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Domestic abuse

Problems at home? Do not suffer in silence.

Problems at home? Do not suffer in silence.

Domestic abuse includes:

  • Controlling behaviour
  • Coercive behaviour
  • threatening behaviour
  • violence
  • abuse

If a partner or family member aged over 16 is trying to control you:

  • psychologically
  • physically
  • sexually
  • financially
  • emotionally

… then this is abuse.

How we can support you

Regardless of the abuse you are experiencing:

  • it is not your fault
  • you are not alone
  • you have the right to live free from fear
  • you can survive and move on from an abusive relationship.

All our staff receive training around domestic abuse. Call us in confidence on 020 7364 5015. We will put you through to your housing officer or a member of their team. Your housing officer can arrange to meet with you face to face.

Our officers can meet you:

  • at your home
  • at one of our offices
  • or elsewhere.

Your meeting with them will be completely confidential.

Your housing officer can talk to you about what we can do to help. That might be:

  • supporting you to stay in your own home
  • finding refuge
  • rehousing

Your housing officer will not tell anyone about the things you discuss unless:

  • you agree

or

  • you or your family are in serious, immediate danger.

If we cannot help you directly, we can refer you to organisations that can. With your consent, we can refer you to a support agency who are specialists in domestic abuse. They can give you advice on different options, such as an injunction. Injunctions can be used to stop the abuser from entering your home.

If you are in immediate danger ring 999.

If you need to speak to someone out of hours call the domestic violence helpline on 0808 2000 247

Read our domestic abuse procedure

Children

If you have children it can be hard to know what to do when a situation becomes abusive. It is important to remember that witnessing arguments and assaults affects children. They will need support. Sometimes children themselves are hurt or abused.

Whoever is abusing you might make threats. They might say that your children will be taken away if you tell anyone about the situation at home. This is very unlikely to happen. The Council knows that the best way of protecting children from harm is to support the parent or carer who is not abusive.

If you are concerned about your children's wellbeing you can contact the Council’s Children’s Services (020 7364 5006).

Support from Tower Hamlets Council

The council have a dedicated team who can help with anything related to domestic abuse. They run sessions at the Idea Store Whitechapel (Thursday mornings 9:30am-12:30pm). This is a confidential drop-in service.

At these sessions you can speak to:

  • a specialist team from the council
  • the police
  • housing options
  • solicitors
  • IDVA service

If you just want to speak to the Council’s Domestic Abuse team, there is a separate drop-in session (Tuesday 10am – 4pm at Albert Jacob House 62 Roman Road E2 0PG).

All these sessions are totally confidential and discrete. No one will pressure you into taking any action that you do not want to do.

Other services