VIVID has responded to rising domestic abuse cases by forming a unique partnership with Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) to support the local housing association in dealing with cases of domestic abuse in its homes and embed preventative measures in its neighbourhoods.  

Domestic abuse cases across the country are rising. Figures from the Office of National Statistics highlighted domestic abuse related crimes rose by 6% in the year ending March 2021 and now 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. Despite it being commonplace, domestic abuse is extremely difficult to tackle due to it being a largely hidden occurring primarily within people’s homes.  

As one of the largest housing associations in Hampshire with strong links in its communities, VIVID recognises the role it can play in helping stamp out domestic abuse in its communities and approached DAHA for support. 

As part of the partnership DAHA has seconded of one of its staff members to VIVID, Hannah Brown, Accreditations Project Lead at DAHA, on a 1-year secondment. Hannah will support VIVID in securing its DAHA Accreditation, the benchmark in the UK for how housing providers should respond to domestic abuse. It is the first time DAHA has agreed a partnership of this kind with a social housing provider and hopes it will provide a best practise model for future accreditation pathways in the sector.   

During her time at VIVID, Hannah will work with teams across the organisation to help embed DAHA’s standards of good practise and support towards accreditation. Her work will include creating a strategic steering group and a partnership with local domestic abuse charity, Aurora New Dawn, to introduce a safety and survivor-led case management approach. Hannah will also support VIVID staff to receive comprehensive training for handling and signposting cases of domestic abuse. 

Jonathan Cowie, Chief Operating Officer at VIVID, said, “We’re delighted to have Hannah join our team and use her expertise to help shape our approach and create a robust response to domestic abuse.  

“We believe having a safe and secure home is a fundamental right for everyone, but for many people, who are victims of domestic abuse, their home is not safe. As a housing association we’re in a unique position where our staff have access to our residents’ homes and we have numerous communication avenues to our customers, meaning with the right training and tools we can spot the signs of domestic abuse early and help get victims to safety.” 

Hannah Brown, Accreditations Project Lead at DAHA and Domestic Abuse Project Officer at VIVID, said, “I am thrilled to be a part of this new and exciting partnership between the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance and VIVID, this unique opportunity will allow me to gain a real insight into the workings of VIVID, to embed a best practice response to domestic abuse through an inside out approach. 

“VIVID has shown passion and dedication to prioritise their response and support to survivors of domestic abuse and I am excited to channel this passion into developing an innovative approach to tackle it.”