ADVANCE has two advocacy projects which provide 24 hour immediate crisis responses to survivors of domestic violence living within the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Brent. We conduct risk assessments, safety planning and offer information, support and advice to survivors of intimate partner violence.

Aims

• To provide a 24-hour immediate crisis intervention, support and advice service to survivors of intimate partner violence in the London Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Brent.
• To risk assess and safety plan with survivors, in order to reduce their future risks and increase their safety.
• To advocate with agencies and work in partnership with our Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) to address all of the survivor’s needs.
• To be part of, and contribute to, a co-ordinated response to domestic violence in partnership with Standing Together.
• To encourage survivors to gain protection within the criminal and civil justice systems.
• To educate and promote a greater understanding in statutory agencies and the wider community of the effects of domestic violence.

Background

ADVANCE was set up 10 years ago as a pilot project, in response to many years of work with the Domestic Violence Forum. Research undertaken by the Forum identified a gap in services for survivors who wanted to obtain protection through the criminal justice system, revealing that only a very small number of cases ever got to court and an even smaller number resulted in a successful prosecution. We recognised that the system was failing survivors and that there was very little support offered to survivors attending court trying to gain protection from domestic violence.

In 1998 there was no agency in Hammersmith and Fulham providing ongoing intensive support and information to survivors still living with their abusers. ADVANCE set out to tackle this problem and to support survivors through the long and often confusing legal process from police callout to continuing support after the court case has finished.

In the London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham and Brent, ADVANCE is now the first point of contact for survivors who call police, access emergency housing or go to a health site for treatment. We currently deal with over 1,500 cases a year.

ADVANCE also help set up and run London's first Domestic Violence Court, based in Hammersmith and Fulham, as well as helping to restructure and develop the Domestic Violence Court which opened in Brent in April 2007. We provide in-court advocacy for any survivor attending court. .

Since January 2008, we have been managing our second domestic violence advocacy project on behalf of Brent Council. The project is based within Brent Police station and is known as ADVANCE Brent. It is currently run by a Manager, three advocates, one Specialist Domestic violence Court Co-ordinator and a data analyst. We aim to replicate our ethos, aims and model of good practice advocacy through the new Brent project. .

Domestic Violence Fact File

Definitions

In the work of ADVANCE, domestic violence is defined as: the physical, psychological, sexual or emotional abuse of women by intimate partners or ex-partners.

More broadly, Violence against women refers to any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life� (Beijing Platform for Action, 1995).

Facts

Domestic violence is a human rights violation against women and continues to occur in the UK, often with little protection or access to justice. Although there are estimated to be 500,000 domestic violence related calls to the police annually, only around 7,000 incidents (1.4%) result in a prosecution (Home Office, 2005).

45% of women in the UK have experienced some form of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking (Walby and Allen, 2004) and domestic violence has been identified as a prime cause of miscarriage or still-birth (Mezey, 1997).

The majority of survivors of domestic violence have been abused by male partners, although domestic violence is not confined to women or heterosexual relationships.

2 women are killed each week by a current or former partner 1 woman killed every 3 days (Homicide Statistics, 1998).

Domestic violence has a higher rate of repeat victimisation than any other crime (Home Office, July 2002).

In a report published by Shelter, 40% of all homeless women stated that domestic violence was a contributor to their homelessness. Domestic violence was found to be "the single most quoted reason for becoming homeless" (Shelter, 2002).

Women with no Recourse to Public Funds

For a significant number of women, the 'no recourse to public funds' requirement in UK immigration and welfare law, does not allow them to access safe housing or benefits to escape domestic violence. The 'no recourse' requirement bars anyone entering the UK on the basis of marriage from relying on public housing or benefits until their immigration position is regularised. This forces women into positions of economic dependency on the settled spouse or partner. An estimated 500 women every year experience violence from a partner and cannot access Housing Benefit and other support, including places in refuges, because they are subject to immigration control (Southall Black Sisters, 2004).

The Advocates' role is to:

• Believe the experience of the survivor and not be judgmental
• Provide someone to talk to 24 hours a day
• Listen to the whole problem survivors bring
• Provide survivors with information and choices to determine their own futures
• Support survivors in whatever choices they make
• Understand the particular difficulties faced by survivors from minority groups
• Facilitate change for survivors at their own pace to enable them to live free from violence and abuse.

What the Advocates can offer:

• Planning for your safety
• Access to refuge or emergency housing
• What to expect if going to court
• Understanding the criminal and civil justice systems
• What to expect if contacting your solicitor
• Problem solving your situation

ADVANCE is here to help you.

To donate money contact:

Resources

National Services for Women

Press and Media coverage of ADVANCE

Useful Publications

Contacting ADVANCE for help

If you contact Hammersmith & Fulham Police they can put you in touch with us night or day. Your local police station has our office and out of hours numbers that they can use to contact us. Police called out following a 999 call also have access to these numbers.

Job Application for Housing Advocate

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