FOI 11993
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 11993
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 10th June 2019. Please find below the response to your request:
I am hoping to gain responses to the following in relation to Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual victims of intimate partner violence:
- Does your organisation provide a specific LGB domestic abuse service/support for victims of intimate partner violence that identify as being non heterosexual? (for example, if your organisation utilises independent domestic violence advisors, do you provide a specific non heterosexual IDVA) If yes, upon what basis was the decision made to provide sexual orientation specific victim support?
- Do you collect victim’s feedback (for example, the victim satisfaction survey) specifically from the LGB victim groups of intimate partner violence?
- Is your response (safeguarding, vulnerability assessment etc) different at any stage for non-heterosexual victims of intimate partner violence from heterosexual victims?
- Have you done any domestic abuse communication campaigns specific to non-heterosexual victims of intimate Partner Violence?
- (If obtainable within the 18 hour time frame) could you please inform me of the recorded volume of non-heterosexual victims of intimate partner violence from the past 2 years, compared to heterosexual volumes?
- Have you been part of any work/research that has looked into whether LGB victims of intimate partner violence require a different policing response to non-heterosexual victims?
Reply:-
1 · Does your organisation provide a specific LGB domestic abuse service/support for victims of intimate partner violence that identify as being non heterosexual? (for example, if your organisation utilises independent domestic violence advisors, do you provide a specific non heterosexual IDVA) If yes, upon what basis was the decision made to provide sexual orientation specific victim support?
Warwickshire Police employ a number of civilian Domestic Abuse Risk Officers (DAROs), whose role is similar to that of an IDVA and involves providing support to victims of domestic abuse (DA). A number of our DAROs recently attended specialist training, delivered by Women's Aid, to enable them to properly support DA victims from the LGBT community.
Our IDVA service is provided by 'Refuge' who signpost to 'Galop' and provide support to victims from all relationships.
2 · Do you collect victim’s feedback (for example, the victim satisfaction survey) specifically from the LGB victim groups of intimate partner violence?
Victim's feedback is collected via the Home Office Satisfaction Survey, but not specifically from the LGB victim groups of IPV.
3 · Is your response (safeguarding, vulnerability assessment etc) different at any stage for non-heterosexual victims of intimate partner violence from heterosexual victims?
The response is largely generic, but there is capacity to involve one of our DAROs trained is responding to DA in LGBT relationships, when necessary.
4 · Have you done any domestic abuse communication campaigns specific to non-heterosexual victims of intimate Partner Violence?
No external campaigns, but internally we have signposted to Galop.
5 · (If obtainable within the 18 hour time frame) could you please inform me of the recorded volume of non-heterosexual victims of intimate partner violence from the past 2 years, compared to heterosexual volumes?
No Information held – Warwickshire Police does not have data relating to whether the victim was non-heterosexual or otherwise.
6 · Have you been part of any work/research that has looked into whether LGB victims of intimate partner violence require a different policing response to non-heterosexual victims?
The training our DAROs undertook focused strongly on this question, but there has been no participation in any other kind of work/research.