Domestic Abuse 'Lived Experience' Surveys

Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, local authorities have a duty to protect victims of domestic abuse and their children. This duty requires local authorities to work together to assess and respond to the needs of victims and their children, regardless of where they are located.

We engaged with victims/survivors of domestic abuse, now and/or in the past, to gain valuable insights into their ‘lived experiences’ and needs. By understanding these experiences, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council can work to ensure that victims/survivors receive the support and services they need to heal and recover. We also wanted to hear about any experiences children living with victims/survivors have had as a result of domestic abuse and/or when accessing support services.

We also asked the general public for their views on domestic abuse in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Respondents were encouraged to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before completing one of the surveys below.

Have Your Say

There were two surveys available:

  1. Victim/Survivor Survey - this survey was for anybody currently experiencing domestic abuse in BCP, or had in the past, or was living with children that are exposed to domestic abuse at the time of the engagement, or in the past
  2. General Public Survey - this survey was for anybody who had not experienced domestic abuse themselves and did not live with children that were exposed to domestic abuse at the time of the engagement, or in the past but wanted to give us their views on the incidence of domestic abuse, support service provision or wanted to tell us about their experiences of witnessing domestic abuse against another person in BCP.

All responses were collected and stored in line with the Data Protection Act 2018, meaning that respondent's identity was protected and the responses would be reviewed and analysed anonymously. The only exception to this was if responses were received that raised concerns about a person's wellbeing and/or safety, in which case we would pass the information onto the relevant authorities to follow up.

More details about how to stay safe while completing the surveys, and on how we collect and store respondent's data, can be found at the start of each survey.

  • Paper copies of the surveys could be downloaded on the right hand side of this page and returned to us at the address below, or
  • Hard copies could also be collected on request from any of BCP's libraries.

These could be printed and returned to the following address: Domestic Abuse Surveys, Research and Consultation Team, BCP Council, Town Hall, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY; or dropped into the 'Have Your Say' boxes in any of BCP's libraries.

Support

If respondents had any questions or needed the survey in a different format, they could contact communitysafetybcp@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. They could also refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information. If they needed support at any time, they could call the freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

The engagement closed at midnight on 19 November 2023.

Next Steps

The surveys were being run alongside in-depth interviews with victims/survivors and perpetrators of harmful behaviours who were in the process of being rehabilitated at the time of the engagement, and other key stakeholders. All the data we collected will be reviewed by the Community Safety Team and used to inform future work and developments in relation to BCP Council’s approach to domestic abuse. The research report detailing the outcomes of the surveys and interviews will be published here later in the year.




Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, local authorities have a duty to protect victims of domestic abuse and their children. This duty requires local authorities to work together to assess and respond to the needs of victims and their children, regardless of where they are located.

We engaged with victims/survivors of domestic abuse, now and/or in the past, to gain valuable insights into their ‘lived experiences’ and needs. By understanding these experiences, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council can work to ensure that victims/survivors receive the support and services they need to heal and recover. We also wanted to hear about any experiences children living with victims/survivors have had as a result of domestic abuse and/or when accessing support services.

We also asked the general public for their views on domestic abuse in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Respondents were encouraged to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before completing one of the surveys below.

Have Your Say

There were two surveys available:

  1. Victim/Survivor Survey - this survey was for anybody currently experiencing domestic abuse in BCP, or had in the past, or was living with children that are exposed to domestic abuse at the time of the engagement, or in the past
  2. General Public Survey - this survey was for anybody who had not experienced domestic abuse themselves and did not live with children that were exposed to domestic abuse at the time of the engagement, or in the past but wanted to give us their views on the incidence of domestic abuse, support service provision or wanted to tell us about their experiences of witnessing domestic abuse against another person in BCP.

All responses were collected and stored in line with the Data Protection Act 2018, meaning that respondent's identity was protected and the responses would be reviewed and analysed anonymously. The only exception to this was if responses were received that raised concerns about a person's wellbeing and/or safety, in which case we would pass the information onto the relevant authorities to follow up.

More details about how to stay safe while completing the surveys, and on how we collect and store respondent's data, can be found at the start of each survey.

  • Paper copies of the surveys could be downloaded on the right hand side of this page and returned to us at the address below, or
  • Hard copies could also be collected on request from any of BCP's libraries.

These could be printed and returned to the following address: Domestic Abuse Surveys, Research and Consultation Team, BCP Council, Town Hall, Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, BH2 6DY; or dropped into the 'Have Your Say' boxes in any of BCP's libraries.

Support

If respondents had any questions or needed the survey in a different format, they could contact communitysafetybcp@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. They could also refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information. If they needed support at any time, they could call the freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

The engagement closed at midnight on 19 November 2023.

Next Steps

The surveys were being run alongside in-depth interviews with victims/survivors and perpetrators of harmful behaviours who were in the process of being rehabilitated at the time of the engagement, and other key stakeholders. All the data we collected will be reviewed by the Community Safety Team and used to inform future work and developments in relation to BCP Council’s approach to domestic abuse. The research report detailing the outcomes of the surveys and interviews will be published here later in the year.




Page last updated: 20 Nov 2023, 09:47 AM