Nationwide has extended the support it offers to domestic abuse survivors as it partners with Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist domestic abuse charity. It is the latest addition to a growing range of services to identify and tackle the issue.
Britain’s biggest building society will be able to refer domestic abuse survivors to Refuge over the telephone via its Specialist Support Team. Refuge provides safe accommodation, expert support and a path to safety when there's nowhere else to turn. They help survivors escape abuse safely and provide step-by-step guidance on how to rebuild a survivor's life financially and emotionally.
The new partnership runs alongside Nationwide’s existing support for domestic abuse survivors. Nationwide operates Safe Spaces throughout more than 400 branches, where survivors can access a private room to help them deal with issues or use a phone to call family, friends or specialist support.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 2.3 million adults in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024 including 1.6 million women (6.6%) and 712,000 men (3%). However, women are more than twice as likely to be affected. The same report highlighted a higher proportion of people aged 16 to 19 were domestic abuse survivors (8.7%) compared to those in age categories of 55 years and over, and a higher percentage of people with a disability experienced domestic abuse (9.2%) than those without (3.9%).
As part of its efforts to help tackle the domestic abuse crisis, Nationwide and Refuge have signed Money Wellness’ campaign to get the Government to make the Individual Insolvency Register private - protecting the addresses of survivors who have become insolvent through bankruptcy, for example, currently, they must pay a £308 ‘person at risk of violence’ (PARV) order to withhold their details from the Register.
Domestic abuse survivors often struggle to pay for a PARV protection order because abusers typically exercise full financial control, leaving survivors with little or no personal funds. This comes in addition to the increased risk survivors face when having to list their details on the Register.
All Nationwide branch colleagues have received specialised training from Hestia to help spot signs of domestic abuse and offer support to those affected, including helping them manage their finances, providing access to a specialist support team and other resources.
Nationwide’s Specialist Support Team supports around 200 customers on an ongoing basis who are affected by domestic abuse, a significant rise from just 23 customers in 2022. The average age of those receiving this support 45. Today, the team receives approximately 30 new monthly referrals. This is up from to 10 in 2022 – an increase of 200 per cent.
Andrew Ball, Head of Supplier Management for Nationwide said: “With one in four women experiencing some form of economic or domestic abuse, it is vital that we have support available for customers when they need it the most. That is why I’m delighted to commence a partnership with Refuge, as they are experts in this field.”
Emma Pickering, Head of Technology-Facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment at Refuge, said: “One in four women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and cases are continuing to grow in both quantity and complexity. Thanks to Nationwide Building Society, Refuge will be able to expand its support for survivors of abuse.
“Our partnership has never been more needed. With Nationwide’s support, Refuge’s expert team will empower survivors with practical advice and emotional support, helping them to rebuild their lives. No survivor should have to navigate domestic abuse alone, and Nationwide’s commitment means we will be able to ensure even more survivors receive the support they deserve.”
