Doncaster’s Domestic Violence Party was established in 1993. A multi agency representation from within the statutory and voluntary sector it set out to, and continues to, work to a formal constitution, which reflects its aims and working practice.

Principle officers and members of the Strategic Management Group are elected annually. The Domestic Violence Manager, currently the only full time employee, implements projects and initiatives undertaken on behalf of the Working Party.

The aims of the Working Party are:

• To establish and maintain a system of networking between agencies.
• To raise awareness and comment on domestic violence issues.
• To be pro-active in encouraging policy development regarding domestic violence.
• To offer support to those agencies working with survivors of domestic violence particularly women and children.

In recognising that the following principles are fundamental to achieving its aims the Working Party encourages agencies to develop policies in line with the following principles:

• Empowering victims to make informed choices about their lives.
• Inform victims about their rights and relevant services available to them.
• Maximise accessibility to services available to victims.
• Ensure consistency and quality of advice or support offered to victims.
• Ensure examples of good practice are promoted to the wider forum through the Working Party.
• Raise awareness of domestic violence within the wider public.
• Protect children and young people experiencing or at risk from domestic violence.
• Working with perpetrators to prevent them re-offending.
• To enhance the quality of support offered to victims seeking redress for domestic violence through the civil and criminal judicial system.
• To protect victims and their dependents from further abuse by a known perpetrator or by the inadequacy of system.

In 1998 the Working Party undertook the responsibility of reducing domestic violence across the Borough on behalf of the Doncaster Crime and Disorder Partnership. This required the Working Party to develop initiatives and policy to service the requirements of this new role in addition to the continued development of the Working Party.

 Remaining independent, the Working Party continues to be the most influential factor in determining policy and initiatives to support victims of domestic violence in Doncaster. It does this in its own right and through supporting the Safer Doncaster Partnership, Doncaster’s multi-agency approach to tackling crime and disorder.