Domestic abuse policy

Introduction

We want our customers to be able to live safely, keep their home and access support if they are affected by domestic abuse. We understand that a safe home is central to a person’s safety and recovery.

As a landlord, we’ll focus on early identification of domestic abuse, providing safe tenancy and property management, providing and explaining the housing options available, managing risks effectively, and taking fair action against perpetrators. We’ll work with local authorities, police and specialist services when we need additional support.

Who this policy applies to and what it covers

This policy applies to:

All Magna customers, whether they are tenants, leaseholders or shared owners.
Anyone applying for housing, transfers or other housing assistance with us.
Adults and children living in, or regularly staying at, a home owned or managed by us.
Former customers where we retain a housing, safeguarding or information-sharing responsibility.
Customers affected by abuse from a current or former partner, family member or another personally connected person, whether or not that person lives in a Magna home.
Any concerns reported on behalf of a Magna customer or household by relatives, neighbours, advocates, specialist services, statutory agencies or members of the public.

What this policy covers:

How we’ll recognise and respond to domestic abuse.
The support, referrals and housing options customers can expect.
How we’ll use tenancy, repairs, allocations and legal powers to reduce harm and help prevent homelessness.
How we’ll meet the legal and regulatory requirements that apply to us. The outcomes, principles and governance framework for our response to domestic abuse. Detailed casework requirements, decision pathways, service standards and tools will sit in supporting procedures and guidance.
Colleague awareness and early identification.
Safe, accessible ways for customers or people acting on their behalf to disclose or report abuse.
Proportionate action to manage perpetrators, enforce tenancy conditions and reduce further harm.
Confidentiality, lawful information sharing, secure records and protection of safe addresses.
Customer access, equality, complaints, outcomes and continuous improvement.

Detailed operational steps, decision-making thresholds, response pathways and case-management requirements are set out in our supporting procedures and guidance.

This policy doesn’t cover domestic abuse experienced or perpetrated by colleagues in their capacity as employees; there are separate employee policies and procedures for this. Where a colleague is also a Magna customer, this policy applies only to their housing and customer-service needs.

Definitions and context

We adopt the definition of domestic abuse contained within the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Abuse includes physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic abuse, and psychological, emotional or other abuse.

People are personally connected if:

They are, or have been, intimate partners, spouses or civil partners;
They have agreed to marry or enter a civil partnership;
They have, or have had, a parental relationship in relation to the same child; or
They are relatives.

They do not need to live together. A child who sees, hears or experiences the
effects of domestic abuse is a victim in their own right where they are related
to either person.

Domestic abuse may also involve stalking and harassment, technology facilitated abuse, damage to property, abuse through children or other people, honour-based abuse, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, reproductive abuse and abuse connected with immigration status. These examples are not exhaustive.

Our customer commitment

We will:

Listen, believe disclosures and respond respectfully without blame.
Agree safe contact methods, times and messages, and check these whenever circumstances change.
Offer a named case owner and avoid asking customers to repeatedly explain their experiences.
Work with customers to identify safe options, explain choices clearly and record their wishes.
Not require a police report or court order before offering initial support, making a referral or considering housing options. We may ask for relevant information where it’s needed for a legal decision, allocation priority, management move or enforcement action, and we will explain why.
Not expect customers to remain in unsafe situations or penalise them for abuse committed against them.
Take domestic abuse and its impact into account in housing assessments, allocations, tenancy management decisions and access to services, using lawful discretion and the relevant policy so that customers are not unfairly disadvantaged.
Provide accessible information, reasonable adjustments, interpretation or advocacy where needed.
Work alongside specialist agencies, with informed consent wherever possible, and explain any action we must take without consent.

Our Strategic Principles

The following principles guide every decision and action we take when supporting customers affected by domestic abuse.

Victim and survivor-led: we’ll listen, believe and respect informed choice, unless action is required to protect a child, an adult at risk or another person from serious harm.
Trauma-informed: we’ll avoid blame, repeated disclosure and actions that may recreate control or increase risk.
Safety before process: safe communication, confidentiality and dynamic risk assessment will shape every decision.
Children as victims: children who see, hear or experience the effects of abuse will be recognised and supported in their own right.
Housing choice: remaining safely at home and moving away are equally valid; options will reflect need, risk and the person’s wishes.
Perpetrator accountability: responsibility remains with the person causing harm. We’ll use our landlord powers safely and proportionately.
Inclusive practice: services will respond to different identities, circumstances and barriers and make reasonable adjustments.
Coordinated response: we’ll work with specialist services and statutory partners rather than act in isolation.
Evidence and learning: decisions will use professional judgement, customer insight, data and established housing-sector practice.

Our approach to safety, housing security and choice

Immediate safety takes priority. When a customer tells us about domestic abuse, we’ll consider immediate danger and emergency help. We’ll focus on the most serious risks first, make sure someone is clearly responsible for each case, involve specialist support when needed, and act quickly if the situation becomes more urgent.

