Hackney is accredited with the White Ribbon Accreditation. The accreditation ensures organisations take a strategic approach to ending male violence against women by engaging with men and boys, changing cultures and raising awareness.
Behaviour of a person towards another person is “domestic abuse” if:
the people concerned are each aged 16 or over and are personally connected to each other (partner, ex-partner, family member), and
the behaviour is abusive
Behaviour is “abusive” if it consists of any of the following:
physical or sexual abuse
violent or threatening behaviour
controlling or coercive behaviour
economic abuse
psychological, emotional or other abuse
It does not matter whether the behaviour consists of a single incident or a course of conduct.
Domestic abuse is a crime. Domestic abuse comes in many forms.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 covers different types of abusive behaviour such as:
Physical abuse
Physical abuse can be violent such as hitting, punching, shoving, biting and kicking. Or, it can be the threat of physical violence. It also includes throwing things at you or pushing you.
Financial abuse is when you don’t have full control of your own money. Someone may have put you in debt, always check your bank account or make you pay their living expenses.
We can engage with the person who is hurting you to try and reduce the abuse. This will only happen if it is safe. We will work with you and won’t force you to do anything you’re not ready to do.
We usually see people in central Hackney. If you prefer we can arrange to see you somewhere else that is safe, accessible and comfortable for you.
For example, a housing neighbourhood office, doctor’s surgery or at your home. We can also visit you with a professional you already know such as your social worker or health visitor.
If we are working with you to support you to change your abusive behaviour we’ll share information with relevant people to ensure we can keep those around you safe.
We keep any information you share with us confidential. However, if we are concerned about the safety of a child or adult, we are legally required to share that information with the appropriate agencies. This could include the police, Children and Families Services, or Adult Social Care.
We will:
try to get your consent before sharing information
only share information without your permission if you or someone else is at risk of serious harm
never share anything you tell us with the person who is harming you
The Domestic Abuse Intervention Service has worked with leading Registered Social Landlords operating in Hackney to create and launch the Hackney Social Landlords Domestic Abuse Protocol. This sets out what help residents living in social housing can expect if they are experiencing domestic abuse and how landlords will work to make tenants safer in their homes.
The police will invite you to a meeting. At this stage, you will need identification.
The police will not make the disclosure in writing and documents are not provided.
Other organisations that can help
Women’s Aid created a directory that contains up to date information about local domestic abuse support services. It is regularly updated by the services listed so you’ll be able to find the right local support, when you need it most.
We do not commission the services (apart from Nia’s IRIS service) and do not have responsibility for the quality of services.
Disrespect NoBody – campaign helping young people to understand what a healthy relationship is and rethink their views of controlling behaviour, violence, abuse, sexual abuse and what consent means within their relationships
The following tools may be useful in helping you understand your situation and making decisions about whether you want to get help. They’re also useful for professionals working with clients in helping to explore domestic abuse.
It’s helpful if you can also complete a domestic abuse risk assessment form based on your work with the person who is being harmed. This is not essential when making a referral. The Hackney domestic abuse risk assessment (google doc) is founded on the standard 24 question DASH Risk Checklist with prompts to help practitioners consider:
anti-racist practice
intergenerational domestic abuse
disability
LGBTQ+ status
extra familial risk or exploitation
If you’ve conducted a domestic abuse risk assessment and the risks are high the case needs to be referred to the Hackney Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC). For more information, see the MARAC section below.
How to refer someone who is harming their (ex)partner or family member
Hackney and City’s Domestic Abuse Prevention Programme works with those harming others. It aims to:
explore and address their behaviour
help them make different choices
increase the safety of (ex)partners and family members
Referral criteria
For someone to benefit from the Domestic Abuse Prevention Programme, they need to:
have used behaviour that constitutes domestic abuse
have made meaningful acknowledgement of their use of abusive behaviours, even if they struggle to label it as ‘abuse’
say they want to work on changing their behaviour
be likely to attend the programme regularly over the intervention (6 to 7 months)
live in Hackney or have children or a partner/ex-partner who lives in Hackney
be 16 or over (16 and 17 year olds will receive individual rather than group work)
Before you make a referral
Before making the referral, it is important to speak to the person you want to refer:
identify the problematic behaviours and make it clear these are why you are referring them to the programme
help them acknowledge the behaviours are abusive and harmful to their (ex)partner and child or children
make sure they consent to a referral
inform them that the Domestic Abuse Intervention Service will contact their (ex)partner with any significant updates during their time on the programme
If you are in a position to do so, inform their (ex)partner of the referral and explain that they will be supported separately by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Service over the time their partner addresses their problematic behaviour.
