Anthony Duerden, CEO of The Calico Group and White Ribbon ambassador, will be speaking at the 6th Annual Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Forum this October.
The Calico Group is the first Housing Association in the North West to have received a prestigious Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) accreditation for effective work against domestic abuse. They continue to surpass the standard set, with initiatives such as offering 10 days paid leave to all staff who are living with domestic abuse and compulsory training for staff to be able to support and signpost customers.
Anthony, who openly shares his strong stance on domestic abuse issues, will be talking about the Group’s journey throughout the DAHA assessment and how to demonstrate effectiveness on the eight key standards required to achieve the accreditation.
He will also be discussing the partnership working with SafeNet Domestic Abuse Support Services, a part of The Calico Group, and White Ribbon which has helped to build knowledge amongst staff on how to tackle and prevent domestic abuse as a housing association.
The event will take place on 14 October and be held virtually this year due to social distancing restrictions. The forum will provide attendees the opportunity to discuss and learn about the latest developments in tackling the multitude of violent crimes committed against women and girls, while dealing with the rise in domestic abuse through the COVID-19 lockdown period.
Key speakers include:
- Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner
- Claire Waxman, Victims Commissioner, Greater London Authority and Founder, Voices for Victims and Author, Victims’ Rights Bill
- Nicki Norman, Acting CEO at Women’s Aid
- Gudrun Burnet, CEO at DAHA, Standing Together Against Domestic Violence
- Jess Southgate, CEO at Agenda: Alliance for Women and Girls at Risk
- Unmesh Desai, Chair, Police and Crime Committee, The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)
Anthony says, “We are proud to have received our DAHA-accreditation and are looking forward to sharing what we learned along the way with those attending the forum. As a Group, our commitment to the prevention of domestic abuse is one that we take incredibly seriously.
“From bespoke staff training to offering our staff paid leave, we are always finding new ways to work. This includes offering practical support and housing advice, helping customers access refuge provisions and working closely with other local authorities, the Police and agencies.
“During lockdown, we opened a new domestic abuse refuge in Lancaster to provide temporary accommodation and support even more people in the North West. Alongside Jane’s Place, this is our second refuge which supports women with complex needs, and we will soon be sharing details on two new male facilities opening this year.”
You can find out more about the 6th Annual VAWG Forum here: https://insidegovernment.co.uk/event/annual-vawg-forum/
