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#SafeAtHome

Everyone has the right to be safe in their own home

What if home was a place of fear, not a place of safety?

That is the reality for the estimated 1.9 million adults who experience domestic abuse every year in the UK. 

We know that some victims need to leave their homes, accomodation-based services are a vital aspect of domestic abuse provision. However, of those receiving support for domestic abuse, only around 20% access a refuge. There is one person that is making home a place of fear: the perpetrator. So why do we expect the victim to leave their home and community? There is a clear need to support people to stay safely in their own homes. 

We need to stop asking "why doesn't she leave?" and start asking "why doesn't he stop?". Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (Idvas) and other specialist support workers based in the community play a crucial role in this process.

That's why we asked every candidate in the general election to sign our pledge, and fight for their local Idvas. See who signed.

What is an Idva?

An Idva is a specialist professional who works with a victim of domestic abuse to develop a trusting relationship. They can help a victim with everything they need to become safe and rebuild their life, and represent their voice at a Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (Marac), as well as helping them to navigate the criminal justice process and working with the different statutory agencies to provide wraparound support. 

The impact of an Idva

Following support from an Idva service, at the closure of their cases:

• Nearly 60% of victims reported cessation of abuse

• 84% of victims reported feeling safer

• 81% of victims felt their quality of life had improved

The Pledge

Two out of three Idva services tell us they don't have access to sustainable funding. Idvas are overworked, undervalued and underfunded. If we're going to keep more people safe at home, this has to change. 

We called on every parliamentary candidate to sign our pledge and fight for the Idva services in their area. We asked them to sign a copy of our pledge card, and show their support by sharing a photo.

In Scotland, this type of support is provided by an Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate (Idaa). We asked candidates in Scotland to sign our Idaa pledge.

Take action

  • Spread the word on social media: use the hashtag #SafeAtHome
  • Tweet your MP and ask them to sign the pledge. 

Tweets about #SafeAtHome

Flick through the slideshow to see the pledges we've received on Twitter

No one should live in fear. Domestic abuse is not acceptable, not inevitable – and together, we can make it stop.

See who's signed the pledge

Aaron McIntyre - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Lagan Valley

Abi Ajoku - Christian People's Alliance, Blackley and Broughton

Adam King - Green Party, Oldham West and Royton

Adam Van Coevorden - Green Party, Cheltenham

Ade Adeyemo - Liberal Democrats, Solihull

Adrian Holmes - Green Party, Norwich North

Adrian Tett - Liberal Democrats, Ipswich

Aisha Mir - Liberal Democrats, Edinburgh South West

Alan Bullion - Liberal Democrats, Sevenoaks

Alan Harvey Stone - UKIP, Basingstoke

Alan Hilliar - Liberal Democrats, Aldershot

Alex Sobel - Labour and Co-Operative Party, Leeds North West

Allen Cowles - UKIP, Rotherham

Allen Simpson - Labour Party, Maidstone and The Weald

Amanda Hopgood - Liberal Democrats, City of Durham

Andrea Cantrill - Green Party, Wolverhampton South West

Andrea Jenkyns - Conservative Party, Morley and Outwood

Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne - Liberal Democrats, South Suffolk

Andrew Garcarz - UKIP, Solihull

Andrew Johns - Green Party, Walthamstow

Andrew Hollyer - Liberal Democrats, Derbyshire Dales

Andrew Selous - Conservative Party, South West Bedfordshire

Andrew Simpson - Liberal Democrats, Daventry

Andy Brown - Green Party, Skipton and Ripon

Andy Croy - Labour Party, Wokingham

Andy McDonald - Labour Party, Middlesborough

Andy Merryfield - Labour Party, Wells

Andy Newman - Labour Party, Chippenham

Andy Thomas - Labour Party, Harborough

Angela Crawley - SNP, Lanark and Hamilton East

Angie Smith - Labour Party, Wealden

Ann Clwyd - Labour Party, Cynon Valley

Anna Coda - Labour Party, Hereford and South Herefordshire

Anna Tarrant - Liberal Democrats, Reigate

Arran Rangi - Green Party, Ashfield

Ashley Dalton - Labour, Rochford and Southend East

Bally Singh - Labour Party, Kenilworth and Southam

Becca Thackray - Green Party, Grantham and Stamford

Becky Thomas - Liberal Democrats, Sherwood

Ben Bradshaw - Labour Party, Exeter

Benali Hamdache - Green Party, Islington South and Finsbury

Beth Miller - Labour Party, Corby

Bethan Lant - Green Party, Poplar and Limehouse

Bikatshi Katenga - The Yorkshire Party, Huddersfield

Bill Cashmore - Green Party, Chelsea and Fulham

Brig Oubridge - Green Party, Salisbury

Cait Clucas - Liberal Democrats, Tewkesbury

Camilla Beaven - Labour Party, Vale of Glamorgan

Cara Hilton - Labour Party, Dunfermline and West Fife

Caroline Fife - Labour Party, Arundel and South Downs

Caroline Hynds - Liberal Democrats, Hove

Caroline Lucas - Green Party, Brighton Pavillion

Caroline Nokes - Conservative Party, Romsey and Southampton North

Caroline Russell - Green Party, Islington North

Carolyn Harris - Labour Party, Swansea East

Cate Cody - Green Party, Tewkesbury

Cate Tuitt - Labour Party, Richmond Park

Catherine Rowett - Green Party, South Norfolk

Catherine Shelley - Green Party, Croydon South

Charles Barraball - Green Party, Wimbledon

Charles Dundas - Liberal Democrats, Livingston

Charles Lawley - Liberal Democrats, High Peak

Charlotte Armstrong - Green Party, Ipswich

Charlynne Pullen - Labour Party, Milton Keynes North

Chas Spradbery - Green Party, North East Hampshire

Cheryl Gillan - Conservative Party, Chesham and Amersham

Chris Foote-Wood - Liberal Democrats, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

