In-demand charity to develop safe houses
A DOMESTIC abuse charity will develop properties in Barnsley to accommodate people who cannot access a busy women’s refuge due to more complicated needs.
Although figures for the final quarter of 2023/24 have not yet been published, 788 women had come forward in the first nine months of the year – surpassing estimations.
More than a quarter of the
788 were repeat cases and 29 victims were relocated to a women-only refuge in Barnsley.
However the refuge – which is a complex of eight self-contained flats – can only accommodate a third of those seeking help, leading Independent Domestic Abuse Services
(IDAS) to look at ways to ease pressure.
The Chronicle understands four new homes will be purchased which will boost the offering.
A Barnsley Council report said: “Domestic abuse is often referred to as a ‘hidden crime’.
“It largely happens behind closed doors or out of sight of others and it’s also an under-reported crime.
“Victims and survivors may fear not being believed or what might happen if they do report abuse.
“They may fear that they’ll face barriers in accessing support – therefore it’s likely that reported statistics will be much lower than real abuse levels.
“IDAS has plans to develop properties to accommodate people who cannot access the women’s refuge due to more complicated needs.
“Length of time staying in the safe houses or refuges has varied but could be anything up to 18 months.
“There is a desire to cut this time down to around six months by putting pathways in place in collaboration with the council and other partners.
“It was acknowledged that there were a number of complexities to getting people set up in the correct housing environment such as waiting lists for houses, the higher cost of private rented housing and also people being caught up in tenancy laws with their former homes.”
Following a probe into local services by a councillor-led scrutiny panel, stickers have been produced and sent out to businesses in the borough such as hairdressers, football clubs and hospitals with QR codes on which directs straight to the IDAS website as a mechanism to reach people.
Hairdressers have also received some training in where to report concerning conversations in order to signpost people to the right support service, as they were seen as potentially somewhere that victims could go and speak safely.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government has gone ‘further than ever’ in protecting victims.
They said: “We have classified violence against women and girls as a national threat, setting clear expectations for how the police should respond, as well as providing funding for forces to complete specialist domestic abuse training.”
■ You can call the Barnsley support team on 03000 110 110 from 1pm to 4pm, Monday to Friday. For 24-hour support, you can call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247.