Domestic Abuse Policy

North Tyneside Council’s customers should not live in fear of violence, abuse or harassment from a partner, former partner, or any member of their family.  Domestic abuse often has consequences for the housing of survivors and their families who will frequently turn to Council Housing Services for help. 

This policy aims to:

• Ensure that all staff, partner agencies and contractors understand domestic abuse and give a consistent service when offering guidance and support.
• support survivors of domestic abuse and ensure that they and their families are provided with the stability and security they need and deserve.
• Treat all disclosure of abuse seriously and advice and assistance given as a priority. We will work with statutory and voluntary organisations to support survivors, and to take action against perpetrators, where it is safe and appropriate to do so.
• Ensure all staff are trained in line with their roles and responsibilities and are pro-active in looking for indicators of domestic abuse, so that it is identified at the earliest possible opportunity in every case;
• Ensure staff understand the role they can play in tackling domestic abuse and to develop a constant approach across the borough
• Ensure all staff are trained to deal with disclosures of domestic abuse effectively by providing procedures to follow;
• Act on all reports of domestic abuse and complete a See Something, Say Something form in all cases where an adult or child is identified as being at risk due to domestic abuse;
• Support survivors to make decisions around their housing needs, whether they wish to remain in their home or move to a new home;
• Signpost perpetrators of domestic abuse, who recognise and seek to change their behaviour, to agencies, including a Multi Agency Task and Co-ordination (MATAC) referral who can offer them support in order to prevent the abuse reoccurring.