Working Effectively with Perpetrators and Survivors in Homelessness Settings guidance

Standing Together worked in partnership with Fulfilling Lives Islington and Camden at Single Homelessness Project to create guidance around working effectively with perpetrators and survivors of domestic abuse in homelessness settings. The guidance is aimed at frontline professionals working across a range of homelessness settings who are supporting:

·       A survivor of domestic abuse where the perpetrator is almost always present.

·       A perpetrator within their service

·       Both survivor and perpetrator, if both are living in the same accommodation project for example.

The guidance was developed from focus groups and two roundtable sessions with homelessness professionals, and those working in strategic roles across the homelessness, women’s specialist and perpetrator fields. During these sessions we identified some gaps in provision for survivors and perpetrators experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantage, such as how perpetrator behavioural change programs can be difficult for this cohort to access.

We also heard feedback from homelessness professionals around the challenges they faced when working with perpetrators and supporting survivors when a perpetrator is almost always present. The guidance therefore contains lots of useful tips and guidance around spotting the signs of domestic abuse, best practice for supporting survivors who remain in relationships with perpetrators and addressing/challenging a perpetrator’s behaviour where appropriate. It also includes some recommendations for organisations and commissioners.

To read the guidance click here: