Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse
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Newsletter

July 2022
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We are happy to share many important updates with you, including: 

  • progression of the Domestic Abuse Act including new Statutory Guidance;  
  • details of our next quarterly meeting in September where we will finally be able to meet in person again; and  
  • the announcement of new Beacon members and Ambassadors on the EIDA team. 
Sector News
New Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance

Last week, the Home Office published the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Statutory Guidance on domestic abuse.

The new guidance highlights employers’ duty of care for their employees and explicitly calls for employers to join EIDA. We would highly recommend that all our employer members read this new guidance and share it with colleagues and others in your sectors. Paragraphs 402 to 412 are of particular relevance.
Read our news story
Domestic Abuse Act Updates

We have put together a fact sheet for employers on all the recent measures which came into force as well as the measures due to be in place by the end of 2022. 

The latest of these is a non-fatal strangulation offence, which came into force this June. Read our news story for further details. 

Our Domestic Abuse Act Fact sheet page also includes useful fact sheets about the Act created by the Home Office.
Download the fact sheets
Vodafone campaign on coercive control

EIDA Beacon Vodafone has launched a new campaign in response to shocking statistics about the lack of awareness among British adults about coercive control as a form of domestic abuse.
 
The campaign ‘It’s Not Nothing’ responds to findings from a new study by Vodafone and Hestia that shows that four in ten British adults (43%) have a poor or non-existent understanding of coercive control, despite the fact that 28% of adults report that they have been a victim of such abuse.
 
The campaign raises awareness of coercive control and directs people to the Bright Sky app and website for help and support.

We recommend that all employers in our network encourage or mandate their employees to download the Bright Sky app so that they can spot the signs. You can also sign up to our upcoming event on 'Understanding and Responding to Coercive and Controlling Behaviour' now.
Read our news story
New HSBC billboards

Have you spotted one of the new billboards by EIDA Member HSBC, which raises awareness of financial abuse?
 
Launched in June with a live installation of a woman being controlled by strings and with static billboards now up nationwide, the campaign draws attention to the cruel control exerted in cases of financial abuse.

It also highlights the extent of the issue, with abusers perpetrating economic abuse in 95% of all domestic abuse cases. 

The campaign also draws attention to their Safe Spaces service, which anyone can discreetly access when visiting a UK branch. Safe Spaces is also offered in the consulting areas of pharmacies across the UK.

To help ensure your employees are aware of the scheme, you can download posters and guides in the resources section of our website.
Read more about the campaign
Podcast on male survivors

TalkSPORT podcast, The Men’s Room, has released an episode about men experiencing domestic abuse which includes a moving story from a male survivor. 

David shares his personal story of experiencing domestic abuse, highlighting the barriers faced by male survivors, including the lack of societal awareness that men might be experiencing domestic abuse, a tendency for men to want to protect an abusive partner and shame around disclosing domestic abuse to family, colleagues and friends.

Mark, the CEO of Mankind Initiative who also speaks on the podcast, says that the organisation receives around 15 calls a day to their helpline from men affected.

He highlights that employers can make a real difference by being aware of the possibility that male colleagues are experiencing domestic abuse. We encourage you to share this podcast with colleagues and others in your sector to raise awareness. 
Read our news story
EIDA News
Meet our new EIDA Ambassadors
 

It is a pleasure to introduce you to our three new EIDA Ambassadors: Andrew Lane, Dawn Grant and Charlotte Budd.
 
Andrew is Head of Business Strategy & Change (North East) for the Probation Service and says: ‘Having experienced the difference a supportive, informed employer can make, I could not be more proud to represent EIDA as an ambassador’.Welfare and Safety Consultant, Dawn, has been involved in domestic abuse on a personal and professional level for many years and says: ‘I am privileged to be an ambassador of EIDA and look forward to meeting organisations and assisting them on their journey to offering support to their employees.’

Charlotte says: 'As a survivor of domestic abuse raising awareness around this issue is something I am very passionate about. I strongly believe that education is key when making a difference and that our personal stories should lead the way in making a shift in the way we tackle this.'
Meet our new EIDA Beacons
 

We are delighted to welcome Hand Picked Hotels and Fujitsu as our newest Beacon members. They will lead the way on tackling domestic abuse and shine a light on EIDA’s mission. 

Hand Picked Hotels are committed to providing a safe and supportive workplace environment. They offer access to free resources and one-to- one support services as well as training and guidance for their teams.

Fujitsu has been a member of EIDA since the start of 2018 and decided to step up their support by becoming a Beacon this year. They are providing EIDA with a package of pro bono support and funding for our brand new CRM and website, enabling us to better tailor the support we provide our members.
 
Find out more about our Beacons
Events
EIDA Quarterly Meeting: Coercive and Controlling Behaviour
 

Coercive control is an insidious form of domestic abuse that too often goes unrecognised. This September, we will aim to understand the various forms coercive control can take, how to spot the signs and the best ways employers can support those experiencing it.
 
Speakers will include Lorna Gavin, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Gowling WLG. Lorna will share her powerful story of surviving coercive domestic abuse, highlighting that it really can happen to anyone.
 
Leading domestic abuse charity, Hestia, will also be announcing the winners of this year’s Everyone’s Business Awards. This will be a chance to hear and learn from employers recognised for their best practice in responding to domestic abuse. 
 
We are excited to announce that we have a limited number of in-person tickets for this event so sign up quickly if you would like to join us at the Atlee Suite at Portcullis House for the live experience and networking opportunities following the event. We will also be live streaming the event for those joining online.
 
Sign up to join us in-person here.
 
Sign up to join us virtually here.
 
Find out more on our Events page
Fireside Chat with Jess Phillips MP Recording Available
 

Thank you to all those who joined us for our Fireside Chat with Jess Phillips MP. We were delighted that so many of you joined and contributed to the discussion. A recording of the event is now available for you to watch back or share with colleagues.
 
Watch the recording

Please get in touch with any updates, questions or requests for information.

With best wishes

Lucy Horitz

CEO


Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse
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Registered office at 85 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 7LT
VAT Registration No: 358 9677 25

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Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse Registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No. 11703865 Registered office at 85 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 7LT VAT Registration No: 358 9677 25 For information about the way in which EIDA processes your personal information as a controller, and your rights to your personal information, please see EIDA's Privacy Notice (https://www.eida.org.uk/privacy-notice).
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