Homelessness prevention by Standing Together

Sanctuary Scheme for survivors of domestic abuse

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The context

Women’s Aid’s 2019 guidance underlined most housing responses to domestic abuse in Scotland still relied on victims leaving the home. This suggests preventative options enabling women (and children) to avoid homelessness may be under-developed. Sanctuary schemes – multi-agency responses whereby practical, tailored security measures are installed in a victim’s home alongside specialist support – are one such option. A 2010 Scottish Government enquiry found these schemes less common in Scotland than England; a briefing ten years later for the PRG found the position had changed little. In England too, existence and features of sanctuary schemes vary greatly by area. London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has funded its scheme since 2006.

The intervention

Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse (‘Standing Together’), a national charity which brings communities together to end domestic abuse, has coordinated Hammersmith and Fulham’s scheme since 2012. A dedicated coordinator provides a single point of contact between referrers, local domestic abuse services and Safe Partnership – the delivery partner which surveys homes and installs security measures. The coordinator contacts households three to six months after measures are fitted to seek feedback on how well the scheme is working. Standing Together also convenes a sanctuary working group with other London boroughs to improve practice sharing and service consistency.

Sanctuary is seen as an option which should always be offered to victim/ survivors, but for which participation must be victim-led. Standing Together offers it as part of a ‘Whole Housing Approach’lviii : a framework for addressing the housing and safety needs of victim/survivors in an area covering all housing options. A range of agencies refer to the scheme, including health, children/ adult social work and wider third sector, albeit most referrals come from police, housing and independent domestic violence advisors (IDVAs) in specialist agencies. Referrals can be made for households in all tenures. Where a person referred has no support from a domestic abuse agency, they’re always offered this when the sanctuary referral is processed, though are free to decline it.

The coordinator logs a referral and passes it to Safe Partnership, which contacts the landlord (if rented), to secure consent for any work. Safe Partnership aims to contact survivors within 24 hours to assess the home and install security measures. Installers are trained in domestic abuse awareness. On average, installations are completed in a few weeks; urgent work is done more quickly. Measures can include secure door or window locks, enhanced lighting, CCTV and ‘sanctuary rooms’ with a reinforced (and if needed, fire-proofed) door on one room, in which a mobile phone is also kept.

The outcome

70 households were referred to the scheme in 2020-21: 94% social and 6% private tenants. Of these, 50 households received a home assessment and had sanctuary measures installed. Survey feedback suggests the majority of victims/survivors feel safer at home and agree the measures have positively impacted their psychological wellbeing. IDVAs from the lead domestic abuse service in the area rated the scheme, finding the process smooth and work carried out within a quick timeframe. On average, a scheme costs £180-£1200 per household (up to £4000 if a sanctuary room is fitted). 2010 UK Government research (when schemes were more commonplace) suggested sanctuary schemes can be cost effective and lead to significant savings, by reducing both incidents of domestic abuse, and homelessness for that reason.

Key insights

• a sanctuary scheme isn’t simply a lock change by housing or police: it should have multiple referral points; be independent (i.e. not contingent on tenure, or engagement with certain services); and connect to an offer of a wider safety/ support package from domestic abuse services
• it’s vital to publicise the option of local sanctuary schemes on an ongoing basis, across and within agencies: victims are unlikely to have heard of such schemes, so frontline staff have a key role in explaining and exploring the option
• effective multi-agency sanctuary schemes require adequate funding for a coordinating role and a full suite of security measures a victim may need, according to risk - not just a minimal offer

Find out more…

Sonja Kapalay, Whole Housing Approach Coordinator, Standing Together
s.kapalay@standingtogether.org.uk