Coordinated Community Response

What do we know about Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is a social and global problem that has a significant impact on individuals, families, communities and society as a whole.  Research indicates that it affects one in four women, and one in six men in their lifetime; regardless of age, social class, race, disability or lifestyle.  At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence*.

Domestic violence is internationally acknowledged to be one of the health inequalities affecting women, and forms a significant obstacle to their receiving of effective health care**. Domestic violence can have a significant impact on women’s mental health; 70% of female psychiatric in-patients and 80% of those in secure settings have histories of physical or sexual abuse***. Children who live with domestic violence are at increased risk of developing behavioral problems and emotional trauma, and experiencing mental health difficulties in adult life****.

In the UK, the police receive a call every minute regarding an incident of domestic violence.  In any one year, there are 13 million separate incidents of physical violence or threats of violence against women from partners or former partners†.   There are severe consequences for those most at risk; 42% of all female homicide victims, compared with 4% of male homicide victims, were killed by current or former partners in England and Wales in 2000/01. This equates to 102 women, an average of 2 women every week‡.

In 75% - 90% of incidents of domestic violence, children are in the same or next room§; 52% of child protection cases involve domestic violence^.

For more information about the impact and prevlance of domestic violence in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham please visit our data page.

What do we want to achieve with Coordinated Responses? 

The criminal justice system is just one aspect of a fully functioning coordinated approach, particularly when only a small number of victims report to the police and only a percentage of these cases will carry through into court. Health, Children’s Services, schools, faith groups, family, friends, work colleagues, and the plethora of voluntary agencies which support individuals and families, all have an important role to play in the response to domestic violence.  No one agency can respond effectively on its own. Our success depends on the relationships and partnerships we build.

The Power of Partnership Working

The core purpose of developing coordinated responses is to enable individuals and communities to live free of violence and abuse.  The Standing Together approach seeks to eliminate domestic violence through improving integrated working, through written procedures, policies, shared action plans and resources, all supporting professional interventions.  We take survivor safety very seriously; this must be integrated into all aspects of planning and delivery.  In addition we believe that challenging social attitudes that normalise or minimise abuse are crucial in supporting prevention and early intervention work.  

Our approach acknowledges that the onus of holding perpetrators accountable lies with service providers, and the wider community, rather than the survivor.  While each agency maintains its independence, all agencies involved must work in an integrated and coordinated way to achieve the following:

•    An increase in the safety of domestic violence survivors

•    An increase in the safety of children who live with domestic violence

•    Holding perpetrators accountable for their actions

•    Effective prevention strategies.

Footnotes:

* Department of Health, 2002

** World Health Organisation, 1997; United Nations, 1993

*** Phillips, 2000; Department of Health, 2002

**** Kolbo, et al., 1996; Morley and Mullender, 1994; Hester et al.2000

† Home Office, 2004; Dodd et al., 2004; Dobash and Dobash, 1980; Walby and Allen, 2004

‡ Home Office, 2001§ Hughes, 1992; Abrahams, 1994

^ Department of Health, 2002; Farmer and Owen, 1995

For more information on the Coordinated Community Response in Hammersmith and Fulham, please contact Sally Jackson.

Back to the top of the page

Last Modified: 1st July 2011