Bath-based housing and support organisation Curo has won a prestigious national award for its work in preventing domestic abuse.
Curo, which manages 12,000 homes across the West of England, received the accolade at the 2015 UK Housing Awards 2015 held in London earlier this week.
The award recognises Curo’s approach to preventing domestic abuse through a theatre-based training programme called The Missed Opportunity developed in partnership with Bath-based family support charity Southside.
The training is designed to help all Curo’s 175 customer-facing staff spot the warning signs of domestic abuse and know where to go for help.
It takes place in a Curo property with professional actors playing out scenarios which delegates are invited to freeze-frame and replay, suggesting different approaches and quizzing the characters.
Curo has also extended the training to other organisations across the West of England that come into contact with customers in their own homes while Avon & Somerset Police, the area’s crime commissioner and the district commander are considering using it for police officers.
Curo neighbourhoods director Julie Evans said: “Domestic abuse is an endemic but often hidden problem in society and those suffering can be isolated.
“The Missed Opportunity training is specifically designed to address this. By helping us to spot the early signs, it means we can give our customers the best service and support possible when they need it the most. Winning this award with Southside will help us to highlight the important part other organisations can play in putting a stop to domestic abuse in their customers’ homes.”
One in four women and one in 10 men have experienced domestic abuse at some point in their lives.
Last year there was an average of 70 domestic abuse crimes a month in Bath and North East Somerset. Estimates suggest just under 6,000 women across the district would have been a victim of domestic abuse in the past year.
The UK Housing Awards, organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Inside Housing magazine, are the longest-established and most-respected awards in the social housing sector and this year attracted more than 250 entries.
Domestic abuse happens behind closed doors and is often unseen and unreported.
Pictured: Curo head of tenancy solutions Andrew Snee – middle, front row – with other UK Housing Award winners
