Blackpool Domestic Abuse Team

Appendix 8c(ii)

Sanctuary Service Report

Content

Introduction of the service
Referral Process
Handyperson
Safety Planning
Multi agency working
Case Study
Costing
Coordination
Ward Areas
Success
Next Step

Introduction of the Sanctuary Service

The Sanctuary Service is a victim focused initiative designed to enable victims of Domestic Abuse to remain in their own homes where it is safe for them to do so. This helps prevent further disruption to the family. The service helps victims and their family to feel safer by adding security measures to their property to meet their individual needs.

In addition, fleeing domestic abuse leads to disruption of work, schooling causes depression and anxiety and removes the victim from their support network at the time they need it most.

Blackpool Sanctuary Service

The Sanctuary Service has been running successfully in Blackpool for 3 years. Over these years the service has received 302 referrals. Of these referrals 187 have been completed. The remaining 115 have either been declined because the victim has returned to the perpetrator, the landlord has refused the work be carried out or the referral was inappropriate for the service.

July 09 - Sept 09 Referrals

43 referrals were made during this time.

30 of these were successful referrals

5 are still awaiting completion.

8 have been refused or moved property

Referral Process

Referrals to the Sanctuary Service filter through a number of different ways.

Each agency has received training on how to refer into the service.

The referrer can email the form via the Blackpool Council Website, send it by email to the coordinator or send through a paper copy. In the case of an emergency paper work can be sent through after the work has been carried out as long as permission has been granted by the owner of the property.

The referral form requests name, DOB and address of the victim and any children. It also asks for a brief reason for referral and asks the referrer to indicate any damaged or vulnerable areas of the dwelling. The form requires the referrer to indicate the type of dwelling and the tenure of the dwelling, as the coordinator will need permission from the owner/housing association before any work can go ahead on the property. Brief circumstances of the Domestic Abuse incident is to be outlined to give the coordinator a starting point as to what types or targeting hardening are required.

As soon as the coordinator receives the referral the information from the form will be input onto the Sanctuary Service database. The coordinator will then contact the victim via telephone or by post if the phone calls are unsuccessful.

A date and time will be arranged with the victim for the visit, and this will then be passes to the handyan who will visit to begin any work that can be carried out immediately.

Once at the visit, a safety check of the dwelling will go ahead to identify any vulnerable areas. The work man will then being the work, whilst the coordinator sits down with the victim and will fill in the CAADA-DASH RIC assessment. We will also discuss any issues and go over safety planning information.

After the visit the coordinator will leave their contact details with the victim and will work with them for the following 3 months. After the 3 month period if the victim still needs supporting the coordinator can refer into other agencies to continue the support.

There is no limit to how many times a victim is referred into the service

Criteria for referral

Victim and family have experienced Domestic Abuse

The perpetrator must not be living in the property
There must be evidence that should the Sanctuary not be carried out, the individual may become homeless
The victim must want to stay in the home
They must not jointly own the property

Handyperson

The council have a contract with Blackpool Care and Repair Scheme to which a handyperson is provided. The handyman the service uses has received training on Domestic Abuse issues and is accompanied by the coordinator who will give brief details regarding the situation in each dwelling for safety purposes.

From the successful 187 Sanctuary’s that have been carried out in Blackpool below is the type of items/work the handyman has installed.

Bolts on doors
Safety chains on doors
Window locks
Fire proof letter boxes
Yale locks fitted

The handy man can also:

Cut down over grown brushes/hedges (in order to stop perpetrator hiding behind them)
Fix fence panels
Put up curtain poles (this will make the victim feel safer if they feel they are been watched)

All this extra security is known as target hardening.

Safety Planning

Whilst visiting the property the coordinator will give out safety planning advice to the victim and give advice on staying safe in and around the home.

For example:

Changing mobile numbers
Have a emergency bag packed in case of emergency
Having access to a phone and to keep it fully charged
Plans for where you can go and who you can turn to
How to keep your children safe when the abuse starts
Ask a neighbour to call the Police if they can hear the abuse
Keeping important documents at hand so they can be taken in case of an emergency

A copy of this pack can be left with the victim during the visit. The coordinator will reiterate safety planning advice during each contact with the victim.

