News blog

Leading domestic abuse charities Refuge and Respect have awarded the Council's Employee Relations Team with the 2011 Adoption of Best Practice Award.

This recognises best practice in increasing the safety and welfare of employees in relation to domestic abuse. 

Neil Blacklock, Development Director of Respect, presented the award on behalf of both Respect and Refuge to Councillor Phil Wheeler, Convenor of the Finance and Resources Committee.

Cllr Wheeler said: "All organisations have a duty of care to their staff and as the largest employer in the capital it is only right that we take the initiative in offering our staff help and advice.

"Domestic abuse does not just happen in the home, it can happen on the way to and from work and in the workplace itself, through threatening and intimidating texts, emails and phone calls.

"Workplaces therefore have a key role to play in enabling staff experiencing domestic abuse to feel reassured their concerns will be handled seriously and sensitively."

Neil Blacklock said: "Both Refuge and Respect are impressed with the work of the City of Edinburgh Council in developing an effective response to employees who have either used abusive behaviour in intimate relationships or at risk of experiencing domestic abuse.

"The workplace needs to be a place of safety for all employees . The council have had the vision and commitment to develop an exemplary approach to domestic abuse that can act as a best practice example for other employers.

"Their multi-faceted approach, which includes increasing employee awareness, providing an informed, sensitive response and working with specialist community organisations is having a significant, measurable effect in increasing the safety of employees."

Chief Inspector Graham Goulden, who leads the Anti-Violence Campaign on behalf of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, said: "It's encouraging to see organisations like the City of Edinburgh Council showing a real commitment to tackling domestic abuse, not just out in the community but also with respect to the safety and welfare of their own staff.

"Many victims will experience multiple incidents of abuse before they feel able to report it, and it's important that they are provided with as much support and encouragement as possible from as many sources as possible so that when the time is right for them, they can speak out.

"Edinburgh City Council should rightly be praised for their work."

CASE STUDY 1

Paul is 32-years-old and suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of his male partner. It was only when his performance at work began to suffer that he revealed the abuse he was suffering.

He said: "My manager and trade union rep were very supportive and with the help of outside agencies I was able to leave my partner. My shift pattern was changed so he didn't know my movements anymore and I was given time off to meet a counsellor.

"Without the support of the Council and everyone else who helped me during the most difficult period of my life, I fear I would not be here today. The impact of domestic abuse on people's lives is significant and I cannot express enough the importance of employers addressing this issue as something that does affect people at work, and not just at home."

CASE STUDY 2

Angela is 44-years-old and has worked for the council for 20 years. For 14 years she was in a very violent relationship which ended up with her being admitted to hospital.

She never told anyone at work about the abuse but after leaving her husband he started stalking her, broke into her new home and began harassing her at work.

Angela said: "Eventually I had to tell my manager who was very supportive. With their help and my trade union representative a number of safety strategies were put in place to ensure he couldn't continue with his harassment of me at work.

"These included changing my work phone number, letting me use a pool car to visit clients and meeting women's aid and housing officers to help me move to a new home where my husband didn't know my address.

"This policy has really helped me and it was encouraging to know that the Council will support you and not judge you. Without the help of the Council it would not be safe for me to stay at work."

The award was presented on Valentine's Day as incidents of domestic abuse rise significantly on this day.

(Names and ages of the two case studies have been changed to ensure anonymity).