Domestic abuse survivors urge Thames Valley Police colleagues to come forward if affected
Women in the force are using their own experiences to help other officers and staff
A group of domestic abuse survivors working at Thames Valley Police are encouraging any of their colleagues with similar experiences to reach out for help.
The women say their own experiences of struggling to find support have driven them to create the Empower group, which is now beginning regular meetings for colleagues within the force.
The group is being run by the survivors of domestic abuse, who want to provide a place where colleagues can talk to people who understand what they have been through.
Alison Blood, one of the founders, said she found it difficult to speak out about her own experience while working for the police.
She eventually told her sergeant, but said the process left her feeling "isolated and lonely".
"I didn't find there was much support sort of internally with any support group or sort of anything like that," she said.
Alison said she also found trying to find external support online overwhelming, which helped motivate her to set up something specifically for police colleagues.
She said the group wants to make it easier for people to take that first step.
"We just want people to be able to sort of speak up and feel that they're believed."
Drawing on their own experiences
The women say having lived through domestic abuse themselves is central to the support they can offer.
PC Skye Feasey said it can be difficult for someone who has not experienced abuse to fully understand where a victim is in their journey.
"As victim survivors ourselves, we're able to relate a bit more," she said.
She said the group aims to use those experiences positively to help others.
"We're hoping that we can use that understanding and something that was a quite horrible thing to go through for good and to help other people," she said.
The group is initially focused on Thames Valley Police staff and officers, with members saying it can be particularly difficult for people working within the police to seek support from services they would normally signpost members of the public towards.
Monthly support meetings
Empower will meet once a month in person, with sessions lasting around two hours.
The meetings will combine informal peer support with practical information and guest speakers.
The first session will include representatives from Hope After Harm, a specialist domestic abuse service which works alongside the group.
Future sessions could cover subjects including family law, the court process, non-molestation orders, trauma and supporting children.
Alison said the meetings are not intended to be counselling sessions, but will give colleagues somewhere to talk, ask questions and be directed towards appropriate services.
The lasting impact of domestic abuse
Jacquie Collins, another member of the group, said the effects of domestic abuse can continue long after someone has left an abusive relationship.
"Normal isn't what happens after domestic abuse," she said.
"You learn to live with what has happened and you learn to live around what has happened."
She said survivors can struggle with everyday decisions after experiencing abuse and may have to repeatedly explain their experiences when accessing other services.
Jacquie also highlighted the ongoing impact of stalking, being followed and having emails or other communications monitored.
She said there are "so much more" complexities to dealing with life after domestic abuse that people who have not experienced it may not understand.
Hopes to grow their presence
The founders want Empower to become a recognised source of support for colleagues across Thames Valley Police.
Skye said she wants people to feel able to approach the group whether they have a personal experience of domestic abuse or need professional advice.
"I'd like us to be very much kind of cemented as that central hub that people can go to," she said.
"They know who we are and they know that we will get them the answer that they need."
Jacquie said the group is also looking at internal events where it can raise awareness and support colleagues.
The women behind Empower say their central message to anyone experiencing domestic abuse is that they should not feel responsible for what is happening to them.
Jacquie said: "You shouldn't be judged. It isn't your fault."
She added that having somewhere to turn can help people see that there is hope for them.
"There is a life out there that isn't abuse because everybody deserves to live without that control and that abuse," she said.