Domestic abuse support

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Domestic abuse can happen to anybody regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, belief or sexual orientation. Domestic abuse affects children too.

Domestic abuse can take many forms of physical, mental, emotional and sexual violence and includes:

• being beaten
• being attacked with a weapon
• being locked in your home
• being denied access to money
• being prevented from seeing friends
• threats of physical or sexual abuse

Types of domestic abuse (PDF, 123 KB)

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you can get help to make it stop. Support is available from a number of places.

Change Grow Live is the domestic abuse service for East Sussex. The service offers support to anyone aged16+ who has been affected by domestic abuse or violence.

Change Grow Live - the Domestic Abuse Service for East Sussex 

Domestic Abuse Support Organisations (PDF, 173 KB)

I need to flee my home

If you are a council tenant and need to flee your home, contact Lewes District Council on 01273 471600or Eastbourne Borough Council on 01323 410000 (Option 9) and ask to speak to your Housing Officer who will be able to support and advise you on matters relating to your tenancy.  

If you are privately renting or own your own property, please call the same numbers above (Option 7) and ask to speak to the Housing Options and Wellbeing Team.

An officer can talk to you about your housing needs and may be able to assist you to find alternative accommodation if appropriate.

Please also use the numbers above if contacting us outside of normal office hours Monday to Friday: 8.30am until 5pm)

Getting help

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse and/or violence from a family member, there are a variety of places that you can get advice.

If you are a woman fleeing domestic abuse, we may be able to help you find accommodation at a women's refuge. You can also find a place yourself through the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.

We have produced the fact sheet below that provides information about how to get help if you need support, and the housing options available to you.

The Portal provides information on services available for women, men, girls and boys in Brighton and Hove and East Sussex.

Further information is available at Domestic abuse: how to get help - GOV.UK

Anonymous voter registration

If you are registered to vote anonymously, your name and address will not appear on the electoral register, and you will not be included on any registration forms sent to your address. Your electoral registration office will contact you separately. You will still be able to vote.  Anonymous registrations last for one year.
Anonymous Registration Application (PDF, 202 KB)
Anonymous registration - Supporting survivors of domestic abuse to register to vote (PDF, 111 KB)

Refuges

The National Refuge Helpline is a free, confidential 24 hours helpline that manages vacancies for all refuges in East Sussex.

Sanctuary Scheme, staying safe in your own home

The Sanctuary scheme aims to make it possible for victims to remain in their homes and feel safe and provides an alternative to relocation away from family and friends, vital support networks and key services. This is done through the installation of enhanced security measures in a victim's property.

Our Sanctuary Scheme works are completed via our partners at Safe Partnership www.safepartnership.org/what-to-expect

To qualify for this scheme, you must meet the following criteria:

• resident within the boundary of Eastbourne Borough Council or Lewes District Council and the victim of domestic abuse, physical violence or hate crime
• own or rent your home; however, where the victim is renting a property, the landlord's written consent for the work to be carried out is needed
• where the perpetrator of the violence does not live in the home
• clients where the council is satisfied that the victim is threatened with homelessness due to domestic violence or hate crime
• clients wishing to remain in their home who understand the implications of doing so and do not allow the perpetrator back into the property

A referral can be made by a statutory or voluntary agency, the victim or a friend or family member on their behalf. All referrals will go to our Homes First team to check that the client is eligible for the scheme.

To make a referral to the Sanctuary Housing Scheme in Lewes or Eastbourne, please complete the Sanctuary Referral Form below.

Are you a Perpetrator of Domestic Abuse?

Abuse in a relationship is when you try to control someone, hurt them or force them to do things they don't want to.

This can be done in many ways and isn't always overt or obvious.

• Are you jealous? Do you constantly need to know where your partner is?
• Does it make you angry when they want to spend time with friends or family?
• Do you have strong opinions about what they wear or who they see?
• Do you call them names and put them down?
• Have you ever threatened to hurt yourself if they say they want to leave the relationship?
• Do you text them excessively?
• Do you monitor their calls and emails?
• Does drinking or drug use trigger any negative behaviour towards them?
• Do you ever use force in an argument - including using your physical presence to intimidate?
• Do you think they are responsible or your problems or feelings?
• Do you force them to do anything they don't want to?

If you display any of these behaviours you are causing pain to the people you love.

Choose to stop.

respectphoneline.org.uk

Respect are an organisation that works with perpetrators of DA and provide help for perpetrators, they can support you to become safe around your partner and children.

If you're worried about your behaviour you can contact Respect's confidential helpline offering advice, which offers information and support to help you stop being violent and abusive to your partner. Call freephone 0808 802 4040 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

Respect offer other resource: Resources for perpetrators Archives - Respect Phoneline

Homes First Domestic Abuse Policy and Corporate Statement

We now have a dedicated Domestic Abuse Policy for Homes First. This Policy covers our support as a landlord and to those presenting as homeless because of domestic abuse. It creates a framework of the support that you can expect from Eastbourne and Lewes Councils should you or someone you know be experiencing domestic abuse.

Homes First Domestic Abuse Policy (PDF, 229 KB)

In January 2024, Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council published a corporate statement that set out the councils' stand on all potential domestic abuse risks related to its business and to put in place steps aimed at ensuring that we are improving our knowledge and response to domestic abuse to ensure the best possible outcomes for victims/survivors.

Domestic Abuse Corporate Statement - LDC and EBC (PDF, 242 KB)