When Sharon Baker spoke up about her experience of domestic abuse in December 2020, she triggered a wave of reports from colleagues at Avon and Somerset Police.
“I recorded a video to the organisation where I spoke out about being a victim survivor myself, and 138 people all came forward and said they were a victim too, but hadn't ever spoken out,” she says.
She was horrified at the number who felt they had to stay silent: “We asked them in a survey, and 80% of those people didn't report it to a colleague and didn't report the abuse to the police. That's huge. I was like, wow. Why? Why not?”
The answer, unfortunately, was that Avon and Somerset Police’s culture left people feeling like their experiences should be kept a “horrible secret”.
Baker knew that she had to act. After working with other survivors who came forward, many told her they felt shame and embarrassment. They also worried about confidentiality, and not being believed.
“They felt: ‘If I tell a colleague, it's going to be taken out of my control. I'm going to have no say,'’’ Baker adds.
Read more: Supporting domestic abuse survivors: Three things HR should know
In response, a pledge was written, informed by survey results and the barriers to disclosure that were identified by a group of survivors.
The pledge, which was “designed by survivors for survivors”, is made up of six statements:
“Our pledge to you is:
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You will be listened to.
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You will be believed.
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You will have control.
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We will support you.
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Your confidentiality will be respected.
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We will help to keep you safe.”
For Baker, having clear statements, rather than a lengthy policy document, was important.
“This is not a tick box,” she explained. “We wanted to say: Look, you don't need to read a policy; this is how you need to behave in the workplace, to show that we are a culture that will support survivors.”
The pledge has been endorsed by the chief constable, the police and crime commissioner, Unison and the Police Federation. Baker knew that these endorsements would be an important step towards widespread implementation.
Policies around domestic abuse support were also redesigned to remove existing barriers.
“Before, we had psychological support in-house,” Baker explained, “but you had to go through a supervisor in order to see the councillor, which made no sense to me, and goes against our pledge of confidentiality. We removed that step.
“Now, domestic abuse victims can just ring up, and give a code word. This means you don’t need to write down in an email why you need to see the councillor.”
Before the new approach, there was a lack of consistency when someone reported abuse, so the support on offer needed to be clarified. For example, some managers advised staff to use sick days for time off relating to abuse; others advised that they use gardening leave, while some were told to use annual leave.
“We didn't have explicit, bespoke policies, so it became a subject of whispered conversations. Now, we've got the pledge. It empowers colleagues and advisors to say: ‘I can offer you all this.’”
The most significant measure, in Baker's eyes, is a survivors lived experience group, which currently has around 40 members.
“I wish every company had this,” says Baker. “We started meeting once a month, to share lived experience. It’s quite informal, and it doesn’t replace psychological support, but there’s something quite powerful in realising you’re not alone.
“What generally happens is you find that the advice and support that survivors can give each other is beyond anything else.
“For instance, they will ask: Has anyone got any experience of going through the Child Support Agency and getting money for children? Has anyone been to court about this? And because people have experienced such wide-ranging issues, they can actually help to advocate for and support each other.”
Read more: HR's responsibility to address domestic abuse in the workplace
In autumn 2024, the force also made free-of-charge emergency accommodation available for any member of staff, “no questions asked”. The room was designed by survivors to ensure that it had the elements that could make people in threatening situations feel most safe.
Underlying these changes is Baker’s deep desire to change the culture around how employers support people who experience domestic abuse.
“As employers, we need to learn to say: ‘I believe you’. There always seem to be caveats. Employers worry about saying that, particularly if both the perpetrator and the victim work for the company.
“But usually someone else can support a perpetrator internally; the police can do an independent investigation. If someone comes to you, they’ve come to you for a reason. Your only role is to believe them. They’ve chosen you, and that’s a privilege.”