Elvira Wilson ( Head of Business Support Services) Tracy Groom (Financial Inclusion Coordinator) 5 March 2013 The Haven Wolverhampton Registered charity

Elvira Wilson (Head of Business Support Services)

Tracy Groom(Financial Inclusion Coordinator)

5 March 2013

The Haven WolverhamptonRegistered charity No. 1065427

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The Haven Wolverhampton

Set up in 1973 The Haven Wolverhampton is a charitable organisation which provides practical and emotional support services to women and dependent children who are vulnerable to domestic violence, homelessness and abuse.

The Haven Wolverhampton’s vision is for all women and children to live in a society free from oppression, homelessness, violence and abuse, and to promote and uphold human rights.

“I truly believe that The Haven Wolverhampton saved my life”

Registered Charity: 1065427 Company Ltd by Guarantee (Registered in England): 03159029

© The Haven Wolverhampton 2013

DV in Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton, UK

Population: 249.500 (Census 2011)

5,164 incidents of DV reported to the police between 1/4/10-31/3/11. 86% of victims of DV in Wolverhampton were female. The majority of these female victims were aged 17-39 with the 21-24 and 25-29 age ranges being marginally the peak age groups.3 domestic homicides in Wolverhampton in the last 2 years

31% of households are affected by child poverty In Wolverhampton the annual cost to the public sector was estimated as £66.54 million (WDVF).

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DV Sector in Wolverhampton• The Haven set up in 1973• Domestic Violence Forum (WDVF) (1990)• Independent DV Advocate, 2002 (IDVA)• Nationally accredited DV Training Programme developed

by The Haven in 2004• Women of Wolverhampton Network • Specialist Domestic Violence Court (2005) • Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC),

2006• IDVA in A&E, 2012• Independent Sexual Violence Advocate, 2012• Wolverhampton Multi-Agency Violence Against Women

and Girls (and men and boys) Strategy 2012-2015

4© The Haven Wolverhampton 2013

About The Haven• The Haven has 5 hostels (53 units); can accommodate up to 53

women and around 100 children at any one time. • Between 1/4/2011 and 31/3/2012 The Haven provided refuge

for 471 women and children and supported over 700 women in the community

• Annual Turnover 2011-12: £2,562,385• 80 members of staff, 50-70 volunteers at any one time• New: Women Resource Centre and two charity shops- The Haven Wolverhampton is a member of Wolverhampton

Co-located team, made up of Wolverhampton Domestic Violence Forum (WDVF), representatives from Health, Housing and the Police. The team hold fortnightly MARAC’s (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences) to discuss the most severe and high risk domestic violence cases.

• The Haven signed up to the to the Wolverhampton Overarching Information Sharing Protocol.

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The Haven Wolverhampton

Refuge

• 5 refuges across Wolverhampton• a total of 53 units of accommodation• Family Support Workers / Children’s

Workers• Facilities for disabled residents• 24 Hour support


The Haven Wolverhampton Services

• 24hr Freephone Helpline 08000 194 400• Emergency Safe Accommodation• Community and Advocacy Support Services• Resettlement Service• Counselling / Support• Children Services• Housing and Immigration Advice • Financial Inclusion Service• Specialist Support for Asian Women• Education, Training and Skill Development• Haven Way User Engagement Project• International Projects • Volunteering Service

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Sources of Referrals (2012)

Community Mental Health Team 0.3%

Health Service/GP 1.7%

LA housing department

12.8%

Probation service/Prison

1.4%

Police 12.0%

Social Services 6.2%

Self Referral 41.7%

Voluntary Agency13.5%

Youth Offending Team0.2%

Internal Transfer1.8%

Other6.3%

Not known2.2%


Support Available Via Helpline

Options and Guidance

Referral To Accommodation Services

Debt Advice Referral to CAT

Information on Child Contact

Safety Planning

Information on EmergencyNon-Molestation Orders

Someone to Talk to

Needs & Risk Assessment

Signposting

ConfidentialityInitial DV RiskAssessment

Legal Advice

Welfare & BenefitsAdvice

Immediate Response

SMS

E-MailSkype



Financial Inclusion Project (2010-13)- How we do it? -

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• Provide a specialist financial inclusion service to women affected by domestic violence

• Raise awareness of financial abuse as an intricate part of domestic violence

• Improve knowledge amongst banking professionals of domestic violence and financial abuse and to work with local banks to develop a provision of financial support

• Help to improve media professionals’ understanding of domestic violence

• To conduct research and disseminate the findings across the UK to encourage good practice

Financial Inclusion ProjectEffects of Financial Abuse

• Financial abuse can have severe and long term consequences.• These can include:

– Financial exclusion: an inability to access appropriate financial services to get out and stay

out of poverty.

