How can your practice offer support for staff facing domestic abuse?

How can practices create domestic violence and abuse policies to support their staff members?

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on NHS Employers 

Abusive and violent behaviour does not only take place in the home – it can frequently cross over into the workplace, where victims experience stalking, threats, harassment and worse. Equally, work can be a lifeline to independence and survival for victims of domestic abuse as they are, ordinarily, able to leave their home to go elsewhere, whilst also maintaining a level of income independent from the perpetrator.  

One of the simplest ways employers can offer support for victims of domestic abuse is to have a clear workplace domestic violence and abuse policy which offers support for staff experiencing abuse in the workplace; as staff are increasingly working from home, or working hybrid patterns, policies should include these arrangements. Line managers, trades unions and/or health and wellbeing champions and colleagues should be vigilant with regard to health and wellbeing and be aware of potential signs of abuse.

The support that organisations may need to give staff who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse may include:

• a confidential means of seeking help;
• information about available resources;
• special safety considerations at the workplace;
• adjustments to working arrangements;
• paid leave necessary to obtain medical, counselling or legal assistance;
• sympathetic application of sickness monitoring procedures.

The NHS Constitution commits NHS employers, staff and staff-side representatives to working in partnership in developing policies. It is in the interest of both employers and staff to develop an effective domestic violence and abuse policy which is applied fairly and consistently.

What to include in the policy?

• A statement of intent: the policy should include a statement at the beginning that makes a commitment to support staff who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse.
• Context: include information about the context of the policy and why organisations should support staff experiencing domestic violence and abuse. 
• Definitions: the policy should include a definition of domestic violence.

Domestic abuse is the abuse of power and control over one person by another. It can take many different forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, verbal and financial abuse. Domestic violence includes, but is not limited to:

• Physical abuse: slapping, pushing, kicking, stabbing, damage to property or items of sentimental value, female genital mutilation, attempted murder or murder.
• Sexual: any non-consensual sexual activity, including rape, sexual assault, coercive sexual activity or refusing safer sex.
• Coercive control: controlling who you see or where you go, what you wear or what you do, stalking, imprisonment, forced marriage.
• Emotional/psychological abuse: intimidation, social isolation, verbal abuse, humiliation, constant criticism, enforced trivial routines.
• Economic abuse: stealing, depriving or taking control of money, running-up debts, withholding benefit books or bank cards.
• ‘Honour’ abuse: relating to alleged or perceived breaches of the family and/or community’s code of behaviour.
• Technology-facilitated abuse: a form of controlling behaviour that involves the use of technology as a means to coerce, stalk or harass another person.

The policy should stress the employee’s right to confidentiality and discretion around personal details of employees (addresses, telephone numbers, work locations, shift times). However, it may want to make clear that, in circumstances of child protection or the protection of vulnerable adults, it may be that the organisation cannot guarantee confidentiality in these cases.

Supporting staff

The policy may wish to have a ‘designated point of contact’ (one or two people) who are specially trained who staff can go to first. It is important to stress that this point of contact is not a counsellor, but should be responsible for listening to the employee and providing information and support in a sensitive and non-judgemental manner.

Employers should provide a secure workplace and ensure that relevant staff have appropriate domestic violence and abuse training. The policy should outline the different types of special arrangements that could be put in place for an employee experiencing domestic violence and abuse. For example, if domestic violence is disclosed:

• Employers should consider undertaking a workplace risk assessment to ensure that the potential risk to the employee and their work colleagues is minimised.
• Some workplaces may need to allow for special paid leave, including extended leave if the employee needs to go to a refuge or move away, to enable an affected employee time to visit their solicitor, the police, their GP and/or others.
• The policy should make reference to the fact that survivors of domestic violence may have performance or productivity issues and that the organisation should deal with these sympathetically.
• Employers should be sympathetic in applying sickness monitoring procedures.
• Security measures should be put in place, such as ensuring access to some buildings is only for staff and authorised visitors.
• Employers could consider a permanent or temporary change of workplace.
• If practical, the employee could change their shift patterns and times.
• Flexible working, including relocation of place of work.
• Support with transport arrangements to and from work, including parking, could be provided.
• Staff working alone in the community should be provided with lone working alarms.
•  A ‘safety at work’ plan should be made, with information about what to do if the abuser calls or comes to the workplace, and how to record the employee’s whereabouts during the day.
• Changes should be made to the employee’s payment arrangements. Salary advances can be available in extreme situations where it is identified that this may help an employee flee a violent situation.
• Employees should be referred to occupational health and employee assistance programmes if necessary.
• HR officers and managers should undertake training so that they are able to support staff experiencing abuse and deal with any associated intimidation of colleagues if the abuser visits the woman’s workplace.
• There should be the facility to move across NHS employers without loss of working rights or conditions.

As part of induction, in health and safety and management training, the following information should be provided to staff:

• domestic violence services;
• the workplace policy;
• the role of the named contact (safeguarding role or similar role);
• protocols for identifying, and responding to, domestic violence (victims and perpetrators).

The policy should make training available for points of contact such as line managers, HR staff and staff-side representatives; wherever possible this training should be done in partnership. 

The policy should also include details about training for other staff members such as switchboard operators and staff at reception about their responsibilities not to divulge information about staff.