Huge thanks to each of you who have signed ❤️

Each signature is another step forward.

Around 1 in 5 children have been exposed to domestic abuse. Children never just ‘witness’ domestic abuse, the law now recognises they can be victims.

Exposure to domestic abuse is child abuse, and it can have a significant impact on a child’s development, health and wellbeing.

I know there are success story's related to fleeing domestic abuse, I personally know people who have used the system to escape abuse and are now safe but that is not always the case.

More often than reported children are removed due to lack of support and the victim blaming culture that lies amoungst services. 

Many mothers do want to protect their children and they do that as best as they when experiencing domestic abuse but sometimes that cannot be done alone. 

Fact is the most dangerous time for a domestic abuse victim is when they choose to leave, the risk of them being seriously injured or killed is at its highest and many women and children are left unprotected in their homes with their children everyday, there can be multi agency reports stating the risk of serious abuse being high and still they are left unprotected.

When these incidents occur and services such as the police, schools, hospitals etc become aware they put in a referral to children's services known as a merlin report.

When this goes in you are contacted by childrens services and asked to have an assessment. 

These assessment are not always done with empathy and often victims of abuse are left feeling interogated, distressed and unable to open up. 

When i became involved with childrens services i asked for an idva, i was told i wouldnt be refered until i told the professsional assessing my family what i needed one for. I didn't feel safe to speak to childrens services and I wanted and independent domestic violence advocate, I told her why and instantly the assessment became more intense but still I wasn't referred. 

4 days later I put in a self referral to solace women's aid. 

I made the professional assessing my family aware and she placed a referral in the day after.

The same proffessional called my idva and tried to access my file without my consent which was refused.

I had no support to access such vital support and assessments where more focused on my ability to parent and the risk domestic violence I was experiencing posed to me being a parent. 

Many mothers face years of abuse and at a time when they are at their lowest multi agency services scrutinise every aspect of their lives, bombard them with multi agency reports and work mainly on the risk rather than how to safegaurd to the extent that may be needed using realistic safety plans, instant referrals to domestic abuse support services and keeping in mind that a victim never wanted to be abused or for her children to witness abuse..

Women should not have to feel this type of scrutiny at such a dangerous time. 

Everyone signing is showing solidarity to try and provide women and children with realistic support.

❤️❤️❤️❤️