Our domestic abuse support has been officially recognised – with a bronze award from the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA).
DAHA accreditation is widely recognised as being the UK benchmark for how the housing sector should prevent, identify and respond to domestic abuse.
Every year, awards are given to housing providers, local authority housing teams and homelessness organisations that are meeting DAHA’s rigorous national standards for responding to domestic abuse.
More than just an award win
Receiving a DAHA award, which we have been working towards for the last three years, is more than just an award win for us. It represents our comprehensive, organisation-wide commitment to delivering the safest and most effective response to domestic abuse.
For our customers, receiving the award demonstrates our commitment to:
1. Being a safer and more supportive housing service
- Staff are trained to spot the signs of abuse and respond appropriately
- Customers experiencing abuse can access help sooner and with more confidence
- Our processes are designed to protect survivors and reduce risk
2. Providing a clear, consistent and high quality response to domestic abuse
- Strong, clear policies have been developed to help staff make the right decisions
- Consistent, evidence-based case handling
- Better coordination with partners, including the police, social care, specialist domestic abuse organisations and health services
3. Upholding an organisation-wide culture of safety and accountability
- Every team understands their role in tackling domestic abuse
- Survivors’ voices inform our service design
- Staff feel supported and equipped to help customers safely
4. Stronger partnership working and joined up support
- There are clearer pathways to specialist support (e.g. refugee services, police)
- Faster access to appropriate safety measures, such as home security, safety planning and emergency moves
- A more seamless overall experience
5. Establishing greater trust, confidence and safety for our customers
- Knowing that bdht takes domestic abuse seriously and will act
- Assurance that disclosures will be handled safely, confidentially and without judgement
- Better outcomes for survivors and clearer accountability for perpetrators
6. Our commitment to continuous improvement
- Ongoing investment in staff training and service improvement
- Regular reviews to make sure our policies and services remain robust
- A continued focus on building a culture of safety, empathy and support
Lisa Sutton, our Head of Sustainable Communities, explains: “We are extremely honoured to have achieved this accolade. Receiving a DAHA bronze award is the first stage in becoming a nationally recognised leader in domestic abuse response.
“For our customers, it means improved safety, earlier support and more consistent responses, and a housing provider that’s fully committed to protecting and empowering survivors.”
DAHA is an alliance of more than 150 members (social landlords and local authorities). It is recognised as being the leading specialist domestic abuse organisation supporting housing providers to improve their response to domestic abuse through its membership model, accreditation framework and training packages.
For further information, including our domestic abuse policy, the support provided by bdht and our partners, and useful contact details please visit: https://www.bdht.co.uk/domestic-abuse/