Welcome

Welcome to the Standing Together Against Domestic Violence web site. This site will give you information about our structure, our projects, and our work.

To get help

Standing Together Against Domestic Violence work with statutory and voluntary sector agencies only. We do not work directly with who people are experiencing domestic violence.

If you are experiencing domestic violence please contact the numbers listed below or refer to your council's web site (look for information on community safety) as it may include information about domestic violence services in your area.

If you are in immediate danger, ring the police on 999. If the danger is not immediate, contact your local police station.

For 24-hour information, advice and support, contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline: Freephone 0808 2000 247 (run by Women's Aid and Refuge).

If you are concerned that an abuser could find out that you have accessed this or other sites, please read this advice.

Hammersmith & Fulham Where To Go For Help

This leaflet provides information and contact details for local borough and national services available to support those who have been affected by domestic violence.

If you would like your service to be included in this leaflet please contact Laura Burtenshaw for more information on l.burtenshaw@standingtogether.org.uk.

News

Hammersmith and Fulham’s Domestic Violence Training Strategy 2009 – 2010

The Training Strategy is a outcome of the DV Action Plan which highlights the ongoing need for high quality training to all partner (and other) agencies in the Borough. Research undertaken by Standing Together in 2008 found that ‘the vast majority of the gaps in the working practices of agencies, and the frustrations of staff dealing with domestic violence on a daily basis could be addressed by effective training’ and recommended the introduction of training programmes in identifying domestic violence, understanding the dynamics of domestic violence and development of skills and information sharing.

Training conducted in the Borough over the past decade has placed a high priority on ensuring that staff in key partner agencies have the understanding and knowledge about domestic violence and its impact to ensure that women and children are treated appropriately, sensitively and in a way that increases their future safety and that perpetrators are held accountable for their behaviour. When frontline staff are trained to enquire, identify and respond to domestic violence this increases the early identification of domestic violence, is cost effective and increases staff competency and confidence.

The 112

Following the success of our 112 bike ride in May this year we will be holding the event again on the 8th May 2010.
For information about the routes available and to register, you can download the 2010 Registration Form here.

Domestic abuse: Best Practice Papers — Written by and for Practitioners and Trainers

Standing Together against Domestic Violence and its partner agencies have extensive experience of developing best practice guidance for many aspects of operational domestic violence work, by both single agencies and by multi agency groups. A number of publications we have produced over the past 10 years specifically address best practice, for example the SDVC Toolkit (2007), and Equal Voices, about the experience of policing and the courts for LGBT survivors.

We have now produced the first in a new series of shorter publications called:

• Best Practice Paper Number 1:
  Good Practice Checklist for Interpreters Working With Domestic Violence Situations

The Checklist is designed for one to one interviews, and not specifically for court or to take account of the codes of guidance covering police interview settings. However, many of the good practice ideas are generic.

These papers will summarise best practice and ideas for practitioners who are responding to domestic abuse from within a range of statutory, community and voluntary sector services and agencies. They will be disseminated free by email and on the Standing Together website.

Let us know…

If you have any suggestions or requests for future papers in the series, please contact Standing Together. If you would like to offer to provide material for a Best Practice Paper, we would like to hear from you!

New Appointments

Standing Together are pleased to welcome our new Children and Health Coordinator, Venetia Boon.

Venetia is a Cardiff graduate who has been gradually working her way back to her roots in the South East after a brief detour to Bristol. Past roles have included time spent at Bristol Children and Young People's Services, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Age Concern and other charitable organisations. Most recently she has been working for the mental health organisation, Time to Change, as the Portfolio Coordinator & Administrator. Previous work has included significant levels of partnership working with charitable and statutory partners which she hopes will stand her in good stead with the Domestic Violence Strategic Partnership work.

Research

In 2007 Standing Together were commissioned by London Councils to undertake research into the extent of help seeking by known victims of domestic violence across various statutory and voluntary agencies.

This report, entitled, Completing the Jigsaw — Help-seeking by survivors of domestic violence: What’s the problem? gives an insight into the extent of domestic violence as a cross-cutting theme and the responses that agencies deliver, both when domestic violence is identified and when it has not been recognised. The research supports the assertion that this crime remains hidden from public view and often from the view of the worker who is trying to resolve the presenting issues of an individual who is unsafe, lacking confidence and suffering from significant abuse. Unless the causes of these symptoms are identified it is axiomatic that solutions offered to those symptoms are unlikely to be effective.

• Completing the Jigsaw — Help-seeking by survivors of domestic violence: What’s the problem?
  Full Report
• Completing the Jigsaw — Help-seeking by survivors of domestic violence: What’s the problem?
  Summary and Recommendations

Consultancy Services

Standing Together offer support and guidance to domestic violence partnerships if they are seeking to build a community coordinated response, a Specialist Domestic Violence Court or many other aspects of responding to domestic violence.

Standing Together has published unique reports and resources around the work of the Specialist Domestic Violence Court at West London Magistrates Court and LGBT survivors. For further information visit the Publications page or order directly.

This site was last updated in January 2010.
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