As summarised in the previous section, this needs assessment has highlighted examples of effective practice and the commitment of dedicated professionals. At the same time, participants were often more inclined to focus on challenges, gaps, or areas of concern, and the findings presented here therefore reflect that emphasis.
It is therefore important to consider these recommendations alongside the successful work over the past five years that has positively strengthened Camden’s response to VAWG and the positive work that is already taking place or planned across the system, including the work carried out by Camden Safety Net and the Domestic Violence and Abuse Navigators, communication campaigns, the work on achieving Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance accreditation, initiatives led by the Women’s Safety Working Group and planned developments such as the creation of a data dashboard (to name a few).
In many cases, the recommendations build on existing efforts rather than starting from scratch and should be understood as part of an ongoing process of improvement. At the same time, it is also important to recognise the realities of public sector and local authority delivery, including limited resources.
The key findings and recommendations summarised below are specific to this needs assessment, however, they are consistent with the findings and recommendations from a number of already existing reports from within and beyond Camden (many of which are summarised in this needs assessment), including the February 2024 report presented to Cabinet by Cllr Djemai, and the 2021 Camden Women’s Forum Report.
In addition to these recommendations, there are more detailed recommendations in the Mental Health and Domestic Abuse deep dive 2025 (still in development at time of writing). There are also VAWG related recommendations in the following recently published strategies that should be considered alongside this needs assessment: the Camden Alcohol Strategy 2025 – 2030; the Camden Sexual Wellbeing and Reproductive Health System Review and Work Programme 2025-2030; and Camden’s Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Local authorities play a vital role in tackling DVA and VAWG, and their effectiveness relies on close collaboration with health services, police, and specialist agencies. While each agency brings its own statutory duties, professional frameworks, and sets of recommendations, local authorities are uniquely positioned to coordinate multi-agency responses, commission specialist services, and ensure that safeguarding arrangements are responsive to the needs of their communities. By aligning their strategies with the work of the NHS, policing bodies, and voluntary sector providers, while also following their own guidance and local priorities, local authorities can help to create a more joined-up, consistent, and survivor-focused approach. This partnership working is essential to address gaps, reduce duplication, and ensure that victim/survivors receive timely, appropriate, and holistic support.
Recommendations for strategy development
The recommendations provided are intentionally high-level and are based on the evidence review and data collected as part of this needs assessment. Each recommendation area has illustrative stakeholder and quantitative insights included as examples. These are not exhaustive, as the forthcoming strategy development process will help shape a future detailed action plan.
A full list of the stakeholder recommendations can be found in Appendix 3.
Public health approach
Comprehensive strategy that considers prevention; earlier intervention by the system/professions; response/support; perpetrator accountability/programmes; and intergenerational cycle breaking to stop violence
Alongside robust responses to VAWG, invest in early action to prevent DVA and VAWG, including schools/education, community engagement, and earlier identification and intervention by the system/professionals, including with perpetrators. Ensure intergenerational transmission of trauma, risk and behaviour is considered and addressed in strategic planning and response. For example:
Roll out preventative education for young people on healthy relationships and recognising abuse (Source: Hopscotch, CVAA, C&L Practitioners).
Address intergenerational abuse through targeted family therapeutic interventions with a focus on child victim/survivors. (Sources: CSN, CSC, WSA staff group, C&L practitioners)
Use Family Hubs as part of early intervention and as safe, supportive spaces for children and non-abusive parents. (Source: CSC)
Explore reasons for higher levels of reporting of VAWG-related crime in places such as Camden Town and southern wards, to understand if it reflects actual increased risk of VAWG or other reasons such as enhanced opportunities to report. (Source: quantitative findings)
Data and evidence
Improving insights, data and monitoring
Strengthen the collection, integration, and use of VAWG data and insights to build a shared evidence base that drives effective prevention, response, and partnership working.
