Domestic abuse training helps staff identify cases sooner
Domestic abuse training helps staff identify cases sooner
27 May 2025
In Hammersmith & Fulham alone, around 1 in 3 women and girls experience domestic abuse, with A&E staff seeing higher risk survivors of abuse because of physical injuries.
To help tackle this, we funded specialist training for over 550 staff at Charing Cross Hospital’s Emergency department to improve their confidence in identifying victims and perpetrators.
One staff member told us: “Domestic abuse and safeguarding of patients are areas I’ve been faced with many times and I always struggle to know where to start when dealing with and escalating them. I know I’m going to refer back to this training many times. Thank you!”
The training has helped staff take action, and 80% of attendees said they felt more confident identifying and referring cases to external services.
As a result of the training, there has been a fourfold increase in victims of domestic abuse being referred for specialist support and intervention, improving their outcomes and those of other potential victims.
Staff also participated in specialist training to understand how to speak to perpetrators and signpost them to support to change their behaviour.
The training was made possible thanks to an Innovate at Imperial grant, which allowed for a Domestic Abuse Coordinator, Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate and a violence prevention worker on-site at Charing Cross Hospital
The project helped build lasting relationships between the Trust’s safeguarding team and domestic abuse lead, the Hammersmith & Fulham council public health team, and charities including Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse, Waythrough, Advance, and Victim Support.
Read the full story along with more in our Spring 2025 edition of Focus.