We’ll establish a safe way to communicate. We’ll contact the customer in a way and at a time they have said is safe. We won’t contact them if they ask us not to, if it could increase the risk to them, or if action is required to protect a child, an adult at risk or another person from serious harm.

Housing decisions will balance the customer’s informed choice, risk, legal duties, available homes and long-term stability.

Our supporting procedures will set achievable, risk-based response and escalation times; routes for repairs and security work within our responsibility. We’ll explain what we can do, what depends on another agency or available housing, and the service standards that apply.

Our response will ensure that:

Safe contact arrangements and the limits of confidentiality are agreed and recorded.
Risk, professional judgement and the person’s priorities inform a proportionate action plan.
Children, adults at risk and other affected household members are considered.
Customers are offered information and referrals to specialist domestic abuse services and statutory safeguarding pathways where appropriate; we will not present our housing casework as a substitute for specialist support.
Where the customer wishes to remain at home, we consider repairs and security measures that are lawful, technically suitable and within our responsibility, and seek support from local sanctuary schemes or other partners where work sits outside our service.
Where safety can’t be sustained at home, we will support the customer to approach the local authority and relevant specialist services for emergency or temporary accommodation, while considering any settled housing option available through our policies and homes we have available.
Management moves and other rehousing options are considered under the relevant policy, based on risk, housing need, legal constraints, affordability, property suitability and availability. A move can’t be guaranteed, and we’ll explain the decision, likely timescale and any interim safety options.
Joint and sole tenancy decisions are legally sound, safety-tested and designed to prevent disclosure of confidential information or a safe address.
Leaseholders and shared owners receive information relevant to our responsibilities and their lease or ownership arrangements, with signposting to independent legal, financial and specialist support where needed.
Open housing actions are reviewed when risk or circumstances change. A housing case may be closed when agreed landlord actions are complete, the customer asks us to stop and no overriding safeguarding duty applies, or safe contact can’t be maintained after proportionate attempts. The reason and any route back into the service will be recorded.

Where damage, arrears or tenancy breaches may be linked to domestic abuse, we’ll consider the individual circumstances before taking action. We’ll use lawful discretion available under the relevant policy and consider reasonable repayment, support, repair or enforcement options. We can’t waive charges, arrears or tenancy obligations automatically, but we will avoid treating abuse-related issues as automatic barriers and will seek action against the person responsible where there is a lawful, proportionate and safe route. Housing action will be coordinated so that it doesn’t increase risk or reveal confidential information or a safe address.

Safeguarding and partnerships

We’ll work with other organisations and use local partnerships where needed. We’ll make appropriate referrals, provide housing information lawfully and complete actions allocated to us. We can’t guarantee the actions or timescales of another agency, but we’ll escalate delays or gaps that affect an active housing safety plan.

Where risk is high or complex, trained or designated colleagues will consider referral to appropriate multi-agency arrangements and record the rationale, actions and outcomes. Partnership working will not delay urgent action that is within our control or transfer our housing decisions to another agency.

We’ll align our domestic abuse response with adult and child safeguarding duties. Children who see, hear or experience the effects of abuse will be treated as victims in their own right. Referrals and information sharing will take place where legal thresholds or serious-risk considerations require them.

Perpetrator accountability

We will place responsibility for abuse with the perpetrator. Where the perpetrator is a Magna customer, or their conduct affects a Magna tenancy or neighbourhood, we’ll use the powers we have available to prevent further harm. Action will follow a documented assessment of safety, evidence, proportionality, legal prospects, available resources and potential unintended consequences.

We may use tenancy enforcement, injunctions, evidence-sharing, exclusion or possession action where lawful, necessary and proportionate.

Before action or contact, we’ll assess the risk of retaliation, loss of accommodation, disclosure of information and other unintended harm, and agree safeguards with the victim or survivor wherever possible.

We’ll coordinate with police, local authorities and specialist services to manage risk while retaining clear ownership of our housing decisions.Where appropriate, we’ll work with specialist partner agencies involved in perpetrator risk management and behaviour change; this will not replace action needed to protect victims and survivors.

Any contact with an alleged perpetrator will not reveal a disclosure, location, safe contact details or safety plan unless lawful and necessary.

We will not use mediation or restorative approaches where they could disguise coercive control, imply shared responsibility or increase risk.

Information management and confidentiality

We’ll explain how information will be used and seek informed consent to share wherever possible. We may share information without consent where there is a lawful basis, for example to protect a child or adult at risk, prevent serious harm or crime, or meet a legal duty. We’ll only share what is relevant, necessary and proportionate, and we’ll record the decision and tell the
person where it is safe and lawful to do so.

Domestic abuse records will be accurate, factual, securely stored and accessible only where there is a legitimate need. Safe addresses, contact details, risk assessments and multi-agency notes will be handled with heightened care and retained in line with our data retention requirements.

Complaints and putting things right

Customers may complain about how we have applied this policy or delivered our services. We’ll make the complaints process accessible, consider any immediate safety or safeguarding action separately from the complaint, and handle the complaint under our Complaints Policy.