Shared understanding of VAWG: Establish a consistent and agreed definition of VAWG across all departments and partners, with clear categories, standard terminology, and inclusion/exclusion criteria. (Source: quantitative findings)
Centre the voices of victim/survivors and those impacted by DVA and other forms of VAWG by holding regular insight sessions with diverse cohorts and involving those with lived experience in the design of strategy and policy. (Source: CVAA, Solace, Hopscotch)
Unified data and a single view of a victim/survivors: Integrate disparate datasets into a central platform to enable a holistic view of victim/survivors’ interactions and needs. (Source: quantitative findings)
Data sharing with partners: Strengthen governance and processes for sharing relevant VAWG data between Camden Council and trusted external partners. (Source: quantitative findings)
Data completeness and quality: Improve accuracy and completeness of VAWG data to ensure analysis reflects the full picture of incidents and needs. (Source: quantitative findings)
Monitoring, evaluation, and insight: Establish continuous monitoring and evaluation processes to track VAWG trends, service responses, and victim/survivors’ outcomes, and to inform ongoing policy and operational improvements. (Source: quantitative findings)
Support gaps
Whole-journey support for all victim/survivors
Ensure tailored, consistent support for victim/survivors of DVA and other forms of VAWG from first disclosure through to long-term recovery, regardless of risk level or complexity of need, including post-separation abuse. Explore and address gaps in identification and support for other, often hidden forms of abuse such as ‘honour-based’ abuse. For example:
Develop individualised, tiered DVA support across the whole risk spectrum and victim/survivors journey. (Sources: CVAA, CSN, EIG2)
Review and map the risk thresholds and eligibility criteria used by different services to identify where victims may be excluded from support because they do not meet assessment thresholds, ensuring that no victim is left without appropriate help. (Source: quantitative findings)
Create structured post-crisis pathways to bridge emergency intervention and long-term recovery. (Sources: CSN, DV Navigators)
Provide ongoing floating support (practical, emotional) to help sustain independence. (Source: CSN, DVA Navigators)
Broaden eligibility criteria for long-term support services, including those with complex needs or lower risk. (Source: CSN)
Increase interventions for child–to–parent abuse. (Source: CSN, C&L practitioners)
Mental health
Trauma-informed mental health and wellbeing
Expand accessible, culturally competent mental health support/services that are informed by the impacts of VAWG including DVA, sexual violence, and coercive control, and address co-occurring needs. For example:
Expand long-term, community-based, DVA-informed mental health provision (face-to-face, trauma-informed, accessible to all). (Sources: CVAA, CSN, DV Navigators, C&L practitioners, EIG1)
Integrate awareness of DVA-related brain injuries into mental health pathways. (Source: DV Navigators)
Tailor services for dual diagnosis (mental health + substance use). (Sources: DV Navigators, EIG1)
Children’s support
Protection and recovery for children affected by abuse
Recognise children as direct victim/survivors of DVA and provide sustained, trauma-informed support across education, health, and family services. Give consideration also to wider forms of VAWG, including often hidden forms such as honour-based abuse.
For example:
Increase understanding that children are direct victim/survivors of DVA and provide consistent therapeutic and emotional support. (Sources: CVAA, Solace, Hopscotch, CSN, EIG1, CSC, C&L Practitioners)
Embed trauma-informed responses in schools (e.g., Healing Together, Operation Compass). (Source: EIG2)
Use Family Hubs as part of early intervention and as safe, supportive spaces for children and non-abusive parents. (Source: CSC)
Housing and benefits
Safe, secure, and appropriate housing
Increase availability and quality of safe accommodation and housing pathways that meets the needs of women and children, reduces disruption, and supports recovery. Efforts are made to use Alternative Payment Arrangements to help reduce financial control and/or rent arrears.
For example:
Expand safe, suitable local accommodation options to preserve social networks. (Sources: CSN, DV Navigators, C&L practitioners, quantitative findings)
Scale up Housing First models with secure tenancy and wraparound support. (Source: DV Navigators)
Increase housing priority for refuge referrals and broaden access for those with complex needs or NRPF. (Sources: Solace, CSN)
Reduce forced relocations, especially for women with children. (Source: DV Navigators)
Equity
Equity and inclusion across all communities
Remove barriers to safety and support for marginalised groups, including (but not limited to) racially minoritised groups; migrant women; disabled women; women with language needs; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) survivors; inclusion health groups; and those with complex needs, taking an intersectional approach.
