Survivors

Standing Together gives a voice, in all the work we do, to women who have experienced domestic violence.

A founding principle of Standing Together is "putting the survivor at the centre of the change process". We believe in empowering women; we know that where agencies plan change, however well-intentioned, without the involvement of people with current, first-hand knowledge of the issues there is a serious risk that the safety of women and children will be diminished not increased.

We have put this principle into practice in the following ways:

• Survivor agencies took a lead in the development of Standing Together, alongside the council and the police.
• Voluntary sector agencies working directly with survivors (ADVANCE, DVIP and Women's Aid) are equal partners in the management of Standing Together, on our Steering Group alongside all the criminal justice system agencies, the council and the health service.

We have also talked directly with survivors themselves (see publications and the special offer also available.).

Early in the development phase we carried out a consultation exercise with survivors, mainly women then living in refuges. Respondents supported the idea of the case going forward without the victim's participation if necessary, provided appropriate support and advocacy was in place.

We have developed consultation with local survivors on a regular basis. Our aim is to build a direct voice for survivors in to the ongoing work of Standing Together — to get to a position where we can consult with an informed group of survivors about our detailed plans before we implement them. This work has been governed by a protocol agreed with agencies in Hammersmith and Fulham working directly with survivors.