Giving help at work for the abused
A new consultancy offers support in the workplace for victims of violent partners. Claire Cantor reports
MARIANNE* SUFFERED abuse throughout her 11-year marriage. Her husband physically attacked her daily, she had restrictions imposed on her freedom, and she was given access to only a small fraction of her income, despite having built a successful business. He told her that he would take their one child overseas if she ever tried to leave.
Support came from Caroline Glass, who recently set up the UK’s first private consultancy supporting victims of domestic abuse. Contacted by Marianne’s solicitor, Glass helped her to set up injunctions which meant that her husband had to leave the property and not contact her. An injunction was also sought which prevented the child from being taken out of the country. “I helped enable her to live in relative safety while she pursued the divorce but still required safeguarding support due to the risk of reprisals as she attempted to regain control of her life,” explains Glass.
Domestic abuse has escalated during the pandemic, including within the Jewish community. During the first year of the pandemic, Jewish Women’s Aid supported over 700 women experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence, and provided support to 159 children.
Generally women turned to charities like JWA for support. But now companies can offer support to their employees by working with Glass. Practising as a consultant on a one to one basis, or as part of a company’s wellbeing package, her role is to guide, support, safeguard and empower clients who are struggling with domestic abuse.
Glass, 48 a member of Finchley Reform Synagogue decided to study for a criminology degree when her children were young (they are now 19 and 17.) “I wanted to work for the police, but at that time they weren’t recruiting,” she says. “I started volunteering for Refuge on the National
Domestic Abuse
Helpline. After a couple of years,
I moved on to training others to understand the dynamics of domestic abuse, but also how to assess survivors of abuse in an empathic, validating and empowering way. A risk assessment is 27 questions, so it can sound like you are talking to someone at the gas board. It’s really important to make it a conversation.”
After several years of voluntary work and further study, she got a job supporting people who had been assessed as at high risk of homicide or serious harm. “It was a leap for me coming from the relative shelter of north west London to work in Lambeth. I spoke to thousands of victims — male, female, every ethnicity, and group,” says Glass. She stresses that domestic violence can happen in all kinds of homes, and that Jewish victims may find it difficult to leave an abusive partner. “The Jewish community places great importance on family life … and this has meant that the notion of fleeing is one that gravely conflicts with a Jewish victim’s sense of identity and self-worth.”
She felt she could give the victim options and a bit of control back. They had often been told ‘No one is going to believe you,’ and that prevented them from accessing support.
Recognising the barriers to accessing support was a crucial factor in her decision to approach employers as a domestic abuse consultant. “I knew that high risk cases were rising in the lockdowns, but I also felt that there were certain victims who were not receiving the support they needed. People going through divorce, for example, were seeking support from solicitors who didn’t have the knowledge that I have gained over the years. I also noticed that when I supported victims who were employed, they found it very difficult to speak to their case worker because they were too busy working. Trying to call a helpline can take a lot of time, time that working people couldn’t find.” She now takes her services to the workplace, and offers training to HR professionals in how to support staff members and offer safe spaces.
“The response from employers has been incredibly positive, showing genuine compassion for their employees.” *name changed