Following re-accreditation, The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, has become the first housing association in the country to be awarded enhanced accreditation status for its response to domestic abuse, by the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA).
The Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance first accredited Guinness in 2020 for its approach in raising awareness about and addressing domestic abuse. Accreditation is reviewed every three years to ensure an organisation is still doing things in the right way and ensure the most recent best practice has been implemented.
To receive enhanced status Guinness had to demonstrate how they continue to meet the standards in the DAHA framework and continue to embed and build on their good practice to enhance their offer to residents, other service users and to staff experiencing domestic abuse.
The assessor for DAHA noted how impressed they were with the way Guinness has created a culture which helps colleagues identify, and support, residents experiencing domestic abuse. They recognised that as a result of this work, people’s lives have been saved.
Group Chief Executive of The Guinness Partnership, Catriona Simons said: “Abuse and violence of any sort are terrible, but abuse or violence at the hands of families and loved ones who we trust to look out for us – or look after us – are particularly abhorrent. Family and home should provide sanctuary – they should never be sources of fear.
“Domestic abuse can occur in any household and in any relationship, and because it most often takes place in the home it can be hidden. Housing providers are uniquely positioned to identify domestic abuse, as we more than anyone see inside the home. We therefore have a moral responsibility to do everything possible to identify, provide support and tackle domestic abuse.
“This work is fundamentally important to Guinness. Being able to support our residents, and our colleagues, to enable them to get the help they need is a priority for us. We are so pleased to have been recognised by the DAHA and I would like to thank all our colleagues for the work they do every day to help tackle domestic abuse.”
Alison Ashton from DAHA said: “The Guinness Partnership have evidenced that they have robust policies, processes and approaches to ensuring that their housing response is tailored to identifying and responding to domestic abuse. They have embedded support for staff that is sensitive and holds perpetrators to account. Hearing from staff about the culture of listening and offering support and doing their best.
“The Chief Executive was clearly able to reflect on the unique position of housing in responding to domestic abuse and the organisation is committed to continuous development.”
Although most cases of domestic abuse relate to male abuse against women, domestic abuse can be experienced by anyone, regardless of gender, age or sexuality and often abuse is not just physical but includes emotional and financial abuse, and coercive control.”
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