HUNDREDS of staff at the Department for Work and Pensions across the UK are currently undergoing specialist training from a women’s charity to spot signs of domestic abuse and signpost support available in the local area.

Customer Service Managers within Jobcentres in North and Mid Wales, however, are leading the way having received this awareness training earlier in the year from Women’s Aid, a domestic abuse organisation.

The aim of this programme is to train staff at jobcentres across the country to identify and support the needs of anyone experiencing domestic abuse and will work closely with local services to share knowledge and signpost women to where additional support is available.

It is hoped that every jobcentre in the UK will have a dedicated domestic abuse point of contact trained by Women’s Aid at the end of August.

This news comes in the same week that the Domestic Abuse Bill received its First Reading in the House of Commons.

Currently around 60 per cent of Universal Credit payments go to women within joint claims. But, recognising that women experiencing domestic abuse may also be victims of financial coercion, the Department for Work and Pensions want to do more to ensure benefit payments are directed to the primary carer of children in a household.

There are also a range of measures designed to provide assistance and support to survivors of domestic abuse including benefit easements and advance payments, as well as maintaining close links with local supported accommodation provision.

Katie Goodwin, an employer and partnership manager covering Flintshire and Denbighshire, said: “We actively promote the Welsh Government’s ‘Live Fear Free’ helpline and we have given the helpline local Jobcentre contacts so that benefit enquiries can be dealt with promptly for survivors.

Katie also explained what is happening locally as a result of this training and that, in Shotton, one of our Work Coaches partners closely with Domestic Abuse Safety Unit (DASU) and works out of their office half a day each week. This has really helped to build trust and form great local relationships.

It was also said that, in Rhyl, the Jobcentre has a member of the Local Authority’s Homelessness team co-located in the base 5 days per week and is intended to help resolve any housing queries promptly for survivors of domestic abuse.

She added: “From our perspective, we never know when a disclosure about Domestic Violence might be made so we have put these steps in place so that we are ready to help when needed. The DWP have locally delivered Universal Credit training to Domestic Abuse organisations including Women’s Aid. The intention of this is to make them aware of the support that we can provide.”

The domestic abuse point of contact role compliments the ongoing work taking place to support vulnerable benefit claimants. However, all Jobcentre and Service Centre staff will have access to local information about services to support survivors of domestic abuse.

Jacqui Kilburn, manager of the National Training Centre at Women’s Aid, said: “Women’s Aid has welcomed the opportunity to deliver training to DWP, ensuring approximately 600 Jobcentre Plus staff understand the devastating nature and harm caused by domestic - including economic - abuse. We now look forward to working with the Secretary of State to ensure every frontline work coach is trained to deliver the right response to survivors, and secure a welfare system that supports women and children experiencing domestic abuse.”