Morgan Sindall partnered with DAHA – Operatives trained to spot the signs of domestic abuse as part of new initiative
Morgan Sindall Property Services (MSPS) has partnered with the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) to support the development of standards for DAHA Accreditation for Contractors. MSPS is the first contractor to receive formal accreditation, showing commitment to tackling domestic abuse within local communities.
During lockdown, property services operatives were among the few people entering people’s homes as they continued delivering essential services, highlighting the importance of spotting signs of abuse.
According to the Government there are 2.3 million victims of domestic abuse a year with a surge during the pandemic, with lockdowns leaving many victims trapped at home with their abusers.
Morgan Sindall partnered with DAHA -MSPS developed a toolkit for identifying customers who could be at risk of abuse across the 200,000 homes that they service. All staff within the business received domestic abuse training, giving them an understanding of what constitutes domestic abuse, how to spot it and what to do if they have a concern.
Alan Hayward, Managing Director, Morgan Sindall Property Services said: “Domestic abuse is too common in our society, with a devastating impact. I’m proud that as a business we are tackling the issue head on, developing procedures to support both our employees and customers. Through this process, we have increased awareness and encouraged more conversations to understand the complexities of domestic abuse across the business. We are very proud of our work with DAHA and will continue to work with Local Authorities and Councils to protect our customers and offer support through our social value initiatives”
To meet the DAHA accreditation standards, MSPS was assessed against seven key standards, including policies and procedures, staff training, workflow management, partnership working, inclusivity and accessibility, social value and continuous improvement.
For the past 12 months, Morgan Sindall have developed:
- Four domestic abuse training programmes for all employees delivered by a domestic abuse specialist.
- A tailored policy and procedure to support staff
- A network of Domestic Abuse Workplace Support contacts to provide guidance and signpost support.
- Referral pathways with Local Authorities and Housing Associations to develop referral pathways to ensure those at risk of domestic abuse are supported
Judith Vickress, DAHA Team Lead commented: “Domestic abuse is everyone’s business. Often described as “hidden behind closed doors” domestic abuse is only hidden if we choose not to see it. Working with a domestic abuse lens is vital if we are going to see it. Contractors are in a perfect position to spot the signs of domestic abuse, they are in properties, opening doors, they are the eyes and ears of the landlord and can make a difference. We have worked closely with MSPS to build the first DAHA Accreditation for Contractors, working to understand what is achievable and how the adoption and embedding of standards of good practice can improve practice. We will now be working to create tools and guidance with learning from this pilot work to support other Contractors to work towards and achieve DAHA Accreditation and aim to launch this service in early 2022. Thank you to all at MSPS for the incredible work, dedication, and commitment to achieving standards of good practice in domestic abuse and showing us what is possible, be very proud. “
Find out more on our website: https://morgansindallpropertyservices.com/
Property & Development Magazine