The people who care for us may be facing abuse at home.
They hold frightened hands in A&E. They sit beside patients receiving life-changing news. They work night shifts, they miss birthdays, they push through feeling tired and under pressure. Because that’s what caring professionals do.
But for some of them the hardest part of their day doesn’t happen on the ward.
It happens at home.
Nationally nurses are three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than the average person in the UK.*
Let that sink in.
The very people who care for us in our most vulnerable moments may themselves be living with fear, control and violence behind closed doors.
The Trusts we support employ over 22,000 staff. More than 74% are women. They are colleagues. Friends. Mothers. Daughters. Partners. Team leaders. Newly qualified nurses. Midwives. Mental health nurses. Healthcare assistants.
They are the calm presence in a crisis. They are the ones who tell you, “You’re going to be okay.” They are the reassuring voice at the end of the phone.
And then they go home to lives that may feel anything but ok.
NHS staff are conditioned to cope. To carry on. To put others first.
If we expect our NHS staff to care for us, we must care for them too.
Domestic abuse affects wellbeing, confidence, attendance and safety. It’s not a “private issue” when it impacts someone’s ability to work and live safely.
That’s where CARE comes in. Culture, Awareness, Response, Empowerment.
CARE is a ground-breaking project driven by us, bringing together our Trusts and IDAS (a specialist domestic abuse charity in Sheffield) to build a sustainable, preventative system that supports our NHS staff impacted by domestic abuse.
This is not a one-off campaign, it’s long-term, embedded change.
CARE will:
• Create a culture of zero tolerance
• Train leaders and managers to recognise and respond to abuse
• Provide safe, confident referral pathways
• Empower staff to remain in work safely
• Embed trauma-informed, compassionate workplace practices
• Provide access to a Safe Haven Fund to support staff in crisis
CARE is our commitment to ensuring NHS staff are safe, supported and never left to cope alone.
Join us in supporting those who care for all of us.
*source Cavell nurses' trust 2016