub Group of Harrow Domestic Violence Forum to raise awareness in minority ethnic communities.! Presentation to Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) November Training! Domestic violence now included in Social Services annual training programme.! Presentation to ACPC two- day child protection training and ACPC training for designated teachers in schools.! Training seminar for A&E staff at Northwick Park Hospital.! Presentations to Northwick Park Children and Families Team and Pinner Road Children and Families Team.! Taking Action Together (February 2001): a training event attended by 100 key personnel in statutory and voluntary agencies in Harrow.! Established multi-agency training programme in response to needs identified at the above. Three multi-agency training sessions held so far involving health visitors, Social Services, HUMHS, Housing and voluntary organisations and legal agencies. Next session planned for March 2003 on the issue of disabilities.! Major contribution to Project Respond Train the Trainer Course for health professionals June 2002.! Training for Police Sergeants September 2002.! Training for Family Panel Magistrates December 2002.! Training for Brent and Harrow GPs October For more information contact Pattie Friend Domestic Violence Co-ordinator on

3 Awareness raising! Media strategy developed by Publicity Sub Group.! Health campaign (posters, leaflets, displays, cards) directed at Northwick Park Hospital, GP Surgeries, Health Centres and Clinics and Pharmacies throughout the borough.! Children s poster campaign (poster designed by year nine student at Rooks Heath high as part of domestic violence PHSE Project) distributed to all schools and colleges, DV Forum and Women s Forum members.! Domestic Violence poetry competition at Rooks Heath High: winning entry in January 2003 Harrow People.! Three awareness-raising posters designed and produced by Publicity Sub Group and distributed widely in the borough. Posters translated into eight community languages.! Week Against Violence Against Women November 2001 and 2002: displays in Civic Centre reception (including DV banner), town centre, franking machine message Stop Domestic Violence.! Domestic violence lead on International Women s Day Event 2001 at Greenhill College and domestic violence exhibition at 2002 IWD event.! Domestic violence resource pack for members of DV Forum.! Presentation to Government Office for London on domestic violence and housing in Harrow.! Councillors briefing on domestic violence and health incorporating dramatic presentation June 2001.! November 2001 Harrow Domestic Violence Forum Annual Review and Seminar on Children attended by 65 people.! November 2002 Harrow Domestic Violence Forum Annual Review and seminar on minority ethnic women and children and domestic violence attended by 98 people.! Domestic violence information in Harrow People, Progress and local press on regular basis.! Harrow Domestic Violence Forum webpage on Harrow website.! Harrow Domestic Violence Forum Newsletter established with six editions to date.! Common monitoring form for domestic violence established and adopted by key agencies: Police, Social Services Children and Families, Women s Aid, Women s Centre, Housing Services, Drug and Alcohol Service, Health Visitors, MIND and Victim Support. The information gathered is analysed by the Domestic Violence Co-ordinator and a member of the Council s GIS Team and made available in report format. Increasing safe choices! Domestic violence section within Crime Reduction Strategy with police and LBH/Harrow Domestic Violence Forum targets. For more information contact Pattie Friend Domestic Violence Co-ordinator on