If you are not able to inform their (ex)partner then the Domestic Abuse Intervention Service will do so.
Abusive behaviour from one adult (or person aged 16+) family member to another family member is domestic abuse.
Indicators
Many of the indicators of intergenerational domestic abuse are very similar to domestic abuse perpetrated by (ex)partners. They can include, but are limited to:
chronic unexplained injuries, bruises or cuts
symptoms of depression, anxiety or PTSD
anxiousness or fear of a person or persons
non-engagement with services
lack of support network or isolation from
friends and family
not being able to leave the house
lack of access to their own money
staff observing the person being dominated, harassed or controlled by their family member
Support
The Council takes the issue of intergenerational domestic abuse seriously. The following can help assist professionals identify and respond to intergenerational domestic abuse cases:
Young people’s relationships with one another are dynamic, not static. This is true in the context of romantic and sexual relationships as well as in the context of friendships and peer relationships.
The label used to describe a relationship is less important than the quality of the relationship and how safe it is.
The boundary between domestic abuse and extra familial harm can be blurred and unclear both to professionals and to the young people involved.
Power imbalances between one young person and another or one young person and a peer group can be heightened on the basis of:
trauma history
sex
gender
ethnicity
age
class or family wealth
disability
immigration status
level of spoken or written English
These imbalances can provide a context in which exploitation or abuse is more likely to occur and/or to go unreported.
Young people who harm others in an extra-familial context may be harming others in an intimate partner context, or an intrafamilial or intergenerational context.
Young people who harm others in an intimate partner context or an intrafamilial or intergenerational context, may be harming others in an extra-familial context.
Young people who are being harmed by others in an extra-familial context may be being harmed in an intimate partner context, or an intrafamilial or intergenerational context.
Young people who are being harmed by others in an intimate partner context, or an intrafamilial or intergenerational context may be being harmed in an extra-familial context.
Young people can be harming others and be harmed by others at the same time.
Young people being harmed or harming others in an extra familial context need to be considered in terms of any risks they may experience or pose to others in a domestic abuse context.
Young people being harmed or harming others through domestic abuse need to be considered in terms of any risks they may experience or pose to others in an extra familial context.
Adults, particularly those with additional needs or complexities, can also be vulnerable to exploitation and harm outside the home. This extra-familial harm may be part of the domestic abuse they’re experiencing or separate from the domestic abuse they’re experiencing. DAIS and other agencies in partnership with Adult Safeguarding colleagues are to follow a joined-up whole-system approach for any adult at risk of or experiencing exploitation.
Unfortunately, domestic abuse can result in the death of victims. We complete a Domestic Homicide Review when someone dies as a result of domestic abuse by:
a member of the same household
a relative
someone they had been in an intimate relationship with
The victim must be 16 years old, or over.
Domestic homicide reviews can also be completed when the death appears to have been caused by domestic abuse.
The Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) is a meeting for representatives to discuss high-risk cases of domestic abuse. The focus of a MARAC is to safeguard the victims.
During Hackney MARACs we:
share information to increase the safety, health and wellbeing of victims
take actions to reduce the risk of harm
review cases to explore all possible strategies for improving the victim’s safety
work in a coordinated way to put in place strategies for improving victim’s safety
impose sanctions to deter repeat offending
make sure representatives carry out actions on time
identify and raise issues of policy, practice, or partnership arising from casework
provide clear professional advice from involved agencies
contribute to the development of best practices around safety, planning and prevention
The meeting might be attended by:
the local police
probation services
health services
children’s social care
adult social care
housing
other specialists
Professionals working directly with the victim will always be present at a MARAC to:
make sure the MARAC hears the victim’s views
share their professional assessment of risk
The Hackney MARAC protocol outlines each attendees accountability and responsibility: