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24hr Domestic Abuse Helplines:Herefordshire & Shropshire: 0800 783 1359Telford & Wrekin: 0800 840 3747Worcestershire: 0800 980 3331
24hr Domestic Abuse Helplines: Herefordshire & Shropshire: 0800 783 1359
Telford & Wrekin: 0800 840 3747
Worcestershire: 0800 980 3331

Training courses ensure our staff, volunteers and partner agencies are equipped with the skills to detect and deal with violence against women and girls; indeed, raising awareness about the horrors of domestic abuse has never been more prevalent.  That’s why we have created the new role of Training and Participation Officer and appointed Carolyn Ball to deliver it.

One of her first events was as a speaker at The All Party Parliamentary Group on Domestic Violence and Abuse, which focused on mental health; Carolyn spoke about our hospital IDVA – Independent Domestic Violence Advisor – project and the impact this has had on our ability to meet the mental health needs of survivors of domestic abuse.

Carolyn explained: “Having a dedicated hospital IDVA allows our service users to access support in a safe and confidential environment.  It ensures our presence at the point of crisis.  We also provide hospital staff with support and specialist training so that they can recognise the different dynamics of abuse.  This partnership approach allows us to offer a truly co-ordinated community response to domestic abuse; it is a vital service and I was very proud to present it in Parliament.”

Carolyn has also facilitated a workplace training course for Telford and Wrekin employers, hosted by Shropshire Chamber of Commerce and delivered in partnership with Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service.  The event focused on increasing the understanding of domestic abuse and in particular coercive control.  It also highlighted how an employer should respond to disclosures of domestic abuse, emphasising the importance of having a domestic abuse policy in place as well as a thorough understanding of how to manage risks related to domestic abuse in the workplace.

Carolyn said: “Research has found that victims of domestic abuse are often targeted at work, through harassment and abusive partners arriving at the workplace unannounced.  Therefore it is so important that employers recognise the part that they play in supporting victims of abuse by raising awareness, implementing training and writing policies that support victims to access specialist support.”

Find out more about our Employer Awareness training courses here.

 

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