The report reflects the insights and expertise gathered from a roundtable event hosted in May at the House of Lords by Lord Patel of Bradford OBE.
The conversation brought together leaders from across the health, social care and voluntary sectors, alongside safeguarding practitioners working on the frontline. Together, they explored what a “gold standard” approach to recognising and responding to domestic abuse should look like, both for service users and for colleagues.
The report highlights key themes raised by participants, including:
- The need for a system-wide, trauma-informed and consistent approach
- Stronger training and support for staff, from induction to leadership level
- Improving confidence in routine enquiry and safe disclosure
- More robust and fair HR mechanisms for addressing concerns
- Strengthening referral pathways and joined-up working across services
These insights will directly inform the next phase of our Domestic Abuse Quality Improvement (QI) project, helping us build more effective frameworks and resources for teams across Cygnet.
Phil Winterbottom, Head of Safeguarding and Protection, said: “Domestic abuse can impact anyone from service users, colleagues and carers and the consequences can be profound. This report is a vital step in helping us reflect honestly on our current practice and move towards a safer, more consistent response across our services.
“We encourage all colleagues to take time to read the report and reflect on how its recommendations relate to your service, team and role.
“Thank you to everyone across Cygnet who continues to champion safe, compassionate, and trauma-informed practice. Together, we can help drive meaningful and lasting change.”
The roundtable event brought together an esteemed group of organisations including the Royal Colleges of Nursing, Psychiatry, and GPs, NHS England, Kings College London, Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse, Mankind Initiative, and the Social Care Institute for Excellence, among others.
