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Northern Ireland Housing Executive launches domestic abuse action plan
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has launched an action plan to increase awareness and understanding of domestic abuse.
The 80,000-home landlord’s plan includes 16 actions to support those affected by domestic abuse.
It also aims to recognise the impact the NIHE can have as the organisation with the statutory responsibility to respond to homelessness in Northern Ireland.
Each year, the NIHE assists over 1,000 households who present as homeless due to domestic abuse.
As such, a key part of the plan is to increase the promotion of the sanctuary scheme as a possible homelessness prevention measure. The scheme, which has been in place across Northern Ireland since 2011, aims to help tenants at risk of domestic abuse remain safely in their homes by installing enhanced security measures.
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Another action identified in the plan is the need to engage with minority groups, including male victims of domestic abuse, the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minority groups, the Irish Traveller community and people from rural areas.
The NIHE will also sign up to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Make a Stand scheme, which involves putting in place a domestic abuse policy for tenants and staff, making information on support services available online and appointing a champion at a senior level.
The landlord will secure approval to develop specialist domestic abuse officers within the NIHE to support staff. It will also seek to designate NIHE public offices as safe spaces for anyone experiencing domestic abuse.
Existing training for frontline staff will be reviewed, and new training courses will be developed, including identifying and responding to domestic abuse within the workplace, tenants’ homes, hostels and during interviews with customers.
The plan was developed with volunteer organisations including Women’s Aid, the Rainbow Project, Men’s Advisory Project and Community Restorative Justice Ireland.
Richard Tanswell, head of homelessness policy and strategy at the NIHE, said: “We recognise the important role that the housing executive has in addressing domestic abuse and the long-term impact this can have on people and their families.
“Our action plan has been developed to ensure staff can provide the best support to tenants, customers and colleagues and are equipped with the knowledge to signpost to appropriate services when required.
“We understand domestic abuse can be a contributing factor in homelessness and this is why our new action plan has been developed to support the delivery of our homelessness strategy.”
Sarah Mason, chief executive of the Women’s Aid Federation NI, welcomed the plan.
“In relation to the actions, we are pleased to see the appointment of a domestic abuse champion at senior level and a commitment to review the Women’s Aid and housing executive joint-working protocol.
“We look forward to this continued partnership working to see the actions in relation to domestic abuse rolled out and implemented,” she said.
Dr Lynne McMordie, research fellow at the Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research, said: “By prioritising homelessness prevention and ensuring responsive housing support, we can significantly reduce the devastating impacts of domestic abuse.
“The domestic-abuse action plan is a crucial, timely and welcome step in reinforcing these essential protections.”
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