Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse

19/03/2026

Today, Standing Together’s Programme Manager Tanya Allen gave evidence to the House of Lords as part of its post-legislative scrutiny of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Her evidence included discussion of the Specialist Domestic Abuse Court (SDAC) model and the importance of a specialist, holistic and multi-agency response to victims in the criminal justice system.

The SDAC model allows for a Coordinated Community Response (CCR), with voluntary and statutory agencies working together to deliver a tailored and specialist approach to victim-survivors and perpetrators, helping to ensure they do not fall through gaps in provision and monitoring. This model of coordinated local partnership working to tackle and ultimately prevent domestic abuse is now widely accepted as best practice.

Tanya spoke about the fundamentals of an SDAC, including:
•⁠ ⁠case clustering prioritising domestic abuse cases
•⁠ ⁠coordination
•⁠ ⁠criminal justice IDVA provision

She also called for an audit of the physical appropriateness of all courts to accommodate domestic abuse cases, as well as for the Domestic Abuse Best Practice guidelines to continue.

🎥 Speaking on camera, Jo Choi, Interim CEO of STADA

09/03/2026

It was great to co-host a lively discussion with The King's Fund and IPPR about making the NHS work better for victim-survivors of domestic abuse. There were many experts round the table from clinical, frontline service, political and government walks of life. A particular thank you to Jess Asato MP, the Department of Health and Social Care VAWG Adviser, Dame Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Professor Dame Lesley Regan DBE MD DSc FRCOG, Women’s Health Ambassador for England and Sarah Woolnough, CEO of The King's Fund, for making the time to come and to all those who came from further afield.

STADAs Jackie Hyland, Executive Director and Alison Ashton, Head of Service, were there flying the flag for a Whole System Approach.

We’ll be sharing a blog pulling it all together before too long but in the meantime our main takeaways are:

1.⁠ ⁠The importance of long term commissioning and mechanisms that make funding this work core business rather than ‘nice to have’
2.⁠ ⁠On leadership - NHS commissioners need to hear about the importance of this work regularly from ministers. One off signals are not enough.
3.⁠ ⁠Voluntary sector can play a brilliant role in tailoring national responses to local need and feeding in experience and data about what works.
4.⁠ ⁠The importance of coordinating capacity to develop better data practice and embed pathways.

Thank you to Sebastian Rees, Head of Health Policy at IPPR, Veronica Oakeshott and Gemma Umali, Assistant Director, External Affairs at The King's Fund for all their work in convening this event.

26/02/2026

We are proud to launch Pathways to Safety, a new health accreditation framework designed to strengthen how health settings respond to domestic abuse.

For too long, responses to domestic abuse within healthcare have depended on individual awareness rather than embedded systems.

This new accreditation framework supports health settings to move from good intentions to consistent, accountable and trauma-informed practice, so that every disclosure is met with a safe and coordinated response.

Developed alongside Respect UK and IRISi Interventions, Pathways to Safety sets a clear standard for how health services recognise abuse, respond effectively and work in partnership to protect survivors.

Jackie Hyland, Executive Director at STADA, said:
“If we are serious about tackling violence against women and girls, healthcare must be part of the solution. Pathways to Safety provides a clear structure for embedding domestic abuse awareness into everyday practice, not as an add-on, but as a core responsibility.”

Find out more: https://pathwaystosafety.org.uk/

02/02/2026

It’s Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week.

Across the UK, too many people are living with the lifelong impact of sexual violence and abuse.

Awareness matters. Believing survivors matters. And coordinated, trauma-informed responses matter.

Ending sexual violence is everyone’s business, in our communities, workplaces, schools and services.

If you or someone you know needs support, you are not alone.

R**e Crisis England & Wales provides a 24/7 helpline and online chat service for anyone affected by sexual violence. You can contact them at 0808 500 2222.

30/01/2026

20/01/2026

“Whenever or wherever a victim contacts the NHS it must be there for them” - a welcome message from the Minister for Health and Social Care, Karin Smyth MP at today’s Westminster Hall debate, called by Dr Simon Opher MP, supported by Standing Together with IRISi Interventions and Respect UK.

The Minister also promised that in addition to the £5m a year committed by Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, there would be further investment in the upcoming spending review.

Several MPs gave moving examples of constituents who had lost lives and NHS England opportunities missed to intervene, including Cat Eccles MP, Helen Maguire BEM MP, Amanda Martin MP and Alex Sobel MP. Alex spoke about the murder of Fawziyah Javed by her partner who had repeatedly disclosed to GPs that she was experiencing abuse. It was also great to hear from Jess Asato MP the new VAWG adviser to the DHSC on the vital role of the NHS in responding to survivors.

Thank you too to all the sector colleagues who attended. We packed out the gallery. We look forward to working you and with the government in improving the NHS response to Domestic Abuse. Successful rollout of any DHSC work on VAWG will depend on the engagement and consultation of specialist services.

