Fylde coast domestic violence initiative bringing positive outcomes for victims and is being expanded in Lancashire

The joint operation involving police officers and trained NHS domestic abuse specialists started in April and Fylde coast officers have responded to domestic abuse reports alongside independent domestic violence advocates (IDVAs) or domestic abuse specialist nurses from Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

The initiative has been lauded by those involved and it even won the Patient Safety Improvement category at this year’s Nursing Times Awards 2020.

Blackpool Police’s Insp Jon Smith has championed the operation from the beginning and has said it has been a success story during the pandemic.

He said: “I think it’s been really, really successful. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the work and it’s been a real challenge and I think to make it a success we’ve all worked really hard on it.

“It has been that successful I’ve been able to attract some funding and professional evaluation from Liverpool John Moores University so that we can fully understand what exactly about

Operation Provide and the mechanics that we’ve developed us those to interact with victims and offenders that have worked so well.

“It took quite a bit of thinking in terms of rolling it out to other areas because good news travels fast and when we started doing in Blackpool and established it after three months I knew it needed to go to Lancaster and Morecambe because there was an overlap operationally with officers and victims and they wanted it as well.

“So with it being taken up in Lancaster and Morecambe, which is a different place with different demands and profiles, I think a test of its success because in Blackpool we understand pretty much what the demand was like up there. “To roll it out with new staff in the new area with new supervisors and colleagues and partners, I can say it’s been successful there as well.”

“I know Blackburn is interested in it on the east of the county as well.”

Initially the operation started with two IDVAs but now there are six.

Up to now there have been 237 operational days of Operation Provide and there has been a response to 443 domestic violence calls in total since April. Insp Smith said there has been an increase of 24 per cent in domestic violence repeat victims engaging with police, up from 34 per cent to 58 per cent.

Similarly, in terms of repeat victims of domestic violence engaging with safeguarding, the operation has seen a 38 per cent increase, up from 48 per cent to 86 per cent.

Insp Smith said: “In terms of how we understand what actually happens in the dynamics of a domestic abuse situation it has been very successful. I couldn’t really have foreseen how successful it could have been because a lot of it has never been done before so we’ve have to develop it as we’ve gone along and we’ve all worked on it together and I think we’ve all enjoyed to see how it has shaped it and then next year we’ll have to see when we get the evaluation where we are by the end of the year to see if we can extend it and maintain it and make it more of a long term plan that we implement here and I know a lot of the people I work with will certainly like to see that.”

Hazel Gregory, head of safeguarding at Blackpool’s NHS trust, said there was an immediate response to the program and it has evolved since its inception.

She said that the greatest impact of the operation is making a difference to the victims’ lives.

She said: “It’s a privileged position to be in somebody’s home and when you’re in a private home after someone has been assaulted, you know that whatever has gone on they are grateful, thankful and they are believed. We make sure that it’s very clear that somebody is invested in them and interested in them.

“It doesn’t matter how many times someone calls, or if they don’t act on the day, we’re not asking them to change everything in a moment.

Michelle Sheridan, an NHS domestic abuse practitioner with the trust, who has been out with officers during the operation believes it has been a vital lifeline for many in Blackpool.

“We have seen quite a lot of victims between the six of us. I don’t know how many specifically I’ve seen but on average, on a shift there are two to three victims a day on an eight hour shift, and of all the victims I’ve seen I’ve only been turned away twice. They’ve always let me in.

“Sometimes I’ll phone them and tell them I’m coming and sometimes we’ll just knock on the door, and like Hazel said they are very grateful. I have had comments like I didn’t even know all the support was out there.

“Because they have been coerced and controlled, which is always a part of it and I didn’t realise that myself before I started, I thought physical abuse was physical, and there was coercion in control as well but actually with the physical there is always an element of coercion and control so if you imagine you’ve got this perpetrator that’s controlling this victim, saying that no one will believe them and we come in and say we believe you and this is what’s going to happen.

“They are so grateful and overwhelmed by the support that they’re going to get and obviously, we refer on to other agencies like Women’s Aid.

Hazel said that this festive and winter season will be different to normal, as Covid-19 and the pandemic has brought new challenges for domestic abuse.

She said: “Normally we know what happens with domestic violence over the festive period, we know the increase and we know when it’ll be. This year’s one is a little unknown because with what is going on across the nation currently with people, jobs and money we don’t know what will happen. I’d suggest that this will be a long winter and it will be a long and harder winter for many so what that will do to domestic abuse and violence, we will just have to see.”

As part of the operation, pop up stalls are being used in supermarkets in the resort (currently Tesco, Asda and Morrisons) to raise public awareness about domestic abuse, but are also be staffed by IDVAs so they can be used as a safe space to point victims toward at times of crisis. Training has also been provided to pharmacies and distributors of food parcels to enable them to spot signs of DA.

Michelle believes the key part of the Operation has been helping the victims face to face at a time when everything moved to remote conversations.

She said: “I think for me with the victims and the impact of Covid and lockdown that with other agencies not doing face to face, it has been about getting somebody in the home, albeit with a mask on, to provide that face to face support victims may need. Because some victims might never engage with agencies in the future, because they’ll look at the phone and it’ll say no caller ID and they think oh is it the perpetrator. So we will explain what will happen next, who the information gets shared with and I think that’s why the uptake has been a little bit better than it was before. I’m not blaming anybody but I think a lot of it is because of the pandemic and because they’re not getting any other face to face support, it’s all done over the telephone,

Hazel added: “Also sometimes the perpetrator will be released by the police before other services might have responded. That means they may have been able to work on the victim and go through the circle of domestic abuse and violence and get them back by apologising and saying they will change. That means that window of opportunity has gone and even if they’re not going to act at that time, it’s important to show that care and compassion and let them know that they are important.

"It’s also more powerful I think in their own homes with them not able to go anywhere, they’re not going to sneak out or try to get an appointment, it’s there and then, and it’s safe, and they can do some immediate actions.”

Michelle added: “Like Hazel said, the victim can speak a lot more freely while the perpetrator is locked up. Also, with people who have been drinking, because there’s a lot of alcohol abuse, especially in lockdown where people aren’t going to the pub but drinking at home, it might cause more trouble. They might have been drunk at the time of arrest in the night so in the morning the victim may be hungover and tired and have no idea what’s going to happen.

"So we bring the police officer with us and I’ll do my bit to show that compassion and speak to the victim and then I’ll say to the police officer. Can you just explain from a police point of view what will happen next. That’s why we need a police officer with us because we complement each other really well. I’ve learned a lot from the police but also the police have learned a lot from us.”

You can report domestic abuse online at lancashire.police.uk/reportcrime or by calling 101. If someone is at risk of immediate harm, dial 999.

If you are unable to speak on the phone, you can ring 999 from a landline and respond by coughing or tapping the handset, pressing ‘55’ when prompted by the operator. This lets the 999 call operator know that it’s an emergency and you aren’t safe to speak.

Domestic abuse support is available from the following:

Lancashire Victim Services: 0300 323 0085

Lancashire Refuges: 0300 303 3581

Fylde Coast Women’s Aid: 01253 596699

Safenet (Blackpool): 01253 347119

Wish Centre (Blackburn with Darwen): 01254 260465

National Domestic Abuse helpline (24 hours): 0808 2000 247

Men’s Advice Line (national): 0808 801 0327

Galop (national LGBT+) 0800 999 5428

Childline: 0800 1111