Raising a complaint will not reduce support or delay action needed to keep someone safe. We’ll explain outcomes and remedies, learn from complaints and signpost the Housing Ombudsman where appropriate.

Equality, diversity and accessibility

Domestic abuse can affect anyone and some people face additional barriers to seeking support. We’ll provide accessible services, make reasonable adjustments where required, and consider the different needs of our customers based on protected characteristics, language, disability, age,
cultural background, sexual orientation, gender identity, faith, immigration status and other relevant circumstances.

Organisational capability

To deliver this policy, we have clear procedures in place, we provide rolebased training, access to specialist advice, clear referral routes, secure case recording, management oversight and quality checks.

The level of service will reflect risk, legal duties, available resources and the limits of our role as a landlord. Contractors and partners acting on our behalf will be given relevant conduct, confidentiality and reporting requirements.

All colleagues and relevant contractors must know how to respond safely to a disclosure and pass concerns through the correct route. Colleagues whose roles include case ownership, risk assessment, safeguarding, repairs prioritisation, tenancy action or information sharing will receive additional role-specific training and supervision.

Responsibilities

The Director of Customer Operations and Head of Customer Contact and Community Support is responsible for securing resources, resolving cross-service barriers and accountable for organisational delivery. They have overall responsibility of this policy, procedures, performance reporting and carry out an annual effectiveness review.

Our Regional and Service Managers and Safer Communities Lead are responsible for embedding the policy, maintaining appropriate team capability and cover, providing supervision, overseeing high-risk or stalled cases, escalating resource or partnership constraints and addressing identified performance gaps.

Case owners are responsible for agreeing safe contact, assessing changing risk, coordinating action plans, maintaining accurate records, keeping the customer informed and escalating delay or increased risk.

Our data protection and safeguarding leads provide advice on lawful information sharing, record security, safeguarding thresholds and complex decisions, and support learning from incidents.

All colleagues and those working on our behalf have a responsibility to remain alert, listen, respond, record and report concerns; complete required learning; cooperate with enquiries; and raise concerns about unsafe practice.

Our Strategic Board approve this policy every three years, set risk appetite, consider the resources needed within wider business planning and receive assurance on outcomes, equality, compliance and serious service risks.

Monitoring, assurance and learning

We’ll use the following outcomes to assess whether this policy is improving safety, access, housing stability and fairness for customers affected by domestic abuse.

Safety: victims, survivors and children receive a risk-informed housing response, agreed safety actions within our control and access to appropriate housing options and specialist support.
Access: people can disclose abuse through accessible routes and receive an early, consistent response.
Stability: housing and tenancy decisions support recovery, prevent homelessness and avoid penalising people for abuse committed against them.
Accountability: where the perpetrator is a Magna customer or their conduct affects a Magna tenancy or property, proportionate action and coordinated risk management are considered.
Equity: outcomes are fair across different communities, tenures and needs, with barriers identified and addressed.
Learning: customer voice, data, case review and partnership insight drive continuous improvement.

We’ll use a proportionate performance and assurance framework focused on what we can influence: safe first contact; completion and review of housing risk assessments; agreed landlord actions; urgent repairs and security work within our responsibility; referrals made; housing decisions and outcomes; repeat reports; complaints; safeguarding activity; customer feedback; and equality of access and outcomes.

Measures will be interpreted alongside case complexity, customer choice, partner dependencies and housing availability.

Reports will use aggregated or anonymised information and will not create unsafe records.

Managers will review delivery routinely, senior leaders will receive regular assurance, and the Executive Board will receive annual assurance on effectiveness, compliance, themes, material risks, capacity constraints and improvement actions.

Serious incidents, near misses, complaints, case audits and relevant domestic abuse-related reviews will be used for learning.

Victims, survivors and specialist services will help shape service improvement in ways that protect safety, choice and confidentiality.

Policy effectiveness will be reviewed annually and the formal policy review will take place every three years, or sooner following material legal or regulatory change, serious incident, significant learning or evidence that the policy is not achieving safe and equitable outcomes. Procedures, referral information and local contacts may be updated more frequently under delegated authority.

Legal framework

Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and statutory guidance.
Housing Acts 1985, 1988 and 1996, Homelessness Act 2002 and Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, as amended.
Family Law Act 1996, Protection from Harassment Act 1997, Serious Crime Act 2015 and Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Children Acts 1989 and 2004 and Care Act 2014.
Equality Act 2010 and Human Rights Act 1998.
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation.
Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.
The Regulator of Social Housing’s consumer standards and Code of Practice, including the Neighbourhood and Community, Safety and Quality, Tenancy, and Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standards.
The Housing Ombudsman’s statutory Complaint Handling Code.

We will keep this framework under review as law, regulation and recognised good practice develop. In line with the Neighbourhood and Community Standard, we’ll work co-operatively with agencies tackling domestic abuse and enable our customers to access appropriate advice and support. Our assurance will distinguish between actions delivered directly by us, actions
dependent on partners and outcomes affected by customer choice or housing availability.