Last updated:
2nd October 2023
Meet Tanya
Supporting victim-survivors of domestic abuse
I’m Tanya Pellew and work at Wokingham Borough Council as a Housing and Domestic Abuse Specialist. My role is to support the homelessness team in managing cases presented as homeless as a result of people fleeing domestic abuse. It is paramount our victim-survivors are made aware of their rights if they are fleeing domestic abuse and the relevant support which is available to them.
Anyone can be a victim-survivor regardless of their age, race, gender, sexual preference, faith, disability or financial status. It is estimated that 1 in 10 of our residents will be affected by domestic abuse each year.
How I help domestic abuse victim survivors
I help the homelessness officers and wider teams within the council to support victim-survivors of domestic abuse, which includes people who have either fled their homes or wishing to do so. This may include looking for refuge provisions, liaising with and or attending emergency strategy meetings with external agencies and ensuring all relevant support and robust safety plans are in place to protect any victim survivors and their children.
I oversee DASH (Domestic Abuse Stalking and Honour-based violence) risk assessments completed by the homelessness officers and identify and report high risk cases to MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference). MARAC is a monthly meeting which I attend and is chaired by the local police and has representatives from housing, health and domestic abuse services present. We work together to implement a safety plan to protect the victim-survivors and their children.
Keeping everyone safe
Recently, I have co-written a domestic abuse tenancy policy for residents and tenants within the borough, as well as a housing domestic abuse procedure for all staff to adhere, when there are disclosures that domestic abuse is a factor in their housing situation. This will ensure a consistent, high-level response which focuses on support and safety for the person and their children.
I monitor statistics to understand the demographics and situations of residents approaching us due to fleeing domestic abuse as well people who may approach us for different reasons who may disclose concerns at a later date.
I work very closely with the borough’s commissioned domestic abuse service Cranstoun as well as collaborating with external agencies to provide a holistic partnership approach. These agencies include those attending domestic abuse networking groups and partnership boards. This partnership approach supports the council in understanding and overcoming barriers to accessing help and support.
Contact us today if you need help
Support is available to all domestic abuse victims and survivors in Wokingham Borough.
Visit our website to find:
Call the Cranstoun domestic abuse helpline on (0118) 402 1921.
In an emergency, call the police on 999.