Multi agency working within the service

The Domestic Abuse partnership is overseen by a Strategic Management Board which is made up of both statutory and non-statutory organisations.

There are 60 partner agencies, many of which refer into the Sanctuary Service.

Below is a pie chart of referrals into the service from April 09- October 09.

Case study

*Leanne* is 34 years old; she was subject to harassment by an ex partner who has was in a relationship with for 4 months. She lives in a ground floor one bedroom flat, she lives alone.

Blackpool Advocacy’s independent Domestic Violence Advisor was working with Leanne. In conversation Leanne mentioned she did not feel safe living in the flat because the locks on her doors were insufficient and the back gate locks were broken and she said she was thinking about leaving. The IDVA mentioned the Sanctuary Service to Leanne and it was agreed that a Sanctuary would be conducted on Leanne’s property. Permission was granted by the landlord and a date and time was set.

Whilst at the property the handy man carried out a safety check and work was carried out on the vulnerable areas. New locks were fitted the gate was fixed and a spy hole was put on the front door. The Sanctuary coordinator and the IDVA carried on working with Leanne, and she remained in the property feeling safer and reassured.

Costing within the Sanctuary Service

When looking at the costing of the service

To house a family in hostel accommodation costs £12,864 for 12 weeks.

The average cost from the 187 Sanctuary’s carried out in Blackpool is £33.

Resulting in a possible £2,405,568.00 saving.

3 years Sanctuary Service has spend £5,799.99

This is a saving of £2,398,836.00.

Example of costing sourced from Sanctuary Service database

1 Yale lock £21.95
1 x Yale lock £23.95
Padlock £5.99
1 Yale lock £21.95
1 x sash locks £13.95
2.5 Era Sash lock £13.95
pad bolt £3.00
3 x Euro cylinder £29.96
1 x 2.5 sash locks £13.98

The above costing reflects the cost effectiveness and success of the service, and how spending £33 pounds on average on each property can make the victim and the family feel safe and want to remain in their own home, resulting in less people presenting homeless.

Coordination of the Sanctuary Service

The Sanctuary Service is coordinated by a Police Community Support Officer. The PCSO is victim focussed and provides a service specifically tailored to meet the individual needs of each victim. They receive referrals from agencies and visit the victim in their own home, to risk assess and safety plan, making any necessary referrals for home security measures or ongoing support from specialist agencies.

The coordinator also visits partner agencies and delivers training/information about the service and how to refer in. This has been a key method in networking the service in Blackpool.

Break down of ward beat areas in Blackpool and Sanctuaries carried out 2007-2009

Success

After each Sanctuary is carried out an evaluation form is sent out.

It asks:

Who referred you to the Sanctuary Service?
How would you describe the approach of the Sanctuary Service Co-ordinator?
How would you describe the approach of the Handyperson?
How would you describe the quality of the work carried out?
How safe did you feel in your home before the work was carried out by the Sanctuary Service?
How safe do you feel in your home since the work has been carried out by the Sanctuary Service?
How could we improve the Sanctuary Service?
Any other comments

An example of a feed back form received back

Referred by Children’s Centre
Easy to talk to and helpful
Good at his job and made me feel at ease
I am much safer in my house, now the locks have been changed
Before the locks were changed I felt scared in my home because I was frightened that my ex partner had a spare set of keys and may use them when he is drunk
very safe and my children are a lot happier
Leave a leaflet for if I need them again
Client sent a thank you card inside saying…..

Thank you for all your help me and my children are a lot happier now we are safe in our home.

The majority of the feedback the service receives comes from the initial referrer to the process; this is a valuable way to built up good working relationships with partner agencies and helps the service run efficiently and to its full potential.

Next Steps

The Sanctuary Service is successfully operating in Blackpool and work is ongoing to improve and make the service more accessible.

What next…

Apply for funding to publicise the Service
Develop leaflets
Train more partner agencies on the service and referral process
Visit Blackpool Children’s Centres and train staff on the service
Apply for further funding to maintain the service
Visit Police Officers and Community Police on referrals into the service

Claire Crook

DA PCSO

October 2009