Housing Strategy

The Council takes a zero tolerance approach towards domestic abuse and violence and our Housing Service puts victims and survivors at the heart of its response to identify, support and protect against domestic abuse. Our Domestic Abuse Strategy 2024-2027 sets out how exactly we will do this.

The four main priorities for the Strategy are:

• To protect victims from future harm and ensure the right support is available
• To work with local agencies to provide a co-ordinated response when supporting victims and survivors
• To ensure that Council Housing Service staff receive appropriate training, and to raise awareness of domestic abuse
• To achieve Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) accreditation by 2026

The Strategy recognises the importance of working in partnership with various agencies to tackle domestic abuse. Some of the partnership working includes:

• Hosting a weekly One Stop Shop at Dartford Borough Council’s Civic Centre which offers free advice, information and support from a range of agencies
• Attending Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) meetings where agencies discuss high risk domestic abuse cases and together develop a safety plan for the victim or survivor and his or her children
• Being part of the North Kent Domestic Abuse Forum that brings together voluntary and statutory agencies with the aim of strengthening partnership working, information sharing and co-ordinated service provision in response to domestic abuse
• Working with Kent County Council (KCC) to ensure the availability of specialist support services such as refuge or temporary accommodation
• Leading a Dartford Homelessness Forum that enables partners to come together to tackle homelessness, including where homelessness is caused as a result of domestic abuse

The Council also gives priority to housing applicants who are/have fled domestic abuse in its Housing Allocations Policy.