Our Tenancy Services Team are trained to support and advise vulnerable customers and work closely with partner organisations and specialist services to help you get the support you need.
Depending on your personal circumstances and wishes, we can help you by:
- Referring you to local specialist domestic abuse support services
- Advising you on your housing options
- Supporting you with reporting to the Police and other agencies
- Advising you on how you can stay as safe as possible in your home
- Signposting you to your local authority to access temporary accommodation.
It’s important to note that women and men can both be victims of domestic abuse and the abuse isn’t always physical. It can also be controlling or coercive behaviour, ‘honour’ based violence and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The different kinds of abuse are explained under the tabs below.
If you’d like to be contacted by one of our trained officers, please call us on 0345 60 20 540 or email contact@midlandheart.org.uk. Any information you give us will be dealt with sensitively. In an emergency, where you, your family or someone you know are in immediate danger you should call the police on 999.
To take a look at our domestic abuse policy, click here.
The UK Government define domestic abuse as:
‘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. This can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse: psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional.'
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 and 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, and is clear that the victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group"
There are many national and local services to support people experiencing domestic abuse.
National services include:
- National Domestic Violence Helpline - available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 0800 247 2000 or go to the website: www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk
- National Centre for Domestic Violence - a free, fast emergency injunction service to survivors of domestic violence, regardless of financial circumstances, race, gender or sexual orientation. Go the centre’s website at www.ncdv.org.uk
Local services include:
Find the helplines and support services available in your local council area here
Domestic abuse is one of the biggest issues in society today although the true scale of the problem is unknown because many cases go unreported.
We have joined Make a Stand for housing organisations and have pledged to support our customers and members of staff who experience domestic abuse.
To become part of Make a Stand – which was developed by the national Chartered Institute of Housing in partnership with Women’s Aid and the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance - we have pledged to meet four commitments to have:
1. A policy to support residents affected by domestic abuse
2. Information about national and local domestic abuse support services easily accessible by, for example, putting it on our website
3. A human resources policy to support staff experiencing domestic abuse
4. A champion at senior level to drive our activity for supporting people experiencing domestic abuse.
