Improving housing outcomes for women experiencing domestic abuse

Domestic abuse: a good practice guide for social landlords is guidance for social housing professionals who are involved in developing policy in housing and homelessness services and in providing housing management and housing support services. It is intended to support social landlords to develop an informed response that prevents women’s and children’s homelessness, supports victims of domestic abuse effectively and holds perpetrators to account.

Following on from this, Improving housing outcomes for women and children experiencing domestic abuse is the report of a Scottish Government working group in December 2020 highlighting six areas which, acted on together, could significantly reduce domestic abuse related homelessness.

Currently going through Parliament, the Domestic Abuse Protection (Scotland) Bill closes a gap in protection for women and children. It places conditions on domestic abuse perpetrators, including removing suspected perpetrators from households and prohibiting them from contacting or abusing the person at risk while a protective order is in place. It provides the space and support for women to consider their future options and removes the expectation that victim-survivors, rather than perpetrators of domestic abuse, will leave their homes.

Scottish Women’s Aid and CIH Scotland will be discussing this on the first day of the SFHA ‘Housing Now, Housing’s Future’ conference  on Thursday 18 February. For more information or to book a place on any of the sessions visit SFHA Live.