For example:
Ensure all responses and services are inclusive for racially minoritised groups, young and older women, NRPF, language needs, disabilities, neurodivergence, women who are pregnant or parenting and children of abuse. (Sources: Solace, Hopscotch, CSN, quantitative findings)
Embed cultural competence and anti-misogyny training in services. (Sources: CVAA, Hopscotch)
Partner with specialist “by and for” organisations as best practice in provision. (Source: Hopscotch)
Enhance data recording on protected characteristics (ethnicity, disability, pregnancy/parenthood, etc.) to improve equity of services. (Source: quantitative findings)
Skills and training
Skilled and compassionate frontline workforce
Ensure all agencies - from police to healthcare - have the training and capacity to respond effectively to VAWG and DVA, free from victim-blaming. Ensure staff have access to group supervision and reflective practice space. For example:
Mandatory trauma-informed VAWG/DVA training for all frontline staff (police, housing, healthcare, schools). (Sources: CVAA, Solace, Hopscotch, CSN, EIG2)
Specialist training on and support with managing disclosures, including from children. (Source: EIG2, C&L practitioners)
Culturally competent training for police, CPS, and healthcare providers. (Sources: Hopscotch, EIG2)
Embed DVA mental health module into MECC (Making Every Contact Count) approach. (Source: EIG2)
Embed Safe & Together consistently within social care practice (Source: C&L practitioners)
Deliver training on Adult Child to Parent Abuse (Source: C&L Practitioners)
Justice, safety, and perpetrator accountability
Strengthen system responses to protect victim/survivors, hold perpetrators to account, and reduce repeat harm through preventative measures and support and behaviour change programmes. For example:
Advocate for improvements CPS/police prosecution rates and consistency of perpetrator consequences. (Source: DV Navigators).
Advocate for training for justice professionals e.g. to reduce judgement and dismissal of victim/survivors’ cases. (Source: DV Navigators, C&L practitioners)
Advocate for the importance of perpetrator programmes as part of any VAWG response to ensure all efforts are made to break the cycle of violence. (Source: C&L practitioners, perpetrator service providers)
Strengthen advocacy and case support to reduce victim/survivor withdrawal and improve justice outcomes. (Source: DVA Navigators, C&L practitioners, quantitative findings)
Improve responses to stalking and harassment, where current outcomes are particularly poor (Source: quantitative findings).
Funding and workforce
Sustainable funding and service stability
Secure long-term investment in specialist VAWG services, ensuring stable, experienced workforces that can provide consistent, high-quality support. For example:
Secure long-term funding to ensure continuity of specialist VAWG services. (Source: DV Navigators, WSA)
Improve job security and parity for specialist roles handling complex, high-risk cases. (Source: DV Navigators, WSA)
Increase staffing capacity to allow lower caseloads and personalised support. (Source: DV Navigators, WSA)
Partnerships and multi-agency working
Coordinated, whole-system response
Embed shared responsibility across all agencies, - including (but not limited to) the Council, NHS partners and health services, the police & criminal justice system and VCSE organisations with strong partnership working to deliver a united approach to ending VAWG and DVA.
For example:
Plan service capacity for anticipated growth in housing, safeguarding, MARAC, and specialist VAWG services. (Source: quantitative findings)
Strengthen cross-sector case sharing, joint meetings, and referral pathways. (Sources: CVAA, Solace, CSN, EIG1, CSC)
Embed DVA specialists in health, housing, and education settings. (Source: EIG2)
Establish regular reflective spaces and joint updates between agencies to maintain shared responsibility. (Source: CSC)
We acknowledge that these recommendations do not cover community safety and public realm, as these did not emerge as common themes. However, we recognise the importance of this work in preventing and addressing VAWG, and the current work that is underway to positively contributing to the creation of a safer borough for women and girls in Camden. Therefore, an overarching recommendation would be the continuation of the Women’s Safety in the Public Realm working group and action plan.