As we mark 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence—a global call to action from 25 November to 10 December—we stand united in our commitment to end gender-based violence and support those affected by it.
We all have a role to play in creating safer communities. At ForHousing, we are proud to be part of this movement, taking real steps to make a meaningful difference.
Achieving the DAHA (Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance) Accreditation has been a big part of this work. It is a recognised mark of excellence in our response to domestic abuse and reflects our promise to supporting survivors.
This process was more than just an external review—it was an opportunity for us to look internally and align our commitment with best practice and the highest standards of services so we know we are doing all we can to ensure survivors of domestic abuse feel safe, supported, and empowered.
This commitment is at the heart of our broader mission to ensure every tenant has a safe and secure home. By continually improving the systems and processes that underpin our services, we strive to deliver an experience that is not only effective but also compassionate, addressing the diverse needs of our tenants.
Aligned with this, our Customer Strategy focuses on a culture where tenants are placed at the heart of everything we do. This means actively listening to their voices, acting on their feedback, and ensuring our services are equitable and responsive to their needs.
By embedding these principles into our work, we are building safer communities and empowering those impacted by domestic abuse to feel supported and secure.
Building a stronger foundation for support
We wanted to look at every level of our organisation, from senior leadership to customer facing colleagues.
We began by conducting a comprehensive review of how we support tenants and colleagues who are survivors of domestic abuse, ensuring that we go above and beyond to be an organisation that people can trust for expert and compassionate support.
This involved reviewing our internal policies and ensuring they aligned with the DAHA framework, which covers a range of key areas including staff training, risk assessments, and access to specialist support.
We updated our procedures and made sure every team member had access to the information they needed to make informed, sensitive decisions when they were approached by tenants or colleagues in need of help.
Colleague training has been a huge focus area.
We invested in educating colleagues to recognise the signs of domestic abuse, understand the complex needs of survivors, and respond in a way that’s both compassionate and practical.
This included training staff in the steps they need to take to provide immediate support, as well as long-term solutions for those in need.
We’ve also strengthened our partnerships with external agencies, such as local domestic abuse charities and law enforcement. We knew that the best way to support tenants and colleagues was through a collaborative approach, ensuring that everyone in the survivor’s network of care was aligned and working together to provide consistent and effective assistance.
Achieving the Accreditation
The process of applying for the accreditation has provided us with an invaluable opportunity to listen to the feedback of both colleagues and tenants.
We conducted surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one conversations to understand how our services were perceived and where we could improve. This input helped us refine our approach and ultimately design a better service that is easier to access.
We’re proud to have received positive feedback from the assessment. The panel recognised our dedication to the core values of integrity, empathy, and empowerment, as well as our adoption of principles like amplifying survivor voices and ensuring a person-centred, safety-led response.
We also recognised the importance of good quality data in understanding the scale of domestic abuse within communities and our workforce. We are delivering a programme called “Knowing our Tenants” that will improve the ways that that we collect, store, share and use customer data. By holding the right data and understanding our tenants better we can tailor services to them, delivering customer focused and equitable services.
The “Knowing our Tenant” initiative, alongside the development of Power BI data systems, was acknowledged for its potential to enhance service delivery and ensure we provide more informed, equitable support.
Additionally, the internal Domestic Abuse Champions network was praised for providing staff with a clear route for disclosures and encouraging continued awareness-raising.
As we continue this important work, we remain committed to building on these achievements to ensure we provide the best possible support for those impacted by domestic abuse.
What’s next?
The DAHA Accreditation is just the beginning of our work in this area.
We have areas to improve, including enhancing domestic abuse training for customer-facing colleagues. There’s a need for greater investment in training operatives to identify and respond to domestic abuse.
Additionally, ongoing case audits and further development of the DA Champion Network are recommended. We are committed to these improvements and will continue working to enhance our practices, ensuring we provide the best support to survivors of domestic abuse.
We have a Domestic Abuse Sustainability Plan that outlines how we will continue to invest in training, partnerships, and support services for the future.
We will continue to listen to the voices of survivors—both tenants and colleagues—and collaborate with local partners to foster a safer, more supportive environment for those impacted by domestic abuse.
Our services will remain adaptable and responsive, ensuring we continue to lead the way in providing the highest level of care and support.
