Lucy’s Update
Welcome to our October update.
September seems like a distant memory and the beginning of October has flown by!
The Alpha Vesta Team have continued to be busy running our public training programme as well as direct work with Employers, building policies and procedures around domestic abuse as well as creating and delivering bespoke training. It’s been wonderful to get back into the training room again where I’ve been running sessions in both East London and Essex.
On the 5 October we attended the Brentwood Business Showcase which was fantastic! This was such a great opportunity to connect with businesses and meet people from across Essex to raise the profile of the work we are delivering.
Only a few days later on the 7 October, we attended the Brentwood Business Awards where we were shortlisted as a finalist within the ‘Best Community Engagement’ category sponsored by Hallmark Care. It was a remarkable evening, and we are so very proud to have become a finalist in this category, as there is so much great work being done for and within our communities.
I’m also pleased to have taken up a role this month as a MARAC Chair across Essex. For those not familiar with MARAC. A MARAC is a meeting where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases between representatives of local police, health, child protection, housing practitioners, Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs), probation and other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors. MARAC Meetings occur across the country where we not only share information but create action plans for those most vulnerable to domestic abuse across our community. It’s an incredibly rewarding role and the MARAC Team in Essex have made me very welcome.
We are also delighted to launch the new ‘Community Advocate’ section in our monthly update, where we will introduce you to our newest Community Advocates each month. For October, we bring you, ‘Your Healthcare’ who are doing some amazing work in breaking the cycle of domestic abuse across their workforce and community.
Finally, last month I included an article on the trial of a 90 year old man who was being accused of the attempted murder of his wife. The verdict in that trial has now been released and I include an updated article in our Domestic Abuse in the News section to highlight, once again, the real complexity we have with so many domestic abuse incidents that don’t fit the prevailing narrative.
They are rooted in vulnerability and great sadness particularly for the family around them. I have also included an article written by Essex Police on the #reflect campaign which encourages those that may be concerned about their behaviour, to pause and reflect before accessing that specialist support.
Thank you for taking the time to read our update and we look forward to being in touch with you all again in November.
Best wishes
Lucy Whittaker
Founding Director and Lead Trainer of Alpha Vesta CIC
October Community Advocate Spotlight: Your Healthcare
Can you describe some of the steps you have taken to move forward with your Community Advocate role?
Over the course of a month, we have sent weekly comms to all staff promoting Alpha Vesta and sharing Lucy’s fantastic blog. Lucy hosted online training for our members on raising awareness of domestic abuse in the workplace which was well received. We have created a dedicated Alpha Vesta/Domestic Abuse awareness intranet page which all staff have access to. This page includes Lucy’s video on embedding culture and understanding into the workplace, online booking for upcoming Alpha Vesta training, Alpha Vesta’s Survivor’s Symposium, Alpha Vesta’s Twitter feed, resources on Domestic Abuse, links to DA national and local charities and refuges, emergency numbers and information on legal support available. We are continuing to promote the new Alpha Vesta dedicated intranet page and our role as Community Advocate alongside our new Healthy Relationships training which takes place next week.
How important is it to you to break the cycle of domestic abuse at a much earlier point across your community and workforce?
Several staff members have come forward for support with domestic abuse because they felt safe to do so due to our ongoing promotion of Alpha Vesta and DA. This has clearly highlighted to us the importance of educating staff and normalising the conversation around domestic abuse in the workplace at the early stages before the situation possibly escalates.
How has the work you’ve been doing so far been received?
Individual feedback has been positive with many members highlighting how they feel less afraid of discussing the topic of DA with colleagues and how they feel more knowledgeable on how to signpost if the conversation came up at work. Staff have mentioned they were previously unaware of how someone experiencing DA may present at work and this has been helpful. Our aims are to continue to increase understanding across our community and workforce with further training, promotional events and eventually to create safe spaces at work for discussion and support.
Julie is currently taking a well-deserved holiday and will be back to update us in November.
Domestic Abuse in the News – links
Man 90 Stabbed Blind Wife beacuse he could no longer cope is spared jailed
Essex Police – Breaking the cycle of domestic abuse in Essex
Dates for the Diary
Core 1: Understanding Domestic Abuse and its Impact
Click on the above link to access the Eventbrite link to book your place
Core 2: The Complexity of Domestic Abuse
Click on the above link to book your place via our Eventbrite page
Core 3: Impact of Domestic Abuse in the Workplace
Click on the above link to access the Eventbrite link to book your place
