Have your say on Edinburgh's domestic abuse services

Overview

Domestic abuse affects thousands of people in Edinburgh. Around 5,500 police call-outs related to domestic abuse last year. The cost of domestic abuse is very high, in both human and financial terms. Research has shown that the cost to public services in Scotland is £2.3 billion each year.

In Edinburgh, we are carrying out a comprehensive review of all domestic abuse services. We aim to develop a more efficient and co-ordinated community-based response to domestic abuse which makes a difference to those families who are affected by it.

Part of this involves finding out what people who have been affected by domestic abuse and have tried to get help think - where did they go for help, how much help did they get, what helped most, what could have been better? It also involves hearing from staff in a range of services - from specialist domestic abuse services to more general services such as schools and health - about their awareness and experience of domestic abuse.

Why your views matter

We want to find out what families who have been affected by domestic abuse and those who have worked with them think of the help that is currently available and how it can be improved.  We want to hear if there are gaps in services or where it is unclear who can offer what.  More than anything, we want to find out what would have made things better.  The results of the surveys and the follow-up focus groups will help us to work together more effectively to support families affected by domestic abuse.

What happens next

Focus groups with be held with children and young people, service users and staff to explore some of the issues raised in the surveys in more depth.  The feedback from the surveys and focus groups will contribute to the development of services in relation to domestic abuse and improved outcomes for families who are affected by it.