New strategy highlights how partners will tackle domestic abuse across the county

The strategy has been developed in partnership with Nottinghamshire Domestic Abuse Partnership Board partners and with survivors and people with lived experience of domestic abuse.

The strategy sets out the local and national context, how domestic abuse affects individuals by sharing survivors’ experiences, and highlights the impact domestic abuse has on children, families and the wider community. It defines the local vision, the ambitions and guiding principles for addressing domestic abuse in Nottinghamshire and focuses on prevention and early intervention, pursuing the perpetrators of abuse, and providing crucial support for victims and survivors.

Information from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Nottinghamshire Safe Accommodation Needs Assessment and the mapping of services for children has enabled partners to understand the needs of survivors of domestic abuse across the city and the county. This has helped to establish the issues that need to be addressed, and the action needed.

The strategy lists its four ambitions as:

• prevention

• supporting

• responding

• strengthening the system.

Each of the ambitions will be addressed by the partners working together in a coordinated community response – a recognised best-practice approach - to tackling domestic abuse and violence against women and girls. It brings partners together to deliver a whole system response, putting survivors and their children at the centre of the work taking place. Partners work effectively within their own agency and with other agencies to secure the safety of survivors and hold perpetrators to account.

Councillor Dawn Justice, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council said:

“Domestic abuse is devastating to everyone involved and we are committed to addressing the issue head on and making Nottinghamshire a safe place for everybody. We have listened to survivors of domestic abuse, and their experiences have helped to shape this strategy, so that it is meaningful and effective.

“Partners have worked extremely hard to support victims, survivors and their children, as well as introducing effective programmes that tackle the perpetrators of abuse. The strategy also includes a strong focus on prevention, which highlights the need to provide support and education for children and young people, exploring with them what healthy relationships look like.

“Across Nottinghamshire we will continue to work together to minimise the risk of and the harm from domestic abuse, ensuring that those affected by domestic abuse get the right support as early as possible. I want to stress that support is available for everyone who needs it. Visit our website for support or help.”

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire Angela Kandola, who is also Chair of Nottinghamshire Domestic Abuse Partnership Board, said:

“The impact of domestic abuse is so wide-reaching and harmful to families and wider communities that it must be treated as a critical issue for society as a whole.

“By bringing partners together and having a trauma-informed approach that is shaped by survivors, this strategy ensures there is a clear focus across the county on how we can all work together to prevent domestic abuse, support the needs of survivors and tackle perpetrators.

“Together we want to ensure that the difficult subject of domestic abuse is brought out in the open so there is no place to hide for perpetrators and that people can be confident that help is always at hand if they need it.”

The Nottinghamshire Domestic Violence Strategy 2026–2029 was approved by Cabinet (23 April 2026) and is published on the Nottinghamshire Insight website.