Council wants to hear from male and LGBTQ+ survivors
Nottingham City Council are updating their Safer Accommodation Strategy. As part of this they want to hear from Male and LGBTQ+ people who are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse. There are two separate consultations in place, ensuring that both survivor groups are heard. Survivors will be able to share their experiences anonymously and no-one reading the report will know they took part.
Why do they want to hear from male and LGBTQ+ survivors?
The Council wants to hear from male and LGBTQ+ survivors as this is the area of provision they are currently looking into. While domestic abuse and sexual violence are usually grouped together under the heading ‘VAWG’ (Violence Against Women and Girls), it is vital that the services designed for males and LGBTQ+ are shaped around those specific survivor needs.
The Council wants to understand:
- the needs or issues that are experienced within Nottingham City
- how to change and improve services provided
- how to design new services
- how to empower and support the hopes and ambitions of survivors
- how to build better skills in those responding to domestic abuse
How will the information be used?
Through listening to the experiences and opinions of male and LGBTQ+ survivors, the council will use this to develop their future plans and decisions. This can include understanding things like:
- what services are needed
- how best to support LGBTQ+ survivors and male survivors
- whether services know what is expected of them and are working well
- how money is spent
- priorities and whether their strategy or plan is working
Any knowledge gained will be shared with other related services such as police, housing, health, probation and specialist services. This gives survivors a chance for their voice to be heard by many different organisations.
How can I take part?
This consultation is being run by an experienced, independent facilitator, called Anna. You can contact her by email or by telephone on 07485 352 011. She will initially call to discuss the project, talk through any risks and how you can be involved. You might like to have a 1-1 interview on the phone, online, or face to face or in a focus group. All conversations and feedback will be anonymous – no-one can be identified. You can change your mind, at any point and do not have to take part.
All expenses will be met and refreshments and snacks will be provided when face to face. While people cannot be paid, they can give you a £20 voucher as a thank you.
I might need support to take part
Anna is keen to remove barriers to anybody who wants to take part. She can book a translator, arrange an accessible venue or you can arrange to be accompanied, if this helps. She will also ensure that you are safe to take part, encourage self-care and can signpost to services if needed. The main ones are written below:
- Domestic abuse helpline, self-identifying women and children: 0808 800 0340
- Domestic abuse helpline, self-identifying men and LGBTQ+ : 0800 995 6999
- Sexual abuse helpline: 0115 941 0440
- Mental Health support: 0808 196 3779
Next Steps
If you would like to be involved in this consultation or want to find out more, you can contact Anna by email or by telephone on 07485 352 011. Written information is also available in different formats:
LGBTQ+ Information on this document. An easy-read version is available here.
Information for males on this document. An easy-read version is available here.