4 ! Further distribution of self- help information for victims of domestic violence in the form of small cards and Harrow Domestic Violence Forum leaflet.! Self-help cards translated into eight community languages and distributed to various agencies in the borough.! Domestic violence information in Unreel magazine (four editions) which has distribution of 10,000 to cinemas and supermarkets in Harrow.! Domestic violence information in Council Tax calendar (two consecutive years) to be distributed to all households in Harrow.! Domestic violence section in Safer Harrow CD, distributed with Harrow People to all households in Harrow.! Extension of interpreting facilities to two front-line organisations (Women s Aid and the Women s Centre.)! Contact Centre project established and volunteers trained in preparation for pilot.! Freshstart scheme (housing) established providing opportunities for women fleeing domestic violence to move to an out of London area and retain secure tenancy.! West London Borough Alliance: Protocols have been developed regarding rehousing on a reciprocal basis again enabling women to retain secure tenancy.! Domestic Violence Co-ordinator chaired West London Conference on Domestic Violence and Supporting People.! Sanctuary Project for victims of domestic violence centralised and expanded via Housing Services. This project involves providing increased security measures in the home for women who have left an abusive relationship but wish to remain in the home. Referrals to the project can be made by Women s Aid, Harrow Women s Centre, Harrow Housing Advice Centre and the Police.! Self-help information on Harrow Domestic Violence Forum web page on Harrow website.! Emergency Crisis fund established for women in need of urgent placement in temporary accommodation who have no immediate access to funds.! Domestic violence displays in Harrow libraries and information regarding outreach services provided in a number of community languages.! Survivor consultation exercise November Educating children and Young People! Pilot Personal Health and Social Education Project (PHSE) at Rooks Heath High School. Seven week programme on domestic violence awareness for all year nine students and delivered by year nine tutors. Counselling support was organised by the Education and Training sub group for the seven-week period.! Following evaluation second revised five week PHSE programme on domestic violence delivered in the autumn term 2002 to new year nine at For more information contact Pattie Friend Domestic Violence Co-ordinator on

5 Rooks Heath. Programme under consideration by the Home Tuition Service.! Information and awareness raising session with heads of drama-many drama schemes already contain module on domestic violence.! Domestic violence component in Youth Offending Team mentoring project.! Presentation to PHSE Co-ordinators for first and middle schools October2002. Holding perpetrators accountable! Implementation of Harrow Snapshot Project. (Please see detail below)! Presentation on Hammersmith Domestic Violence Intervention Project to Harrow Domestic Violence Forum! Meeting with Probation Service to explore the delivery of a Pathfinder Project (perpetrator re-education) in Harrow.! Probation Service represented on Harrow Domestic Violence Forum and the Justice Sub Group.! Presentation by Respect to Harrow Domestic Violence Forum. Innovative Multi-Agency Work Snapshot Project Home Office funding received for Snapshot repeat victimisation project. Launched in April 2002 involving health, police, CPS, A&E, voluntary organisations and LBH. Victims of domestic violence can have their injuries photographed and retained for admission to court as evidence. 12 ICEFLO (instant capture of evidence by front line officers) cameras and film purchased and an accompanying pack has been developed to guide agencies through the process of enhanced evidence collection to ensure the integrity of that evidence. Project has involved the following:! Organisation of multi-agency information gathering trip to Killingbeck Police Division in Yorkshire.! Co-ordination of various areas of expertise within the project.! Organisation and delivery of training on the use of ICEFLO cameras for all participating agencies March For more information contact Pattie Friend Domestic Violence Co-ordinator on

6 ! Further training for new partners and refresher course for existing agencies September 2002.! Development and production of detailed packs for use in enhanced evidence collection and training the use of these guidelines. The packs include: # An agreement by all participating agencies # Guidelines on use of the ICEFLO cameras # Guidelines for completing a witness statement # Body maps # Advice on storing the enhanced evidence # Example of completed statement! Police letters to victim and perpetrator identifying domestic violence as a crime and informing victims of support services.! Launch and publicity of project.! Project will be monitored to assess frequency of use and effectiveness. Give Domestic Violence the Chop : Hair/Beauty Salon Campaign Women usually go to hair/beauty salons on their own thus providing the ideal environment for accessing literature on helping agencies. The Publicity Sub Group members approached salons in the borough inviting them to join a project to make information available for vicitms of domestic violence.! 50 hair/beauty salons in Harrow are displaying self help information on domestic violence. They will be making available the Harrow Domestic Violence Forum leaflet listing helping agencies and the self-help card.! A launch was held at Body and Sole Hair and Beauty Salon on November 30 th 2002 where volunteers were sponsored to have their hair cut and coloured to raise money for victims of domestic violence.! Some of the salons are displaying domestic violence posters in addition to the self-help material. For more information contact Pattie Friend Domestic Violence Co-ordinator on