"Domestic abuse support car" to launch in Nottinghamshire
Police hope the new pilot scheme will help support victims
Nottinghamshire Police hope a "domestic abuse partnership car" will help support victims of domestic abuse in the county.
The 47-thousand-pound pilot scheme will launch in Mansfield and Ashfield, which have the highest rates for domestic abuse call outs in the county, from April and will see domestic abuse support workers team up with police.
It's hoped that victims will be able to talk to the support workers if they do not wish to talk to police. The support workers will also check-in on survivors around six weeks after they first reported abuse to police.
Police say they expect support workers to be contacting several hundred survivors per month, and will provide information of recovery services as well as details of how to best contact the police in the future, including in situations when it's not safe to talk.
PCC Paddy Tipping said: "Both of these initiatives are an exciting step forward for Nottinghamshire, helping to reach the most vulnerable and at risk survivors in our communities.
"Seeking help and justice can be an incredibly traumatic and worrying process. We are working really hard to give survivors the strength and empowerment they need to escape violence and secure their safety.
"Together with our partners, we are determined to remove the barriers that prevent these vulnerable men and women from accessing help and support and ensure the road to justice is a less daunting experience.
"Both the new Domestic Abuse Partnership Car and the new contact process will ensure survivors of abuse feel valued, supported and clear on what is happening and when. It will also reassure survivors specialist help is available at any point of their journey."
Chief Constable Craig Guildford, from Nottinghamshire Police, added: "We welcome the funding from the OPCC for these two new posts, which will enable us to work evenly more closely with victims and survivors of abuse.
"By engaging directly with them we can then learn from their experiences and ensure we create the best service we can at every contact they have with us. It is vital we do this so we can build trust and confidence and people are reassured that we take them seriously and that we will do everything in our power to bring perpetrators to justice and to protect them. These new posts will build on changes we have made over the last year to ensure we are maximising our reach to victims and survivors this way."