What we’ve learnt from the NSPCC Helpline domestic abuse project

By Paddi Vint, Development and Quality Manager for the NSPCC Helpline

What is the NSPCC Helpline domestic abuse project?

The pandemic placed many families under heightened pressure, whilst cutting them off from some of their usual support networks. During this time, we provided a vital source of advice and a way for people to report any concerns about the safety and wellbeing of children.

In the first few months of the pandemic, the number of contacts the NSPCC Helpline received about domestic abuse increased by a third.¹

In 2021, we were awarded £1,456,819 by the UK insurance and long-term savings industry’s COVID-19 Support Fund, towards our Helpline’s work supporting children and families affected by domestic abuse.

We recruited 14 new members of staff, including two Domestic Abuse Practice Advisors with specialist expertise, to help meet the increase in demand for support. Training for staff across the Helpline was enhanced to help embed best practice and provide a strengthened service in response to domestic abuse contacts, particularly contacts from people at high risk of further abuse.

Important upgrades were also made to the Helpline’s technology, including introducing a ‘hide the page’ function on the NSPCC website that visitors can use to quickly navigate away from the page.

We monitored and evaluated the work, which was supported by the Fund over a three-year period, and pulled together learning to share with professionals and communities to help them tackle domestic abuse. 

What have we learnt?

As the funding drew to an end, we discussed the key messages we’d like to share with anyone working or volunteering with families affected by domestic abuse. Some of these reflections have been captured by NSPCC Learning in two short films.

Central to our discussions was the importance of active listening. In the first film I reflect on the importance of making people feel heard and understood, avoiding victim-blaming language, and how the insight from first-hand accounts strengthened the NSPCC’s work on influencing government policy.

We also explored learning around recognising and responding to concerns. In the second film I’m joined by two of our Helpline Domestic Abuse Practice Advisors, Emily and Sarah, to discuss:

• the significance of changes introduced in England and Wales by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021
• the importance of taking a child-centred approach
• recognising the signs that a child might be experiencing domestic abuse
• the importance of working effectively with other agencies to respond to concerns.

What’s next?

Following the success of the project, the new domestic abuse roles have been made permanent. This means Helpline staff will continue to have access to expert advice when responding to domestic abuse concerns; and people at high risk of domestic abuse will continue to receive additional support in accessing local services and in helping to keep both themselves and their children safe.

A four-day training package on supporting families who experience domestic abuse has been embedded as part of the induction for all Helpline staff.

Learning from the project has fed into new training, to be delivered during team development days.

We’ll also continue to share learning for practice around supporting families who have experienced domestic abuse through NSPCC Learning.