🎥 Public Affairs Consultant for Standing Together, Veronica Oakeshott interviews Dr Simon Opher MP in the video below about why he called the debate.



Sarah Olney MP, Jim Shannon MP, Kirith Entwistle MP, Gregory Stafford MP

24/12/2025

As we approach the festive period, we want to acknowledge that this time of year can be difficult for many people. While it is often portrayed as a season of joy, connection and celebration, it can also bring increased isolation, stress, financial pressure and risk, particularly for those experiencing or affected by domestic abuse. You are not alone, and support is available.

Our office is closed and will reopen on 5 January. During this time, our team will not be available, but confidential help and support can still be accessed through the services below.

If you or someone you know needs support:

National Domestic Abuse Helpline (24/7)
📞 0808 2000 247
💬 Live chat available via Refuge website

Men’s Advice Line
📞 0808 801 0327
(Please note: closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day)

Samaritans (24/7 emotional support)
📞 116 123

CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably (for men)
📞 0800 58 58 58
💬 Webchat available

If you are in immediate danger, please call 999.

We encourage anyone who is struggling or feeling unsafe over the festive period to reach out, whether that is to a specialist service, a trusted person, or emergency support. Asking for help is a strength.

We wish everyone a safe and peaceful festive season, and we look forward to continuing our work together in the New Year.

19/12/2025

We would like to share an important update regarding our leadership team. Cherryl Henry-Leach will be leaving STADA and stepping down from her role as CEO. Her last day will be 24th December 2025, after which she will be focusing on new opportunities.

During her time with STADA, Cherryl has shown dedication to ending violence for all women and supported our organisation through a period of change. We appreciate the professionalism she has brought to the position and the relationships she has built across the sector. We are grateful for her work and wish her every success in her next chapter.

The Board will now begin the process of appointing new leadership and will provide further updates on interim arrangements shortly. We remain focused on delivering our long-term strategy and continuing to build on the strong foundations across the organisation.

Please join us in thanking Cherryl for her commitment during her tenure at STADA and in wishing her well for the future.

STADA Board of Trustees

18/12/2025

STADA welcomes the launch of the Government’s Freedom from Violence and Abuse strategy, which rightly recognises violence against women and girls as a national emergency and affirms that ending VAWG is everyone’s business. The ambition to halve violence against women and girls within a decade is significant, and the commitment to a whole-of-government, whole-of-society response reflects what survivors and frontline organisations have long called for.

Responding to the strategy, Jo Choi, Chief Operating Officer at Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse, said:

“This is an ambitious government VAWG strategy, and it is encouraging to see a clear recognition that tackling violence against women and girls requires coordinated action across every system. Delivering this ambition will depend on sustained investment, meaningful accountability and the training of professionals across health, housing, justice and community services to turn policy into real change for victims and survivors.”

STADA will now take some time to scrutinise the strategy and accompanying action plan in detail, including how it aligns with other recent government commitments. We will return in the new year with a fuller analysis through the lens of the coordinated community response, including the support and training required to implement this strategy effectively and safely for victims and survivors.

17/12/2025

We are sharing another survivor voice poem, Dear You by Michelle.

This piece reflects the quiet, often unseen impact of domestic abuse on relationships, identity and hope. It speaks to the grief of loving someone who is still present, yet changed, and the strength it takes to keep believing in safety, gentleness and repair.

Survivor voices like Michelle’s remind us why responses to domestic abuse must centre compassion, understanding and long-term support. We are grateful to her for trusting us with her words.

17/12/2025

Hear from Alison Ashton, Head of Service at STADA, as she reflects on the NHS announcements within the forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.
 
While we welcome the inclusion of the Department of Health and Social Care and the new initiative focused on GP surgeries, a truly effective response to domestic abuse requires action across the whole health system. Focusing on one part of the NHS alone is only half the required dose.
 
Drawing on learning from our collaborative Whole Health Project, STADA has developed Pathways to Safety, a health accreditation framework setting clear standards to strengthen domestic abuse responses across all health settings. We will be launching Pathways to Safety in the New Year.
 
To find out more about Pathways to Safety or pathways to safety within health services, please contact [email protected]

Follow the link in BIO to read our full statement.

16/12/2025

As we look ahead to the publication of the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy this Thursday, we are calling on healthcare professionals to take the Survivor Pledge and help ensure healthcare settings are safe, accessible and responsive for those at risk of domestic abuse.

The Survivor Pledge was co-produced by the Survivor Network, the Children and Young People’s Recommendation Workshops and Standing Together. Between October 2023 and November 2024, victim-survivors told us they want to see tangible actions that lead to real systems change, particularly within health services.

Taking the pledge is one practical step healthcare professionals can take to embed survivor-informed practice and strengthen responses across the system.

Find out more and take the pledge here:
https://www.standingtogether.org.uk/take-the-survivor-pledge