Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a crime, everyone has the right to be safe from abuse and fear.

Domestic violence is when someone behaves in an abusive or violent way towards another person, usually within the home. Domestic violence happens in all cultures; people of all races, ethnicities, religions, genders, ages and backgrounds can experience domestic abuse.

What to do if you are experiencing domestic violence

If you are experiencing domestic violence you can report it to ISHA, the best way to to do this is by contacting your Tenancy Services Manager, you can find their details by looking at the In Your Area section.

You can also contact ISHA’s anti social behaviour line on 0800 088 66 99 (call free from landlines) if you want to make a report outside office hours.

Remember, domestic violence is a crime. Always phone 999 in an emergency.

What we will do

If you contact us about a case of domestic violence, we will:

Offer you a private interview, with a person of the same gender if it makes you more comfortable. You do not need an appointment to come to our offices, although you may have to wait until an interview room is available so that you can speak to someone in private.
Meet you within 24 hours (or as soon as you are able to meet us), in a safe environment, to give you advice on housing options, security measures, involving the police; and what further help and support is available.

We will:

give you advice and direct you to specialist organisations who can help
give you advice on emergency accommodation and about your tenancy
provide you with a range of options to deal with domestic violence
agree an action plan with you
give priority to your safety; and
take legal action against known perpetrators, where appropriate

Information, equality and confidentiality

We will:

keep you involved and up to date with any action we take
keep all cases of domestic violence confidential
treat you fairly, in line with our equality and diversity policy
respect your decisions.

We are committed to treating all reported cases of domestic violence quickly and sensitively.

More information

For more information on domestic violence and what to do if you are experiencing domestic violence, please visit Refuge , Women's Aid, Broken Rainbow and Victim Support or speak to your Tenancy Services Manager. We can provide help and advice about your rehousing options so you can feel safe.

Please download our Domestic Violence Policy [246Kb] for more information.