The government's plan to protect domestic abuse survivors has big gaps

One in eight women in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking in the last year alone, and this in itself is likely to be an underestimate as many of these crimes are hidden or go unreported.

The home secretary has called violence against women and girls a “national emergency”, and the government has just released its long-awaited strategy and action plan to tackle this issue.

At Hestia, we have supported people through trauma and crisis for over 55 years. This includes adults, children and babies experiencing domestic abuse and sexual violence every day – recognising abuse, supporting them to safety, and helping to rebuild their lives.

So, what do we make of the new strategy?

As a start, I want to recognise that it shows real ambition. If implemented well, incorporating the lived experience of victim-survivors and those working on the ground, this could be a key step towards ensuring many more women and children can live a life free from violence and abuse.

We’re pleased to see the government taking a whole-system, cross-departmental approach, recognising that prevention and early intervention, safety and recovery must go hand in hand. They are right to emphasise that all parts of society, from schools to surgeries, workplaces to the wider community have vital roles to play.

However, this said, in its current form the strategy contains significant gaps that risk leaving victim-survivors without the protection and support they need.

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The role of employers and communities

We have long highlighted the vital role workplaces and communities play in supporting victim-survivors. For many, work is their only safe place and often where abuse first becomes visible, through attendance, performance, finances, or safety concerns. For others, workplaces themselves can be sites of abuse and sexual violence, including sadly, in institutions we all rely on.

The strategy rightly acknowledges the role employers can play. As minister Jess Phillips has said, “violence against women and girls is everyone’s business”. Employers have the potential to reach large numbers of survivors and provide key pathways to recovery, but stronger safeguarding and support is needed to make this a reality, including statutory duties for employers, funding for advice lines and mandatory training for staff.

Community initiatives like safe spaces are vital. Everyday locations like pharmacies and banks offer discreet support, where survivors can confidentially seek help. The government’s strategy, while emphasising a whole of society approach, does not outline how community support will be supported or funded in practice. For many survivors, these community touch points are not just convenient, they are lifelines.

Safety and crisis support

For far too long, support services have been battling escalating demand, rising operational costs and short-term commissioning, placing significant pressure on refuges and community-based services. Refuges are closing and victims are being turned away every day. We and other organisations are having to fundraise to deliver key support, such our employers’ advice line (referenced in the strategy) – meaning support across the country is fragmented and financially unsustainable.

While we welcome the government’s commitment of an extra £19 million to domestic abuse accommodation, chronic underfunding in this area means this will barely scratch the surface. Survivors need safe, stable accommodation and support, backed by sustainable, multi-year funding. This is not just about buildings but investing in services and the specialist staff who help survivors rebuild their lives.  

Prevention and early intervention

The emphasis on education-based prevention, including mandatory work with children and young people around healthy relationships, consent and misogyny is undoubtedly an important part of breaking the cycle of harm.

However, we’re concerned that the strategy and action plan lack detail on support for children who are themselves victims of domestic abuse. Despite being recognised as ‘victims in their own right’ as part of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, specialist provision for children remains patchy and sustained investment in children’s workers, therapeutic support, community-based services and properly resourced support for schools will be vital to ensure children receive the protection they need.

Justice too, is rightly central to this strategy. The importance of creating specialist teams for serious sexual offences and ensuring all police forces have domestic abuse expertise should not be underplayed. But process change alone will not restore trust. Police forces must listen to survivor experiences and support officers who themselves are experiencing abuse. Survivors have faced inconsistent responses and not being believed for a long time, which in turn delays or inhibits their ability to the support they need.

This strategy gives real grounds for hope, but a strategy is only as strong as the change it delivers. Its impact will depend on long-term commitment, effective implementation on the ground, and, let’s be honest, adequate financial backing. That means substantial, sustained investment in both prevention and early intervention, and crisis support. Partnering with employers and communities, the government has a real opportunity to make a meaningful difference for future generations of women and children in this country. Hestia is ready to work with the government to turn these commitments into real, lasting change.

Sue Harper is deputy director of domestic abuse and sexual violence prevention at the charity Hestia.

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