– being unable to leave / escape an abusive relationship because of financial implications

– isolation due to becoming dependent on the abuser

– being cut off from education, work, training and so from financial independence

– debts and bad credit ratings

– no confidence or skills with money and independent living

– physical and psychological ill-health – Money can be used as a way for an abuser to gain complete control. – With no money, women in abusive relationships feel there is no means of escape.


© The Haven Wolverhampton 2010 12


Social Policy Issues

Debt IssuesPressure from Banks/ lack of understanding of DVBenefits inc Complex Benefit IssuesWrong Advice from Benefits and agenciesClient using door stop lending/ lack of knowledgeUtility Debts/ lack of understanding by providerNo Recourse issuesIrresponsible lending/Credit Cards/personal loansDelay in receiving Benefit Information Employment Issues

“I never even realised I was a victim of abuse”

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Prevention

Partnership workingProtection

Haven Service Model

Housing Support

Community Services

24hr Helpline(Telephone, Email, Text,

Drop In)

Aw

aren

ess

rais

ing

Signposting

Signposting

Signposting

Signposting

Signposting

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Training Programmes

• The Haven is an NOCN (National Open College Network) training provider

• The Haven’s training programmes:• DV Awareness• Diversity, Sexual Exploitation and DV• Working with Children• Supporting Victims though the Criminal Justice System• Policies, Procedures and Working Practice• DV and Mental Health• DV and Disability• DV Policy in the Workplace

• FREEDOM Programme• Financial Inclusion and Capability Programme

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Questions

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DV in UK• 1 in 4 women will experience Domestic Violence over the course of their lifetime

(Council of Europe, 2002)• 2 women are killed every week in the UK as a result of Domestic Violence (Women's

Aid, 2004)• In a typical year, there were an estimated 635,000 incidents of Domestic Violence in

England and Wales. 19% of the victims were male and 81% were female (The 2001/2 British Crime Survey)

• Domestic Violence is the crime with the highest rate of repeat victimisation, and accounts for almost a quarter of all violent incidents reported to the Police (Home Office, July 2002)

• Research shows a woman is beaten an average of 35 times before seeking help (Women’s Aid, 2004)

• Women are at the greatest risk of homicide at the point of separation or after leaving. (Lees, 2000)

• Domestic Violence often starts or intensifies during pregnancy (Mezey, G.C, 1997)• 3 – 5 children in every class room are living with Domestic Violence (Atkien, 2004)• It is estimated that 75% to 90% of incidents of Domestic Violence, children are in the

same or the next room. (Hughes, 1992; Abrahams, 1994)17

DV COSTS THE UK at least £23bn PER ANNUM

£2.7bn is from lost productivity (due to injuries)• £3bn spent by public services:• £1bn by Criminal Justice System (25% of its

budget for violent crime);• £1.2 bn by NHS;• £0.25bn by social services;• £0.26m by housing authorities/associations;• £0.3bn civil legal services

• £17bn+ – the human and emotional cost: Domestic violence leads to pain and suffering that is not counted in the cost of services.

(Above figures refer to spending, 2001)http://www.renewal.net/Documents/RNET/Research/Nationaldomesticviolence.pdf [accessed July 2006]

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Setting the Standard: A Council of Europe project on violence against women

Required services Helplines Shelters/refuges Advice and advocacy (includes crisis centres) Counselling Outreach Intervention projects Rape crisis centres Sexual assault referral centres Law enforcement Perpetrator programmes.


