About
Who are we?
NIDAS stands for Norfolk Integrated Domestic Abuse Service and is a domestic abuse support service for those assessed to be high or medium risk. We also offer dedicated support for Children and Young People (if their parent/care giver has been/or is being supported by an IDVA), recovery programmes, coordinated multi-agency support, and access to IDVA support in criminal courts for people who are at medium or high risk.
NIDAS is a countywide partnership delivered by specialist service providers – Leeway, Daisy Programme and Safe Partnership. The service has been commissioned and shaped by OPCCN (Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for Norfolk), Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk and Broadland District Councils. It is a consortium of specialist support services working together to ensure people living across the county have access to a full range of help and guidance regardless of where they live.
This service will be the first system of its kind in the county, offering a fully integrated service making intensive one-to-one support, a multi-agency response and help towards practical solutions available.
What Does NIDAS Offer?
NIDAS will offer direct support if you are assessed to be at high or medium risk of harm. You will be offered your own dedicated Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) who will work with you to understand what your needs are and to work through any barriers there may be to achieve these.
NIDAS will tackle the postcode lottery for support in Norfolk, ensuring that all service users are able to access the service, regardless of where they live or who they are. All service users will have access to:
- A strengths-based personalised support/safety plan
- High quality, integrated and consistent support from a named IDVA working with high and medium risk clients
- Step down and recovery support including group work and programmes
- Support for children if their parent/care giver is, or has been, supported by an IDVA
- Support in accessing community networks and multi-agency partnership working linked to Help Hubs
- Contact with trauma-informed, person-centered, trained and skilled staff
- Sanctuary support for a rapid response to home security, offered to those who are assessed to need this
- Dedicated Development and Recovery Facilitators, who will support you and your children, enabling you to form support networks and move on with increased confidence and well-being
What to expect when you contact NIDAS?
Our experienced and dedicated team will listen to your story, using your experiences to ensure that you receive the best quality support that is tailored to your needs. The support that NIDAS offers is totally confidential and non-judgemental, and you will be believed. We know how difficult it can be to make that first contact and will be with you every step of the way, helping you to a life free from abuse.
When you first contact NIDAS, you will speak to a Triage IDVA who will listen to your story. They will complete a DASH risk assessment, ask you for your perception of risk, as well as identifying and answering any concerns that you may have. Following on from this, they will book an IDVA assessment appointment, which will continue to assess your risks.
If you are assessed to be at standard risk of harm, this does not mean you are not at any risk. This means NIDAS is unable to support you directly, but there are other services which can offer support. The NIDAS worker will talk with you about your options and, with your consent, will refer you to a suitable service.
If you are assessed to be medium or high-risk, you will receive a dedicated IDVA to support you with a solution-focused support pathway for you and any children/young people in your care. The support will have an action plan to address risks and prioritise needs – this includes support to ensure that your home is safe. You may also be referred to group/support programmes offered by NIDAS.
