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Police in Jersey are called to around 1,000 domestic incidents a year... If a colleague was suffering, would you know how to spot it?
Data from a Safeguarding Partnership Board survey showed that half of respondents had at some point been concerned about a colleague experiencing domestic abuse, and that an "alarming" 76% of respondents felt their policies and procedures did not support them in managing domestic abuse concerns.
They have this year launched a campaign focusing on how employers can support employees and create safe spaces if they are in domestic abuse situations.
Express takes a closer look at the 'red flags' to watch out for...
The number one thing that employers can do, according to Co-Chair of the SPB's Domestic Abuse Subgroup and Service Manager for Freeda, Marine Oliveira, is to train up their workforce and look at their existing policies.
“First of all, [employers can] look at training and education of their entire workforce, not just for the leadership teams but also for their employees,” said Marine Oliveira.
“The second thing that they can do is look at their existing policies and consider implementing a domestic abuse policy to support and highlight clearly things like mechanisms of support, reporting systems, what resources will be allocated to training.”
The SPB have published a toolkit for employers, which they say aims to support them in developing a better workplace for those experiencing domestic abuse.
Pictured: Download the toolkit developed by the SPB by clicking on the picture
The guest speaker at the campaign's launch, Sharon Livermore MBE, has developed a template domestic abuse policy for businesses to download and use, called "Sharon's Policy". It sets out how a company will support employees and encourages those who are experiencing domestic abuse to come forward.
Sharon's Policy is available for download from Sharon's website.
The "red flags" that the campaign points to a number of changes in behaviour that could indicate that someone is experiencing domestic abuse.
To identify them and to be able to support a colleague, it is helpful to know employees well - and for the entire workforce to be trained. If someone works at a checkout register, Sharon Livermore explained, the person who will be able to recognise a change in behaviour is the colleague working at the till next to them, rather than their manager.
They fall under three broad categories:
Work productivity could be affected by domestic abuse. For example, a colleague who is unexpectedly absent, who arrives late or leaves early. An increase in personal texts or calls could be a sign of a perpetrator checking in at all times. An increase in the amount of hours worked without a reason or an employee keen to get home early could all be a reflection of abuse they experience at home.
Changes in behaviour and demeanor could include acting out of character or becoming more withdrawn, anxious, tearful or aggressive, or being isolated from colleagues. More signs listed include being secretive about their home life, or worrying about leaving children in the care of their partner.
Physical indicators include visible injuries, a change in the amount of make-up used, a change in the manner they dress, substance use, and fatigue or sleep disorders.
Different forms of domestic abuse are covered by the law which came into place in June 2023. It covers behaviours that are physical or sexual abuse, violence or threats, harassment, neglect, or coercive or controlling behaviour.
These behaviours can include:
Physical abuse, such as hitting, kicking or spitting, which constitute assault.
Coercive control - a " deliberate continuous pattern of behaviour used to maintain control over another person", according to the SPB. This could include, for example, making threats, monitoring or controlling daily activities or invading their privacy.
Psychological or emotional abuse - which is aimed at emotionally controlling, harming or manipulating the person. These behaviours include name-calling, intimidation, humiliation, or isolating the person, for example.
Economic abuse - where one person denies the other access to finances or controls their finances. This takes a number of forms - Sharon Livermore described a situation, for example, where one person uses online banking to perpetrate abuse. "You could be sitting next to somebody that could be earning the most money in a business, but they may be having to ask their perpetrator for £3 to buy a sandwich at lunch," she said.
Harassment and stalking behaviours include following the other person around, constantly calling or messaging them, or tracking their location.
Sexual abuse is any sexual activity that happens without consent or by pressuring, manipulating, intimidating, threatening or deceiving the other person.
Data released by the States of Jersey Police this week showed that in 2022, they attended 1,084 domestic incidents, with almost 60% of victims assessed to be at medium risk (32%) or high risk (27%).
Despite 49% of victims not wanting to pursue a complaint, a quarter (24%) of offenders were brought to justice in 2022, the police said in their annual report.
284 notifications were made to the Education Department for schools to support children who had witnessed domestic incidents.
Resources on the Spot the Red Flags website, including for businesses, are a guide to employers who want to make changes in their workplace and outline the next steps to take.
Pictured - top: Sharon Livermore, a UK-based speaker, spoke at the launch of the 2024 Spot the Red Flags campaign. (Jon Guegan)
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