Yesterday, Lincolnshire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner are the recipients of the Everyone’s Business Award, presented by charity Hestia, recognising their efforts to support their employees experiencing domestic abuse.
One in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime* and a large proportion are also targeted in the workplace.
To achieve the Everyone’s Business Award, both organisations had to meet a range of criteria to demonstrate what they were doing to support their employees. This includes a joint domestic abuse policy for staff experiencing domestic abuse, specialist domestic abuse awareness training and supporting a growing network of champions within the organisation who can signpost to support. The awarding panellists includes consultants from across business and human resources sectors as well as Public Health England.
The accreditation forms part of Everyone’s Business, a programme of support to employers delivered in partnership between Hestia, UK SAYS NO MORE, Employers Initiative on Domestic Abuse, The Corporate Alliance Against Domestic Abuse, Cardiff Women’s Aid, Surviving Economic Abuse, Woman’s Trust, Bulbshare and TecSOS. Since the programme launched, Everyone’s Business has supported over 60 employers and reached over 300,000 employees with domestic abuse messaging.
Patrick Ryan, Chief Executive at Hestia said: “Businesses have a unique role to play in breaking the silence around domestic abuse and ensuring victims can access the help and support they need. The Covid-19 crisis has compounded that, with employers now often the only point of contact for victims. For too long domestic abuse has been nobody’s business. We are delighted to be working in partnership with employers across the UK to make sure it becomes Everyone’s Business.”
Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin said: “Domestic abuse is not something we only deal with in the job. One in four women and one in six men experience abuse in their lifetime. It’s vital that we recognise that not only will our colleagues be amongst these numbers, they can face additional barriers in coming forward.
“If our colleagues endure or witness domestic abuse we must do everything we can as an organisation to support them. A member of our staff may have reservations about using local services because they come into contact with them on a professional basis. This is why we not only signpost to help, but also emphasise that this help can come from outside of the county if preferred.
“We are pleased our efforts have been recognised but our work here is far from done. We will continue to educate and train our staff on what abuse is, how to spot the signs and what to do about it. We will continue to communicate that domestic abuse is abhorrent, whether it is within our communities or within our organisation, and if you are affected, we are here to help you
Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones said: “Domestic abuse is a vile crime that affects all genders, age groups and sectors of our society. It creates deep scars in our communities, often out of sight and we must do everything we can to ensure people know they will be supported when they come forward for help, which I would always urge those affected to do. I am delighted that this award recognises the work we are doing to offer such support in our own workplace and training our staff to recognise it both at work and in the community. Tackling domestic abuse has been a keystone of my crime plan and will continue to be a focus of our work going forward.”
*ons.gov.uk
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