Havering London Borough Council Case Study

About Havering London Borough Council

Havering London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Havering in Greater London, England. The housing services provide several housing options for those in need, including arranging council housing, supporting tenants, supplying information to both landlords and tenants, and providing sheltered housing.

As part of their role, the Housing Services staff are required to understand the background of the occupants they house, some of which are victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA). Within the department they felt they were lacking in their DVA knowledge and understanding and wanted to make sure they knew how to respond, be empathetic and take swift action. In order to develop the quality of skills and knowledge they required, they knew they had to complete industry-standard training.

The Challenge

Identifying Domestic Violence and Abuse Signs

The objectives of undertaking the training were as follows:

1. Learn more about Domestic Violence and Abuse and how best to support victims and keep them safe.

2. How to identify DVA and what signs to look out for

3. Learning how to spot DVA signs in children and vulnerable adults

4. Gain greater awareness of new tools to identify DVA situations in hostels

It was also important that staff could easily share the training together and ensure they could discuss thoughts and experiences. They decided online training would be the best way to meet all their requirements.

/n/n### The Solution

Karen Reed, Tenancy Sustainment Manager at the Havering Council, searched for a relevant domestic violence and abuse online course that would fulfil her team’s training needs. She was drawn to Virtual College’s DVA course as it was CPD accredited, so knew it was a respected training course within the industry. It was also possible to easily and quickly buy several licenses, which was the perfection solution for allowing the whole team to be trained together in a simple and cost-effective way.

The Results

All 25 staff members who completed the course reported a positive experience, gaining a stronger understanding of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and how to support victims. The training increased their confidence and ability to handle difficult situations.

Participants highlighted that the course helped them:

• Recognise signs of DVA
• Approach cases with greater confidence
• Improve their overall understanding and response

Completing the course as a team also encouraged discussion, experience-sharing, and reinforced group learning. It was seen as a strong complement to in-person training.

Karen noted that the course helped front-line staff better understand the impact of DVA and how to support victims. It also sparked ongoing internal discussions for future learning.

Additionally, the course content supported a DVA caseworker’s parliamentary presentation, using references from the training to reinforce safeguarding legislation.