What is domestic abuse
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 created a statutory definition of domestic abuse. It is abusive behaviour between those aged over 16 years who are personally connected to each other – they are or have been intimate partners or family members, even after separation. Regardless of age, gender, religion, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, marital status or background.
Behaviour is considered abusive when it includes any of the following:
- physical or sexual abuse
- violent or threatening behaviour
- controlling or coercive behaviour
- economic abuse
- psychological, emotional or other abuse
A child who sees, hears, or experiences the effects of domestic abuse, and is related to the person being abused or the perpetrator is also regarded as a victim of domestic abuse in their own right.
What help you can get to live in safety
Please contact our local specialist support at Somerset Domestic Abuse Service. They offer specialist advice to help you to be safe from domestic abuse.
There’s a range of options around your housing that they can help you with, from obtaining court orders and other legal measures, organising safety improvements for your home, to helping you to access safe temporary accommodation such as a refuge or ‘safe house’.
You can contact Somerset Domestic Abuse Service by telephoning their confidential helpline on 0800 694 9999. This is available to anyone concerned about domestic abuse, and is open from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week.
If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, phone the police on 999.
If you have an immediate homelessness situation and you have nowhere safe to sleep tonight, you can telephone the Somerset Domestic Abuse Service 0800 69 49 999 (from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week) to see if they can help you access specialist safe accommodation. Or you can call the Somerset Council Housing Team urgently on 0300 123 2224.
If phoning after 5pm, on a weekend or on a bank holiday, use the Council’s out of hours service on 0300 123 2327.
Get homelessness assistance
You can apply to the council as a homeless person if you cannot stay in your home. We will give you advice about finding somewhere to live and in some cases you may be assessed as eligible for emergency accommodation.
If the council has a duty to find you somewhere to live, you will be asked to provide details of your situation (where possible).
You may be asked for supporting evidence, which could include details and dates of incidents.
You can bring a friend or an adviser with you for support if you wish.
Please contact us to make a homelessness application.
Where it is not safe for you to return home, we can also help you find a private rented or social rented property in a safe location.
Leaving home immediately
You can make a homeless application if you are unable to stay in your home because of violence or fear of violence.
You can ask any council in the UK for help. You might want to ask a council outside of where you live to be further away from the person who is causing the abuse, to keep yourself safe.
Asking us for help with housing could be a short-term solution while you take legal action to remove the person who is causing the abuse from your home, or it could mean we permanently house you elsewhere.
If you have to leave your property immediately we may place you in temporary accommodation while we look at what options are available to you depending on your circumstances.
Not everyone is entitled to emergency accommodation so you may wish to look at other options such as staying with friends or relatives while you think about what to do next or try to find a place in a refuge.
Take some essentials with you such as a change of clothes, toiletries and any medication you need to take regularly. Try to bring important items such as your passport, bank cards or credit cards and mobile phone.
Don’t make a decision to give up your home permanently until you have spoken to an adviser and considered all your options.
More information
You can find more advice and information about domestic abuse online at Somerset’s domestic abuse website at Somerset Domestic Abuse.
If you would like to speak in confidence to a domestic abuse specialist or attend one of the domestic abuse advice drop-in venues around the county, then please contact the local Somerset Integrated Domestic Abuse helpline on 0800 69 49 999.