Support a Client Experiencing Domestic Abuse

Safety first approach

When working with victim-survivors of domestic abuse, their physical and emotional safety must be prioritised. Here are some simple steps to follow:

• As a priority, work with the victim-survivor to create a safety plan. If available, complete a personal safety assessment.
• Conduct a security check of the victim-survivors devices, and make sure they’re not being monitored or tracked.
• Ensure confidentiality in all conversations. Let the victim-survivor how their information is stored and protected.
• Avoid any actions that could unintentionally put the victim-survivor at risk, such as leaving voicemails or emails that the abuser could access.

Trauma-informed approach

A trauma-informed approach recognises the impact of trauma on clients and minimises any risks or opportunities for re-traumatisation. To provide the most appropriate support, you could:

• Empower the victim-survivor to make choices rather than decide for them.
• Build trust by being open and honest in your communication.
• Show empathy and acknowledgement for the victim-survivor’s feelings and experiences.
• Research and develop your understanding of the impact of trauma.
• Optimise your work systems so victim-survivors are not required to tell their story more than necessary.

Strength-based communication

Empower the victim-survivor by acknowledging their resilience and capabilities. Shift the focus from what’s been done to them to their strengths in navigating their experiences. To implement this approach:

• Recognise the steps they’ve already taken as proof of their capability.
• Highlight their skills and resourcefulness in managing difficult situations.
• Use positive language that emphasises potential growth and recovery.
• Support them in setting achievable goals that build self-belief.
• For example, swap ‘the children missed a week of school’ to ‘you got your kids to school every day for 9 of 10 weeks of the school term, that’s impressive’.

Understand intersectionality

Intersectionality is how a person’s identity can differ, such as race, gender, culture, ability or others. To provide effective support to a client, we should customise our service to each client’s intersectional profile, such as:

• Recognise each victim-survivor experience is their own, and don’t rush or force ‘pre-structured’ solutions on a client.
• Avoid making assumptions based on the victim-survivor’s identity, encourage curiosity and ask them to share more about themselves with you.
• Expand your understanding of the barriers that victim-survivors might face.
• Provide support from a consultation perspective, be prepared to trust the victim-survivors perspective and adjust your service as applicable.

Incorporating victim-survivor feedback

Incorporating feedback from victim-survivors of FDV is key to improving the services and support systems designed for them. Listening to victim-survivors allows you to make immediate changes and shape long-term policies that better meet their needs. To do this effectively, you could:

• Seek immediate feedback during interactions to adjust your approach in real-time, ensuring the victim-survivor feels heard and supported.
• Use feedback to inform policies and procedures, ensuring that victim-survivor voices are central to decisions about services and practices.
• Regularly review and update systems based on victim-survivor input, creating a continuous improvement cycle.
• Create safe and accessible channels for victim-survivors to provide feedback in ways that suit them and without fear of judgement.