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EVENT DATE CAPTURE

Supporting Ethnically Diverse Women
Suffering Domestic Violence & Abuse

Intro from Nadia Ali

Hello and welcome to this timely meeting and its event data feedback report.
The only way it is timely is because so many have done amazing work in this area that affects and supports so many affected by domestic abuse and has a wide-ranging impact. They have brought the statistics and made them available for example, that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6-7 men face domestic abuse (NCDV).

This meeting was about what we can do in an area not highlighted enough, about the ethnically diverse women, and to open up more to what can be done to highlight the lack of provision and the support that’s already there. Here is the report of the meeting and I hope it brings awareness of paths in place and more support that we can bring in Stockport. Thank you to all that attended our collaboration event between Stockport Women & Girls' Network and Stockport Race Equality Partnership

What DV support is available?

STOCKPORT ORGANISATIONS

OWLS • Talk Listen Change (TLC) • End The Fear

Stockport Without Abuse • Stockport Women’s Centre • Orange Umbrella Project

GM ORGANISATIONS

Olive Pathway • Independent Choices • The Pankhurst Trust (incorporating Manchester Women’s Aid) • Greater Manchester Rape Crisis

TRC Sexual Abuse & Rape Support Greater Manchester • LGBTFoundation

NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

UK Government

Speakers

Nadia Ali (SWAG Network – Network Lead)
Aba Graham (S-REP – Executive Director)

Mark Rodgers (Stockport Homes – Funding Officer)

APOLOGIES

Atiha Chaudry, Claire Osment, Helen Percival, Nicola Chester,
Siobhan Martin, Paula King, May Fairweather.

Attendees Question 1

Why have you attended this event?

Jen Samani Make Build Grow

“I want to know how to build trusting relationships
so that I can give a voice to the young people that she works with.”

Mia Vo Make Build Grow

Soraya Agaoglu Sector3

“I have a new job role as Violence Reduction Co-Ordinator at Sector3.”

Tony Wright Socio-Economic Regeneration CIC

“Because social deprivation and DV go hand in hand.”

Jody Webb Oldham Council

“I need more information about how best to support DA sufferers.”

Leanne Clarke Stockport Homes

Courteney Osment OWLS

“I do a peer support group for women affected by DA
and want to learn about what is available in the sector.”

Amy Perkins OWLS

“I did ‘The Voice’ program.”

Rand Mohammad HNCC

Iman Ahmed S-REP

“I want to gain more information on DA and hear different experiences.”

Marie O’Malley SMBC – Public Health

“I want to be able to give more effective signposting.”

Nicola Anderson SWAG Network & Parents Against Racism Unite

“I want to know what support there is for ED children growing up with DA.”

Bethany Applebee BHA for Equality

“I’m a sexual health advisor ­and get a lot of disclosures so I need to know how to deal with clients suffering DA and how best to support them.”

Elaine O'Reilly SMBC

“I support communities in Stockport.”

Bernard Kivel HNCC

“I get lots of disclosures and can spot people who come into
the community centre that are suffering the effects of DA.”

Tolu Fiberesima ACCA

“I produce ‘Advocate Magazine’ for African & Caribbean People in Stockport. I’m also a Magistrate in the family court
and have never heard of any DV support groups in Stockport!”

Gemma Mearman Stockport Homes

Beth Dunn Stockport Homes

Raji Sundar Midlife Runners CIC

Wants to promote what’s happening in the sector with her clients.

Lois Worthington Talk ListenChange

“I want to better support the young people team.”

Clive Poetical Peacemaker Creative Concepts

“I want to continue with self-change,
I now turn to art & poetry to express my emotions.”

Kelly Gaskill Re:dish

“I’ve completed the ‘Orange Umbrella’ training.”

Amin Farah S-REP

David Mutai Sector3

“I’m the new migrant lead at Sector3”

Emily Foley SMBC – Start Team

“I’m a drug & alcohol support worker and want to know the signs of DA,
and good to know how people support each other.”

Billy Byrne SMBC – Start Team

“As a drug & alcohol support worker, I’m interested in
ethnically diverse people over the use of prescription drugs.”

Open Discussion

• Not all ED women suffering from DA have church or mosque support.

• Some people won’t speak out about DA because they also have immigration issues.

• There needs to be more support for the children of so-called ‘hard to reach communities as they currently have no mental health support.

• The support for ED women needs to be culturally appropriate.

• So ethnically diverse communities need to understand what domestic abuse is.

• Education on what a healthy relationship is.

• Have access to culturally appropriate mediation.

• There needs to be more information about what pathways are available for DA survivors.

Attendees Question 2

What help do you need to embrace all types of
domestic violence within your work?

