Domestic Abuse

If you’re experiencing, or have experienced domestic abuse, Livv is here to help.

Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home, so we’re here to provide care, compassion, and urgent action if you report domestic abuse to us. Our Community Safety Team put you in control of the actions we take to help you.

We will work with you in a way that suits you, prioritising your safety, privacy and confidentiality every step of the way. If we don’t have all the answers, we’ll work with partner organisations to give you access to specialist services that can help you move towards a safer future.

What is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse is not just physical violence, it can be:

Emotional or psychological abuse, e.g. bullying
Financial abuse, e.g. not letting you access money
Controlling or coercive behaviour, e.g. not letting you go out and see friends and family
Sexual abuse
Violence or threatening behaviour

If you think you might be experiencing, or have experienced any type of domestic abuse, we want you to contact us so we can help to keep you safe and well. If you think you’re in danger, always call 999.

For more information about how we can support you with domestic abuse, click here.

How we’ll help

When you ask for support, we will:

Have the Community Safety Team speak to you within one working day – your privacy and safety are most important to us, so we will only contact you at a time and in a way that is safe to do so, as chosen by you
Arrange to meet in a safe location away from your home – you can choose to meet with a colleague of the same gender if you prefer
Agree how we will stay in touch – including how and when to contact you
Complete a confidential risk assessment based on what you want to tell us – we will always listen and believe you
Create an action plan with you – agreeing next steps together
Provide support that’s right for you – with your consent, this may include referrals to our trusted partners for specialist support, such as help with safety planning, housing advice and legal action where needed.
Make a safeguarding referral – If vulnerable adults or children are at risk of harm.

We will only consider closing your case if:

We’ve agreed together that the right support is in place and your needs have been met
We haven’t been able to reach you after three attempts and have taken additional steps to ensure you’re safe before making a decision about your case.

More support

Bright Sky is a free app to support those experiencing domestic abuse, as well as concerned friends and family.

The secure app can help you:

Spot the signs of abuse
Note down evidence of abuse
Understand what abuse is
Access specialist services
Find a safe route to support or get help in an emergency. Visit the Hestia website to download the app and learn how to keep yourself safe while using it.

There are also dedicated agencies that can offer you support and advice, including:

National Domestic Abuse helpline
0808 2000 247 (24 hour)

The First Step
0151 548 3333

Men’s Advice Line
0808 801 0327

RASA Merseyside (Rape and Sexual Assault Advice)
0151 666 1392

PALADIN National Stalking Advocacy Service
0203 866 4107

LGBT Foundation
0345 330 30 30

Galop LGBT+Anti-Violence Charity
0800 999 54 28