DA resources for employers by nation UK & Ireland
England
Hestia support for employers:
Domestic Abuse Prevention | Hestia
The Respond to Abuse Advice Line
A free, confidential Advice Line accessible Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, by phone or email. For other times, Respond to Abuse is a resource for employers to advise them on how to approach disclosures of domestic abuse by their employees, and to triage such employees into the appropriate local specialist domestic abuse services.
UK Says No More’s Safe Spaces and Online Safe Spaces
A free website portal providing an opportunity for people experiencing domestic abuse to seek support which does not show up on browsing history. Online Safe Spaces are currently available on national websites including Royal Mail, Post Office, Thames Water and Network Rail.
You can access the portal by clicking on the Safe Spaces logo on participating websites, including The Links Group website.
If your business is interesting in facilitating Online Safe Spaces on your website for free, email uksaysnomore@hestia.org  to register your interest.
Domestic abuse costs UK businesses £1.9billion a year.
Employers have a unique role to play in responding to domestic abuse.
DAA 2021/duty of care?) It is vital that every employee is able to access specialist domestic abuse support.
That’s why Hestia developed the Everyone’s Business programme.
Everyone’s Business works with employers so that they can provide information, resources and practical guidance to employees who have experienced domestic abuse. When employers take action and respond to domestic abuse we know it saves lives.
If you are an organisation interested in joining the Everyone’s Business programme, take a look at Hestia’s The Everyone’s Business Offer page, or register your interest by filling in this form.  To find out more about Everyone’s Business and what support packages are available, download Hestia’s brochure.
Download the Everyone’s Business toolkit | Hestia
Hestia welcome the opportunity to discuss how they might be able to support them to implement an internal response or policy around domestic abuse. You can contact the Everyone’s Business team via email on everyones.business@hestia.org.
Become a corporate partner | Hestia
Work with a charity that understands the power of partnerships
Together we can end domestic abuse and modern slavery and tackle the growing mental health crisis.
Working in partnership with Hestia, your businesses can act with confidence and impact on the major issues of our time, bringing about change both within your own workforce and supply chains, and your local communities.
Why partner with Hestia?
We understand that every business is different, and will work closely with you to ensure a partnership that helps you achieve you deliver really impact, support your CSR objectives, build your brand and ensure employee engagement. Â
Our partnerships can help you:
Engage: Your staff and customers on the major issues of our time: domestic abuse, modern slavery and mental health.
Innovate: Bringing together our expertise, we can develop new solutions to support vulnerable men, women and children.
Differentiate: Build your brand to deliver commercial impact while transforming your community.
How a partnership with us can make a difference
We work hard to end domestic abuse and modern slavery and tackle the growing mental health crisis. We provide specialist support every step of the way of recovery and ensure communities and businesses are part of the solution. Working with us your business can help us build a life beyond crisis.
Women’s Aid Federation of England
Provide training and qualifications, including remote training and bespoke training, as well arranging events and conferences.
They can also provide posters, leaflets and awareness raising materials which could be used in the workplace.
Posters and leaflets – Women’s Aid
Wales
Welsh Women’s Aid
Training & qualifications : Welsh Women’s Aid
Find out more about training opportunities including CPD accredited and non-accredited courses, national accredited qualifications, and bespoke packages.
Live Fear Free promotional materials : Welsh Women’s Aid
Welsh Women’s Aid can supply you and your organisation with a free sample box of promotional items for the Live Fear Free Helpline. These materials help raise awareness of the helpline which provides vital information and support to survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and violence against women.
Scotland
Scottish Women’s Aid
Scottish Women’s Aid – Training – Learning & Development
Scottish Women’s Aid has been the leading Scottish training organisation for domestic abuse and VAWG competency training for nearly 50 years. We have a proven track record of delivering professional training informed by survivor-lived experience, current leading research and best and safe practice delivery models.
Workforce L&D | Scottish Women’s Aid
WORKFORCE LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Everyone in Scotland has a right to safety. You can protect and prepare your staff, and improve your services to help those affected by violence and abuse in your workforce and in your community.
The Equally Safe in Practice (ESiP) workforce learning and development is a key tool in implementing the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe Strategy which prioritises intervening early and effectively to prevent violence while also maximising the safety and wellbeing of women, children and young people.
Within this wider framework there is a new training package available, with three online training modules followed by a live trainer-led reflective discussion session that will prepare your staff and inform your services to respond to victim survivors no matter their job role. The reflective discussions can be facilitated in a range of ways to suit the group size and workplace needs.
Northern Ireland
Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland
Training – Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland
Workplace Policy & the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Act – Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland
The Assembly in Northern Ireland passed the Safe Leave Act on 12th May 2022, and this introduced domestic abuse leave which when fully enshrined in law will make it a legal requirement for employers to offer up to ten days of paid leave over a period of 12 months to employees affected by domestic abuse. The Safe Leave Act is a vital piece of legislation which will help give extra protections to all victims of domestic abuse through allowing individuals to have time needed to help support them at a very difficult time, also inform workplaces about domestic abuse, encourage more employers to implement workplace Domestic Abuse Policies, and be better informed of the impacts of domestic abuse and look out for signs and symptoms.
This course will aim to equip attendees with relevant and up to date information and knowledge on the Workplace Policy and Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Act. It will support employers and organisations to implement a comprehensive and robust Workplace Domestic Abuse Policy and guidance on the roll out of the Safe Leave Act.
Ireland
Women’s Aid Ireland
Women’s Aid – Listening. Believing. Supporting. Empowering.
Support for employers – Women’s Aid
Businesses and organisations are increasingly becoming aware that domestic violence and abuse is an issue which directly impacts employees’ participation at work and the workplace itself. The cost of domestic abuse to companies can be considerable.
Supporting Employers to Implement Domestic Violence Leave
DV at Work – Domestic Violence at work
The Government of Ireland has introduced domestic violence leave under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023. This is a legal requirement for employers to offer up to five days of paid leave over a period of 12 months to employees affected by domestic violence.
To implement domestic violence leave effectively, it is recommended that employers embed this support measure within a wider organisational response to domestic abuse, outlined in a workplace domestic violence policy. The policy offers clarity and support to both employers and co-workers in responding to the needs of an employee subjected to domestic violence.
This page provides support materials and services for employers developing their workplace domestic violence policies. They were developed by Women’s Aid as contracted by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
Policy Template and Guidance Note
What can I do as an employer? – Safe Ireland
Support from organisations – but those we have no direct link with
New advice to help employers deal with domestic abuse and stigma – GOV.UK 2018!!! This is still high on Google rankings, but has been updated by Domestic Abuse: a toolkit for employers – Guide For Employers June 2021, but lower in the rankings.Â
bitc-wellbeing-toolkit-domesticabuseforemployers-june2021_0.pdf
What we do | Employers’ Initiative on Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse: guidance for people professionals on supporting employees | CIPD
