This is a summary of our Network Event, held on 4 June 2024 and hosted at Amazon’s London office, in partnership with MindForward Alliance. MindForward Alliance is, like EIDA, a membership organisation, and works with employers to create mentally healthy workplaces. They see the severe and long-term impacts of domestic abuse in their work. Notably, around 60% of those in therapy are also experiencing domestic abuse.
For organisations wanting to implement a domestic abuse response, EIDA recommends a four-phased approach:
- Phase 1: Making a commitment and taking the first steps
- Phase 2: Implementing a workplace domestic abuse response
- Phase 3: Embedding the workplace domestic abuse response for the long term
- Phase 4: Leading the way and inspiring others
Everyone’s Business Awards
One of our partners, Hestia, announced the 2024 winners of the Everyone’s Business Awards. This year’s winners are HSBC, First Direct and M&S bank, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and EIDA Beacon member National Grid.
Panel discussion: How an organisational response to mental health and wellbeing can inform a workplace domestic abuse response
Moderator: Anastasia Vinnikova. UK Head of Workplace Wellbeing, MindForward Alliance
Panellists: Andrew Lane, EIDA Ambassador and Head of Change Delivery, Ministry of Justice. Gill MacLeod, Senior Executive OHP, HCA Healthcare, and Jenny Lloyd. Head of UK DEI and Wellbeing, Linklaters.
- Any conversation about mental health or domestic abuse must centre on the people, the human beings behind the data that are experiencing cruel or debilitating circumstances. We have included conversations on mental health in schools, universities, and workplaces – now we must do the same for domestic abuse.
- Through her work in occupational health, Gill has noticed that the more employers raised awareness of domestic abuse internally, the more cases were reported. She underlines the mental health impacts of domestic abuse on victim-survivors, who often don’t realise they are in an abusive relationship, and struggle with low self-esteem, feelings of failure, anxiety, and depression. Many have experienced an enormous undermining of their confidence and ability to assert themselves, feeling fundamentally disempowered.
- Jenny has observed through her work with domestic abuse support at Linklaters that there is no “typical” experience of domestic abuse, nor a “typical” person that tends to be affected. She encourages employers to find diverse avenues for targeting different subgroups of their workforce, because people identify and pay attention to different messaging.
- Andrew underlined that the crisis point for a victim-survivor of domestic abuse (when their situation is brought to light, help is initiated, and perhaps the perpetrator faces consequences), is not the end of the support journey. Many cases of domestic abuse that involve children go through very lengthy Family Court proceedings – in his case, seven years. It creates a significant drag on victim-survivors’ mental bandwidth, and post-separation abuse is very common. “Abusers do not go quietly”.
- We must remain sensitive to the needs of different groups. More women are impacted by domestic abuse statistically, but it may also be harder for men to disclose that they are affected. The numbers are also very high among young people, disabled people, and the LGBT+ community. Try to match the organisation’s support to the needs in terms of diversity and representation, to reflect its workforce as much as it can. Use inclusive language and challenge stereotypes.
- Any good workplace response starts with openness and good intent. Provide employees with reassurance of what happens next if they disclose (having a policy can help with this), communicate openly about how common domestic abuse is, and listen empathetically to individuals who share their experiences. Most of the practical support an employer can provide is either low-cost or free.
Insights from roundtables: Taking inspiration from mental health responses
- The key is to get people engaged. Hearing testimonies of lived experience is by far the most effective way to do this. Whilst external voices can be drawn upon in the early phase of a domestic abuse response, organisations may over time find that internal voices emerge to share their stories. Drawing inspiration from other organisations is also important. Awareness-raising must then be followed by action.
- Senior leadership buy-in and ongoing support is crucial. Taking a top-down approach that is led by executives is effective in overcoming stigma. Seniors must demonstrate commitment to the cause and lead by example. This signals a culture of safety for employees.
- Place messaging where people can see it, which is usually bathroom doors for anyone in a physical office or field space. This also enables you to reach smaller and/or rural organisations. Visual tools like the Power and Control Wheel may be helpful. Adapt messaging to relevant audiences and ensure your workplace has safe spaces. You can organise workshops, seminars, and conversation-based cafe-style events for engaged or curious employees to talk about domestic abuse.
- Perpetrators remain one of the hardest components of a domestic abuse response for employers to deal with. You can read our resource on perpetrators here. Safeguarding the victim-survivor and others who may be affected must remain the main priority.
- Domestic abuse and mental health go hand in hand. Provide adequate support and training for Domestic Abuse Champions and Mental Health First Aiders, as well as managers and employees in general. General awareness-raising is crucial, because the people you work closest with are the most likely to spot any signs that something is wrong. Support roles should have a clear scope and boundaries, with adequate resources if they are dealing with out-of-hours requests. Knowing how and where to signpost affected individuals is essential.
We would like to thank everyone who attended this Networking Event and contributed their insights to the discussion. If you have any questions about implementing a domestic abuse response in your organisation, contact us at [email protected]
“Kindness is free.” – Andrew Lane, EIDA Ambassador.
