Our senior team joined Dame Nicole Jacobs at the round table with IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Service) to discuss how we can accelerate our REACH project. REACH supports our NHS staff impacted by domestic abuse. It’s a project we wish wasn’t needed. But it is. And we are determined to ensure the right support is in place for our colleagues 💙
On Friday, 16 October, we brought together senior leaders and partners in Sheffield, alongside the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs, to discuss how we can drive culture change around domestic abuse impacting NHS staff. The event was an opportunity to discuss REACH, an ambitious partnership project to support NHS staff at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust who are subjected to domestic abuse while also helping NHS Trusts to strengthen their workplace response. REACH combines confidential support for staff with training, awareness raising and culture change to ensure domestic abuse is recognised and responded to appropriately. The project has been made possible through funding and support from Sheffield Hospitals Charity. The project is delivered by the IDAS team. Our discussions reinforced a clear message: REACH is needed, and leadership support is essential to making lasting change. We heard why staff need to feel able to seek support, explored the barriers that can make this difficult, and discussed how organisations can build domestic abuse awareness and appropriate responses into everyday workplace practice. A survey carried out as part of REACH found that 33% of NHS staff surveyed had experienced domestic abuse, while 43% knew a colleague who had experienced domestic abuse. With senior leadership support, we can work together to embed REACH across both NHS trusts, helping ensure staff know where to find information, how to access support and how to support colleagues. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, insight and experience. We look forward to continuing this work together.