A SUPPORT service is working with Bury Council to support those who are living with domestic abuse to help them build safer futures.

This is part of Bury’s new Community Safety Plan which includes a new approach into reducing domestic abuse.

SafeNet Domestic Abuse and Support Services, part of The Calico Group, offer services and refuges for men, women and children who are suffering from domestic abuse.

They have recently been commissioned to deliver 20 units of safe accommodation within Bury.

They currently provide six emergency accommodation spaces and plan to open a new 10-bedroom refuge in the summer.

The Domestic Abuse Strategy sets out how the council and its partners will prioritise making sure all victims of domestic abuse can access information, advice and support where they need it.

SafeNet has been providing specialist support to victims and survivors of abuse across the North West for more than 40 years including supporting victims from the BAME community, high level vulnerable women as well as providing refuges for men, women and children.

By working with the council, they can offer a wider range of services including refuge facilities and safe houses, community outreach support and independent domestic violence advocate services, ongoing legal support, whole family safeguarding, forced marriage and honour-based abuse, crisis intervention and more.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 makes it clear that domestic abuse is not just physical violence, but can also be emotional, controlling, or coercive, and economic abuse.

The act will create new powers, overseen by a Domestic Abuse Commissioner.

It also places a duty on local authorities to provide safe accommodation support to victims of domestic abuse and their children in refuges.

the law will also make sure that individuals and communities have the means to recognise and understand domestic abuse and live in a culture of healthy relationships.

Head of support services at SafeNet, Alex Atkinson, said: “We have been delivering Domestic Abuse services in Bury since 2019 in partnership with Bury Community Safety Partnership.

“Through this next step, we‘re pleased to have the opportunity to develop much-needed safe emergency accommodation for all victims and survivors living in the Borough.

“This has strengthened the support available for all survivors who are experiencing domestic abuse, giving them a wider range of interventions to help them feel safe and supported, both within the community and if they need to safely leave their current situation.”

Cllr Richard Gold, Bury Council’s cabinet member for communities, said that the refuge was one part of the overall strategy to tackle domestic abuse and violence.

He said: “The plan builds on the work of the previous three years and the most important contribution has come directly from listening to our communities and residents.

"We have spoken with people from communities across the borough, at neighbourhood events, about what makes them feel unsafe and what should we do about it.

“We have appointed an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate in Fairfield Hospital to support victims of domestic abuse and launched a service for perpetrators to support them to change their behaviour.”

Cllr Clare Cummins, Bury Council’s cabinet member for housing services added: “Our partnership with SafeNet means that victims do have somewhere safe to go and having somewhere safe to live is critical to providing that support for the victims.

“Sadly, this sort of emergency accommodation has become much needed, but the accommodation support that SafeNet is providing is just part of the package of support available for victims of domestic abuse.”