FEEDBACK

• Information for children to help recognise DV ­– Adding it to the PSHE curriculum.

• Training for teachers so they feel like they’re prepared and know how to talk about DV and recognise the signs. So that they don’t just see the children of toxic households as troubled and difficult kids.

• Bitesize info for kids (a children’s book on the topic).

• Educate children that DV is not normal behaviour and to understand what a toxic environment is.

• Training for questions and signs of behaviours for professionals to ask and look out for and avoid cultural tropes.

• Culturally appropriate mandatory training

• Info leaflets for perpetrators for behaviour change programmes.

  o Which are non-judgemental

  o And multilingual

• All organisations working to help a similar group within a similar sector to develop a ‘joint-referral leaflet’ with correct up-to-date contact details of all local DV support providers. This will give service users a menu to choose from. Leaflet to be translated into relevant languages.

• Diversity within teams (a recruitment policy).

• Ring-fence particular role tin order to address the inclusivity within teams (affirmative action).

• Culturally appropriate methods of addressing sensitive issues like DV within ethnically diverse communities, and conservation starters to break the silence about the shame.

• Financial independence pathway training.

• Understanding the different types of DA e.g., financial, mental, emotional physical, sexual, coercive etc.

• Research in honour-based violence and make the knowledge more accessible.

• More understanding about FGM.

• Make knowledge of services more accessible (where are all the leaflets stored?)

• Healthy relationship education in schools for children.

• Working systemically ­– engaging with professional, understanding

• intersectionality – DV doesn’t look the same for all.

• Increase knowledge of legislation and the law regarding restraining orders, financial support and the process of going to family court.

• The latest statistics on who is affected by DA

• Clear pathways for survivors of different types of DA.

• To understand the link between addiction and growing up in a DA household.

Attendees Question 3

How does an inclusive strategy
become a live and action driven plan?

FEEDBACK

• Training and regular updates.

• Identify the who/why ­– backgrounds.

• Who is it made up of ­– lived experience of men and women.

• Men are a gap! Sharing is caring.

• Open conversations – non-judgemental approaches.

• Working roots to top ­– and top to roots.

• Learning Be Action drive.

• Knowledge is key.

• Resources.

• Trust and breakdown barriers.

• Developing volunteer DV services.

• More encouragement and validation.

• Anonymity – to deal with fear.

• Overcoming and eradicating the shame.

• Eradication of a tokenism approach to DV provision.

• Youth voices within DV strategy.

• More promotion from varied demographics.

Next Steps for the SWAG Network

The SWAG Network is delighted to be working with CLAIRE OSMENT MBE

Founder of OWLS (Ongoing Women’s Local Support)

Clair came to Stockport after fleeing an abusive relationship and
after leaving the refuge, she found there was no Peer Support for survivors of DA.
With the help of Stockport Homes, Claire founded OWLS and from a small coffee morning where women came to chat and support each other the OWLS organisation has grown to where we are today.

“I was always told that I would never amount to anything without him in my life, although it was scary I was determined to prove him wrong and last year I did just that when I received an MBE for the work that I do in supporting DA survivors.”

Claire is the SWAG Network's new lead for domestic violence and abuse.
In this new role, Claire will be attending relevant meetings/networks/conferences.
She will be working alongside policymakers from SMBC and the Stockport Safeguarding Board. As well as leading and highlighting relevant campaigns for supporting women in Stockport suffering DA, Claire will be sending out regular updates via our social media platforms about her progress on tackling DV in Stockport for our SWAG Network and leading the delivery of our grassroots training and peer mentoring programme. We hope you will all give your support for Claire in this vital role.

Funding

Projects around domestic violence & ethnically diverse women

Hilden Grants for Children’s Summer Activities

To help community groups run summer play schemes for children 5-18,
priority is given to refugees and BME families.

Paul Hamlyn Foundation

One of the largest independent grant-makers in the UK,
including BME families’ support group.

ROSA

Fund for women and girls sector, to strengthen organisations
and to use voices to achieve change.

Coutts Foundation

The aim of the fund is to tackle poverty. The current focus is women and girls.

They have funded Stockport Without Abuse.

The Pilgrim Trust

Young Women’s mental health fund.

Smallwood Trust

Projects which enable women on low incomes to access new skills, training, confidence building and employment opportunities.

Allen Lane Foundation

Range of areas and includes Asylum-seekers and refugees (but not groups working with a single nationality) and people experiencing violence or abuse.

National Lottery Community Fund

Awards for All – up to £10,000 going to up to £20,000 in Autumn 2023.

ReachingCommunities 1 to 5 years up to £500,000.
Priorities: Places and spaces, early intervention
to reach potential and creating strong bonds in communities.