Domestic abuse

If you’re in an emergency situation and need police help but can’t speak, ‘Make Yourself Heard’ lets the 999 operator know your call is genuine. Read the Silent Solution guide for more information.

If you are deaf or can’t use a phone, you can register with the emergencySMS. Text REGISTER to 999. You will get a text which tells you what to do next. Do this when it is safe so you can text when you are in danger.

Safe Spaces UK is working with Boots UK, Morrisons, Superdrug and Well pharmacies, TSB banks and independent pharmacies across the UK to provide Safe Spaces in their consultation rooms for people experiencing domestic abuse. Once you are inside, specialist domestic abuse support information will be available for you to access.

How to access a Safe Space

• Walk into any participating pharmacy in the UK.
• Ask at the healthcare counter to use their Safe Space.
• A pharmacist will show you to the Safe Space which will be the consultancy room.
• Once inside you will find displayed specialist domestic abuse support information for you to access to make that call or access Bright Sky safely.

To find a Safe Space in a pharmacy near you click here.

Action Needed Immediately

If you are experiencing domestic abuse and need immediate help ask for ‘ANI’ in a participating pharmacy. ‘ANI’ stands for Action Needed Immediately. If a pharmacy has the ‘Ask for ANI’ logo on display, it means they’re ready to help. They will offer you a private space, provide a phone and ask if you need support from the police or other domestic abuse support services.

You should contact your local authority as they have a duty to provide temporary housing for people who are homeless.

A refuge is a safe place for women, men and children who are unable to stay safely in their homes because they are experiencing abuse, or are at risk of abuse from a partner, former partner or family member. You can stay there as long as you need, anywhere from a few days to several months.

The Men’s Advice Line run by Respect is a confidential helpline specifically for male victims.
Tel: 0808 801 0327
Email: info@mensadviceline.org.uk

If you are concerned about your behaviour or the behaviour of someone you know, there is support available. The Respect Phoneline is an anonymous and confidential helpline for men and women who are abusing their partners and families.

It is open Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm. The helpline also takes calls from partners or ex-partners, friends and relatives who are concerned about perpetrators.

Telephone: 0808 802 4040

A webchat service is available Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10am to 11am and from 3pm to 4pm.

In an emergency, you should ring 999 and ask for the Police. Otherwise, you should ring Childline. Telephone 0800 1111.

In an emergency, you should ring 999 and ask for the Police. Otherwise, you should ring the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or report any concerns directly to Children’s Social Services for the relevant local authority.

A MARAC is a meeting where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases between representatives of local police, health, child protection, housing practitioners, Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs), probation and other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors. After sharing all relevant information they have about a victim, the representatives discuss options for increasing the safety of the victim and turn these into a coordinated action plan.

The introduction of the new Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and Honour Based Violence (DASH 2009) Risk Identification, Assessment and Management Model, means that all police services, and many partner agencies across the UK, will be using a common checklist for identifying and assessing risk which will save lives.

There are a number of legal remedies to stop your abuser from coming back to the property. There is also help to make your property more secure, which could include assistance from the local authority, in Wiltshire support from the Bobby Van, or help from your landlord.

A Sanctuary Scheme is a multi-agency victim-centred initiative that aims to enable households at risk of violence to remain safely in their own homes by installing a ‘Sanctuary’ in the home and through the provision of support to the household.

There are several legal remedies available to you to help you go back to your property and exclude your abusive partner. You should seek legal advice about these to see which is best for you in the circumstances.

We do not have the legal authority to do this without a court order.

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), also known as ‘Clare’s Law’, allows police to disclose to individuals the details of their partner’s abusive past in order that they can make an informed decision about their situation.

A Domestic Violence Protection Notice (DVPN) is served by the police on perpetrators of domestic abuse and provides emergency protection for victims. It must be presented to a magistrates’ court for approval within 48 hours. It is the first step to acquiring a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO). A DVPN places conditions on a perpetrator which may include:

• stopping him/her from entering and being within a certain distance of the victim’s home
• stopping him/her from making the other person leave or excluding them from their home
• requiring him/her to leave the victim’s home.

If the magistrates agree, the prohibitions stated within the Domestic Violence Protection Notice can continue for between 14 to 28 days in the form of a Domestic Violence Protection Order.

A judicial order restraining a person from beginning or continuing an action threatening or invading the legal right of another, or compelling a person to carry out a certain act. For example, if someone is worried that their ex-partner or spouse will end the tenancy without their consent, they can apply to the court for an injunction to stop them giving notice to end the tenancy. If the order is breached, the police can arrest that person immediately. You do not have to tell the person you want protection from that you’re applying for an injunction, in which case it’s known as a ‘without notice’ or ‘ex-parte’ application. If an order is granted the abuser will have to be told about your application after the order has been issued.

A non-molestation order is a type of injunction which can protect someone from violence or harassment. It can be obtained against someone who has been physically violent or against someone who is harassing, intimidating or pestering someone.

Occupation orders are orders made by the courts to enforce, declare or restrict rights to occupy the matrimonial home. They are only a short-term solution and will not affect what happens to the property in the final settlement.

This is a court order in relation to a criminal case alleging domestic abuse, whether or not the case is upheld. It is made when there is a need to protect a person from harassment or conduct that will put them in fear of violence. It imposes prohibitions on the perpetrator and may cover a range of behaviours, e.g. excluding a person from a geographical area, from contacting specific people, or behaving in a particular way. It lasts for one year or until it is revoked. It can be renewed for one year at a time if the court believes that the victim is still in danger. A person breaching a restraining order can be arrested and charged.

A transfer of property order is where a court orders that a sole or joint tenancy be transferred to a spouse or partner.