Map of Gaps: VAW Service in GB (EVAW, 2009)

Over a quarter (25.6%) of local authorities of Great Britain have no specialised VAW services

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Call to End Violence Against Women and Girls: Action Plan

1. prevent violence from happening by challenging the attitudes and behaviours which foster it and intervening early where possible to prevent it

2. provide adequate levels of support where violence does occur

3. work in partnership to obtain the best outcome for victims and their families

4. take action to reduce the risk to women and girls who are victims of these crimes and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice

• New definition of domestic violence and abuse (Monday, 05 Nov 2012)

• “Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality.”

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An independent domestic violence advisor (IDVA) works to secure the safety of those who are at a high level of risk of violence from a partner, ex-partner or family member. The work includes:

• assessing the level of risk• discussing the range of suitable options• developing safety plans• taking a pro-active role in implementing the plans, including

short- and long-term solutions; • attending MARACs (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment

Conferences)• writing reports• keeping confidentiality• collecting and collating data on domestic abuse.

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Independent Domestic Violence Advisers


Challenges for the sector

• Economic crisis/Recession• Government cuts• Welfare reforms • Universal credit • Climate for tendering and procurement • Personalisation agenda • Payment on outcomes • Localism agenda• Gender neutral approaches to services

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Haven - Sources of Funding

Welfare reforms

Economic crisis

Government Cuts


1. Place the interest of women and children at the heart of everything we do and involve them in all aspects of work at The Haven Wolverhampton

2. Provide accommodation and community based services to women and children who have suffered violence and or homelessness

3. Invest in governance, staff and volunteers to achieve excellence and promote diversity

4. Raise awareness of the needs of women and children who have suffered violence and or homelessness

5. Develop relationships to influence local, national and international policy and strategy development

6. To achieve long-term economic sustainability

What next?Business Plan 20012-17


International Work

Also:CanadaNew YorkSan Diego



International Partnerships

• The Crisis Centre for Women and Children “Ekaterina”, Russia (from 1996)

• Social Economic Development Centre SABR, Uzbekistan (from 1997)

• Women and Child Watch Initiative, Nigeria (from 2009)

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Other International Projects and Activities

• DAPHNE International Comparative Project• Commonwealth Fellowships Programme• European Volunteer Services (EVS) Placements• European Training Services (ETS) Placements• Training for International Stakeholders eg The National Family

Safety Programme, Saudi Arabia• T-Shirt Competition

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International Conferences

• WAVE (Women Against Violence Europe), Annual• CSW (Commission on the Status of Women) New York, Annual• Uzbek-British Women’s Business Forum “Pearl of the East”, bi-yearly• “Prevention of Domestic Violence”, Moscow, 2009• International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women, Madrid, 2008• World Conference of Women's Shelters, Canada, 2008• “Socio -Economic Initiatives Of Women”, Uzbekistan, 2007 and 2008 • Social partnership Network Creation” Uzbekistan, 2001 …

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An EU Comparative 2011-13:

United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Latvia, Italy, Netherlands

Counselling Survivors of Domestic Violence

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The Socio-Economic Development Centre SABR

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Benefits of International Work

• Sharing knowledge / Learning best practices and innovations• Understating of the continuing and emerging challenges for

women’s movement worldwide• Understanding international instruments, eg the 1995 Beijing

Platform for Action (BPFA), Millennium Development Goals, CEDAW etc and how they can be used when lobbying locally, nationally and internationally.

• Building national and international partnerships• Opportunities for influencing and lobbying Government through the

UK Mission to UN• Promoting the work and achievements of women in Wolverhampton• Promoting The Haven Wolverhampton• Researching funding opportunities available to progress our local

and International work.32


The Haven Wolverhampton T Shirt Competition 2013

Win the opportunity to visit the UK and learn from the experiences of staff, volunteers and service users at The Haven Wolverhampton

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Contact Details

Phone Free phone 24 Hours Helpline: 08000 194 400 Office – 01902 572140 Fax – 01902 572144

Correspondence

The Haven Wolverhampton, P.O. Box 105, WV1 4LP

Email [email protected] [email protected]

Website: http://www.havenrefuge.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheHavenWtonTwitter: www.twitter.com/TheHavenWton

Elvira Wilson: [email protected] Groom: [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.havenrefuge.org.uk/