Domestic abuse in council housing

Domestic abuse is any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between people aged 16 or over who are (or have been) intimate partners or family members. Domestic abuse might include psychological, physical, sexual, financial, or emotional abuse.

Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance, and escape, and regulating their everyday behaviour.

Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation, intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish or frighten their victim. This definition includes so-called 'honour' based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. Victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.

If you report Domestic Abuse to your Housing Officer or our Antisocial Behaviour team, we will arrange a meeting with you within one working day. This meeting will be with a Domestic Abuse Support Officer or Antisocial Behaviour Officer.

If English is not your first language, we can arrange for an interpreter who speaks your preferred language.

If you would prefer to meet with an officer of the same gender, please make this clear.

You can choose to have this meeting over the phone or in person. If you wish to meet in person, we will agree on a suitable, safe place to meet with you (for example, a Council Office, charity, or your home).

This initial meeting will usually involve a discussion about the abuse you are experiencing. The officer will complete a risk assessment with you called a 'DASH'. This allows us to estimate the amount of risk that you are in and informs what support we will suggest. You can view the DASH form.

We will always contact you through the methods you prefer (e.g. text, email, phone call), and can agree on preferred times to contact you.

The support we offer you will be tailored to your personal circumstances and wishes. Common types of support we arrange include:

Referring you to local specialist domestic abuse support services

Lewisham's primary domestic abuse specialist service is Athena, run by Refuge. You can contact Athena on 0800 112 4052 or by email.

You can also access support from the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

Advising you on your housing options

Athena provides short-term refuge accommodation for victims of Domestic Abuse in Lewisham, which we can refer you to if necessary. Refuge accommodation can often arrange free travel to the refuge for survivors fleeing Domestic Abuse.

In some cases, if you are unable to remain in your home due to domestic abuse, we may help you to move home temporarily or permanently.

This may involve supporting you to make a homeless application and arranging temporary accommodation, and/or seeking a priority on the housing register through our Emergency Housing Panel. We will discuss whether these options are possible and appropriate for you following our risk assessment.

Perpetrating domestic abuse is against council tenancy agreements, and we may have the option to evict perpetrators. We won't take this action if it would leave the victim of domestic abuse homeless.

Our Welfare and Benefits team can provide support around financial issues arising from Domestic Abuse, such as advising you on benefits you may be entitled to.

Supporting you with reporting to the police and seeking legal remedies

We can signpost and support you to tell the police about the abuse you are experiencing.

The police have access to powers that can protect victims of domestic abuse in the short term. These include Domestic Violence Protection Notices and Orders, which are issued following a domestic abuse incident and prevent perpetrators from contacting victims or returning to the household.

The Met Police have a specialist unit for domestic violence. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, always call the police on 999. For non-emergency police enquiries, call 101.

We can support victims to apply for an 'injunction'. These are court orders which restrict the actions of domestic abuse perpetrators.

Advising you on how you can stay as safe as possible in your home

If you do not live with the perpetrator and wish to remain in your home, Athena offers a sanctuary scheme.

This scheme provides a range of practical measures to increase a survivor's safety in their home. For example, this may include alarms, locks, deadbolts, and cameras.

You will remain in control through the process of reporting Domestic Abuse.

We will only disclose information about your situation to a third party or take action ourselves, where:

• you have agreed this with us (for example, to refer you to a support service)
• there is an immediate threat to someone’s safety or a safeguarding concern (for example, a child at risk in the household)
• if the victim / survivor doesn’t have capacity

Under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (also known as Clare's Law), you can:-

• apply for information about your current or ex-partner because you're worried they may have a history of abuse and are a risk to you.
• request information about the current or ex-partner of a friend or relative because you're worried they might be at risk.

Request information under Clare's Law from the Met Police

If you are an immigrant to the UK and your partner is abusive, you may be unsure of what your rights are or what services are available to you. Your partner might tell you that you have no rights and that no one will help you.

Some people have 'no recourse to public funds', which means they are not entitled to welfare benefits. If you are unsure about your immigration status, you can find this out by looking at your passport. The options available to you will depend on your immigration status.

Regardless of your immigration status, if you are experiencing domestic abuse, you have the right to protection from the police and courts and the right to access domestic abuse services.

If you have no recourse to public funds, it is possible to apply for a Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (DDVC) so that you can claim benefits, which means you can go to a refuge to flee abuse or apply for alternative housing because of domestic abuse.

It is a good idea to seek legal advice as soon as you can on how to apply for a DDVC. It is also advisable to report domestic abuse to the police, as in some cases, reporting the abuse can support applications relating to your immigration status, in addition to giving you immediate protection from harm.

If you have come to the UK on a spouse or partner visa and you are experiencing domestic violence, then you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) straight away under the domestic violence rule.