The National Domestic Abuse Group: strengthening the sector’s response to domestic abuse

My name is Lisa Clarke and I am Regional Housing Lead at Clarion Housing Association. Alongside this role, I also chair the National Housing Federation’s National Domestic Abuse Group. 

Domestic abuse is not just a personal issue to our residents, it is a larger societal problem in which housing plays an intrinsic role. The introduction of the consumer standards requires housing associations to work alongside other agencies to tackle domestic abuse and enable residents to access appropriate support and services. The new Labour government have also made a commitment to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade.  

As social landlords we need to make sure we are identifying and tackling domestic abuse and providing safe and supportive environments for our residents. We can do this by placing the tackling of domestic abuse at the core of what we do. 

With all the changes that have occurred in the sector in the last 18 months we thought it would be the right time to review the National Domestic Abuse Group. Our recently refreshed national group includes a variety of different housing providers alongside Standing Together Against Violence. The group aims to share best practice and ensure housing associations provide a consistent response to domestic abuse. 

The National Domestic Abuse Group seeks to raise awareness of domestic abuse issues and support housing providers by sharing best practice. We want to provide a collaborative network where not only learnings can be shared, but questions and advice can be sought. The group has identified several priorities for the new year, including raising awareness of different forms of domestic abuse, implementing effective perpetrator management and ensuring that the experiences of domestic abuse survivors shape policy approaches. We want to influence and advocate for change in the sector, resulting in better outcomes for survivors of domestic abuse.  

The new members of National Domestic Abuse Group bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience relating to domestic abuse and social housing, and we are excited about working with you all. I’d encourage you to join the NHF’s webinar on the 3 March 2025 where we will be exploring how housing associations can support the government’s aim to tackle domestic abuse. If you’re an NHF member and you’d like to attend, please book your place. 

It feels that as a sector, we are now at a crossroads. We all know that housing is pivotal to social and emotional wellbeing. As housing providers, we need to provide a coordinated sector response to domestic abuse to ensure that our homes and communities are safe environments. 
Please sign up to our mailing list here to be kept up to date with the NHF’s work on domestic abuse.    

If you’ve been tackling domestic abuse at your housing association, particularly if you have good practice examples of responding to the new consumer regulations, we’d like to hear from you. Please email our team if you’d like to talk about upcoming case study opportunities.