July 2025 Newsletter
Hello Champions,
As July comes to an end, and schools begin to close for the summer, many of us are looking forward to a slower pace, some sunshine (hopefully!), and a chance to reset. But while the holidays bring rest for some, they can also bring heightened risks, especially for those living with domestic abuse.
We know that school closures often mean fewer opportunities for disclosures. Without the daily contact and trusted routines that schools provide, many children — and even parents — lose a vital safe space to speak out. That’s why the work you do as Champions is more important than ever during this time.
Your awareness, empathy, and presence really does make a difference, especially when the usual safety nets are out of reach.
With appreciation,
📢 NIDAS News Updates – July 2025
As we move into the heart of summer, the NIDAS team continues to work hard behind the scenes, and we’re here to keep you in the loop with what’s been happening across the service.
📈 Referral Numbers Continue to Rise
In Quarter 1, we received 1,211 referrals — a clear reflection of the ongoing demand for domestic abuse support across our communities. These numbers remind us that while the world slows down for summer, the need for safety and support doesn’t take a holiday.
Your continued vigilance, compassion, and championing of the cause help ensure that more people find the right help at the right time. Thank you for being part of that.
🧠 Refresher Training – Spaces Still Available!
Need a confidence boost or a quick knowledge top-up? We’ve still got spaces on our Domestic Abuse Champions Refresher Training sessions. These are free of charge and a great way to reconnect with key information, meet fellow champions, and sharpen your skills.
Book your spot through the Events page in the portal.
We have:
- 4 spaces left on DASH training
- 4 spaces left on HBA/FM/FGM training
- 13 spaces left on stalking and harassment training
Keep an eye on the Champions Portal, as we’ll soon be sharing details of upcoming Learning Events, along with information about our very first NIDAS Domestic Abuse Champions Conference — something we’re incredibly excited to bring to life!
Connect with Our Specialist IDVA Team
Our dedicated team of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) are available to visit and speak with teams across services, sharing their expertise on a range of specialist areas.
If you’re interested in learning more from our specialists or would like to arrange a session for your team, please get in touch with us at dachampions@nidasnorfolk.co.uk.
Our specialist IDVA team includes advisors with expertise in:
- Male Victims
- Diverse Communities
- LGBTQ+ Individuals
- Older People
- Disabilities
- Unmet Needs / Hard-to-Reach Groups
- Substance Misuse
These sessions are a great opportunity to deepen your understanding, ask questions, and strengthen collaborative working. We look forward to hearing from you!
Facts & Figures on Domestic Abuse
More than 10k domestic abuse cases logged last year but victims ‘still not confident’ to report crime, say police chiefs
Industry News – DA and or Victim Commissioner – the Government, National/Local Policy etc
https://www.saverauk.co.uk/mp-asks-government-for-statutory-definition-for-hba/
MP asks government for statutory definition for HBA
July 14, 2025
On Friday 4th July 2025, the Conservative MP for Leicester East, Shivani Raja, submitted a written question to the Secretary of State, asking if the Home Department plans to create a statutory definition of ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA).
It is a question that has been posed on numerous occasions by peer groups in our sector who have agreed a statutory definition and are campaigning for it to be added to the statute book through a targeted campaign #Push4Change.
In February this year, the Minister for Safeguarding and VAWG hosted a roundtable on HBA which was attended by specialist sector organisations and government departments to discuss what a statutory definition could look like, with Home Office officials then working through next steps, yet there is still no statutory definition, or clear actions to create one.
Responding to this latest question, submitted by Shivana Raja MP, the under-Secretary of State, Jess Phillips, responded, saying: “The Government is tackling ‘honour’-based abuse through its landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. Key to this is ensuring that HBA is well understood by frontline professionals, Government agencies, and impacted communities. Currently there is a definition of HBA used by the criminal justice system, but we recognise there is more that can be done to raise the level of consistency of understanding regarding HBA in Government and across statutory services. The Home Office is considering this alongside other measures to prevent HBA from happening, support victims and bring perpetrators to justice. More detail will be set out in our forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.”
Afrah Qassim, Savera UK CEO and Founder, said: “This question is timely and vital. In the past year, as a specialist service helping survivors and those at risk of HBA and harmful practices, we have seen a 46% increase in referrals, yet we know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, as many cases go unidentified, due to lack of understanding and ability to recognise them.
“A statutory definition of HBA would facilitate better identification through shared understanding across all professional sectors, improved protection of survivors and those at risk through improved statutory guidance. It would also drive for more research, improved data collection and more consistent reporting, which would allow more informed decision making and appropriate allocation of resources to specialist services. We stand with our sector peers and urge the government to prioritise the creation and agreement of a statutory definition for HBA, as it will save and change lives, and help us work toward our vision of a world without HBA and harmful practices.”
Love Island 2025, brought to you by the manosphere | Glamour UK – Love island, misogyny, gaslighting behaviour.
“The bar is on the floor”: Viral Chris Brown meet and greet photos show the mental disconnect is real – Separating the art from the artist. Fans ignoring Chris Brown’s history of violence against women.
Government spends £53m on domestic violence programme – BBC News – The government is spending £53m over the next four years on an intervention programme which it says can help domestic violence perpetrators change their lives and move away from abuse.
Jersey vets trained to recognise domestic abuse – BBC News – Vets in Jersey are to receive specialist training on the link between animal abuse and domestic violence.
Thames Valley Police urges domestic violence victims to report abuse – BBC News – Domestic abuse victims have been urged to come forward to police, as officers seek to tackle what they said remained a “hidden crime”.
Training or reading material/books
Women’s Aid Step Forward Challenge – Women’s Aid
Coercive Control in Children’s and Mothers’ Lives By Emma Katz | World of Books GB
What are the subtle signs of coercive control? – BBC
‘Domestic abuse has no boundaries. It can affect absolutely anybody’ Former MP Kate Kniveton speaks in-depth for the first time about the decade of abuse she endured at the hands of her ex-husband, a former government minister. Breaking The Silence: Kate’s Story – Sunday 20th July at 10.20pm on ITV1 & ITVX
