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‘Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence of abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to Psychological, Physical, Sexual, Financial, Emotional.’
The abuse can also include Digital/On-line Abuse, Gaslighting, Revenge Porn, Stalking and Harassment.
Home Office guidance also includes culturally specific forms of harm which impact upon black and minority ethnic (BME) women. This can include, but is not limited to, Forced Marriage, Dowry related abuse, Honour crime and Female genital mutilation.
Anyone can experience domestic abuse, regardless of their age, gender, religion, sexuality, or ethnicity. However, statistically women are much more likely to be victims of Domestic abuse than men. Children can also be victims of Domestic Abuse, if they see, hear, or experience the effects of the abuse.
What to do in an emergency
If you are in immediate danger, call 999
If you are unable to speak and are calling from a mobile, stay silent and press 55, remain on the line whilst connected to help.
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can use the textphone service 18000, or can text if you have pre-registered with emergency SMS Service. This can be done by texting “Register” to 999.
Consider asking someone to call the police for you.
Get yourself into a safe place, preferably not a room such as the kitchen where the perpetrator may be able to access harmful objects.
Always keep your mobile phone charged and close to your person.
Keep a small amount of money, emergency contacts, emergency phone and important documents in a safe and accessible place, should you need to leave in a hurry.
There are different kinds of abuse, however it’s ultimately about the abuser having power and control over the victim. The abuse often starts subtly and gets worse over time, so initially it may not be recognised as abuse.
Some signs of Domestic Abuse are:
Being belittled or put down.
Being blamed for arguments and abuse.
Being isolated from family, friends and professionals.
Putting restrictions on movement i.e stopping you from attending college, work or visiting GP.
Accusations of flirting or having affairs.
Telling you what to wear, where you can go and who you can see.
Controlling your finances, not allowing you access to your own money, withholding money or telling you how to spend your money.
Monitoring your social media, emails, texts and phone calls.
Demanding to always know where you are, using GPS trackers or location services on mobile devices to track you.
Threatening to hurt or kill you.
Threats to kill themselves or children.
Destroy your belongings.
Physically abusing you by slapping, pushing, kicking, biting or strangling you.
Touching you in a way you don’t want to be touched.
Homes should be a happy and safe place for us all, unfortunately, for anyone experiencing Domestic Abuse, this is far from reality. Home can be a distressing and dangerous place to be.
As an organisation, we take Domestic Abuse seriously and want to deliver the best possible support, to any of our tenants, who are experiencing Domestic Abuse. We are also committed to holding perpetrators to account.
Social housing across Greater Manchester is subject to high demand, with a very limited provision to meet this demand. Consequently, waiting times to be rehoused are substantial.
Southway and the local authority want to, where possible, keep individuals/families living safely in their current home. However, we acknowledge that sometimes the risk may be too great to support this option.
If you feel remaining in your current accommodation presents an immediate risk of harm, then you would need to consider accessing temporary accommodation via the local authority or refuge accommodation via Domestic Abuse Services.
Please contact Manchester City Council Housing Solutions Team on: 0161 234 4692 (9am-4.30pm) Out Of Hours/Emergency: 0161 234 5000 to explore your wider re-housing options.
If you do not feel safe to remain in Manchester, then you can contact any other local authority homeless team and request a homeless assessment due to fleeing domestic abuse.
If you are living within Manchester and have done so for the last 2 years and wish to be rehoused within Manchester, please register on Manchester Move and indicate Domestic Abuse as reason for moving.
To obtain information on current housing demand and wait times, please visit Manchester Move.
An organisation that ensures people suffering, or at risk of domestic violence and abuse, receive appropriate support. They Deliver services from their base at the Pankhurst Centre:
An organisation providing a service to Asian women suffering from domestic abuse. They give victims a chance to get away from violent domestic abuse situations by providing an environment which is safe, culturally familiar.
