A year long pilot scheme which helped nearly 170 victims of domestic violence in the Braintree district has been so successful it will now be rolled out across Essex.
From August last year Essex Police started working with civilian domestic abuse experts to reach victims who otherwise did not engage with the authorities.
Two independent domestic violence advisors, jointly funded by Essex County Council, Braintree Council and Basildon Council, worked with the domestic abuse Central Referral Unit and proactively contacted high and medium risk victims.
The pilot scheme ran from August 2013 to July 2014 and supported a total of 748 male and female victims of domestic abuse.
Of those, 169 were from Braintree, 418 were from Basildon and 161 lived in other districts across the county.
Jan Dalrymple, of domestic abuse charity Safer Places, said: "“We are reaching people now who are at very high risk and finding a way that we can work with them. It is really bringing to the surface what is happening.
“The joint work with the police has been absolutely fantastic.”
Safer Places can be contacted on 0845 0177 668 or by email at info@saferplaces.co.uk.
See this week's Times for the full story.
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