Chris Jones - Labour Party, Norwich North

Chris Lofts - Liberal Democrats, South Northamptonshire

Chris Ostrowski - Labour Party, Watford

Chris Southall - Green Party, Clacton

Christopher Garghan - Green Party, Birmingham Yardley

Christopher Walford - Green Party, South West Wiltshire

Christopher Wilford - Conservative Party, Poplar and Limehouse

Claire Lasko - Green Party, Whitney

Claire Wright - Independent, East Devon

Claire Young - Liberal Democrats, Thornbury and Yate

Clarke Roberts - Liberal Democrats, Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford

Dan Greef - Labour Party, South Cambridgeshire

Daniel Zeichner - Labour Party, Cambridge

Dave Crowther - Liberal Democrats, Crewe and Nantwich

David Davies - Conservative Party, Monmouth

Dave Naghi - Liberal Democrats, Faversham and Mid Kent

David Dews - UKIP, Hemsworth

David Drew - Labour and Co-Operative Party, Stroud

David Harrison - Liberal Democrats, New Forest East

David Hodgson - UKIP, Middlesbrough

David Hughes - UKIP, Bournemouth East

David Kesteven - Green Party, North East Derbyshire

David Nagle - Labour Party, Elmet and Rothwell

David Omamogho - Christian People's Alliance, Croydon South

Debbie Caplin - UKIP, Wallasey

Della Reynolds - Independent, Esher and Walton

Diana Johnson - Labour Party, Kingston upon Hull North

Diana Warner - Green Party, Filton and Bradley Stoke

Dinah Keal - Liberal Democrats, Thirsk and Malton

Dinah Mulholland - Labour Party, Ceredigion

Don Davies - Independent, North Somerset

Don Jerrard - Justice and Anti-Corruption Party, Romsey and Southampton North

Doug Lawson - Green Party, Penrith and The Border

Doug Swanney - Labour Party, North East Hertfordshire

Ed Carlisle - Green Party, Leeds Central

Elaine Bagshaw - Liberal Democrats, Poplar and Limehouse

Elcena Jeffers - Independent, Brent North

Eleanor Bell - Liberal Democrats, Southampton, Itchen

Elizabeth Hughes - Labour Party, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

Ellie Chowns - Green Party, North Herefordshire

Emma Bishton - Labour Party, South Suffolk

Emily Frith - Liberal Democrats, Lewisham East

Emily Tester - Liberal Democrats, Brighton Kemptown, Saltdean, and Peacehaven

Eric Broadbent - Labour Party, Scarborough and Whitby

Faith Miracle Fisher - Christian People's Alliance, South Thanet

Fiona Hall - Liberal Democrats, Hexham

Fiona Radic - Green Party, Peterborough

Fred Grindrod - Labour Party, Mid Worcestershire

Gareth Barrett - Labour Party, Brentwood and Ongar

Garth Harkness - Liberal Democrats, Oldham West and Royton

Gary Lawson - Green Party, Stockport

Geoff Seef - Liberal Democrats, Harlow

Geoff Williams - Liberal Democrats, Camborne and Redruth

Geoffrey Bernard Bastin - UKIP, Bexhill and Battle

Gerald Hartley - Green Party, Gloucester

Geraldine Coggins - Green Party, Altrincham and Sale West

Gill Westcott - Green Party, Tiverton and Honiton

Gordon Marsden - Labour Party, Blackpool South

Graham Bliss - Green Party, Rugby

Graham Brady - Conservative Party, Altrincham and Sale West

Graham Eardley - UKIP, Wolverhampton North East

Greg Stone - Liberal Democrats, North Tyneside

Harini Iyengar - Women's Equality Party, Vauxhall 

Harriet Harman - Labour Party, Camberwell and Peckham

Hazel Thorpe - Liberal Democrats, Worthing West

Heather Barrie - Green Party, Chichester

Heather Wheeler - Conservative Party, South Derbyshire

Helen Belcher - Liberal Democrats, Chippenham

Helen McFarlane - Labour Party, Airdrie and Shotts

Helen Spiby-Vann - Christian People's Alliance, Hornsey and Wood Green

Helena Windsor - UKIP, East Surrey

Henrietta Bewley - Liberal Democrats, Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport

Henry Vann - Liberal Democrats, Bedford

Howling Laud Hope - Official Monster Raving Loony Party, Maidenhead

Huw Merriman - Conservative Party, Bexhill and Battle

Hywel Williams - Plaid Cymru, Arfon

Iain Simpson - Labour Party, Broadland

Ian Chandler - Green Party, Monmouth

Ian McCargo - Labour and Co-operative Party, Pudsey

Ian Middleton - Green Party, Banbury

Ibrahim Dogus - Labour Party, Cities of London and Westminster

Iris White - Christian People's Alliance, North Thanet

Ivan Lewis - Labour Party, Bury South

Jaimes Moran - Green Party, Leeds East

James Calder - Liberal Democrats, Dunfermline and West Fife

James Davies - Conservative Party, Vale of Clwyd

James Smith - Something New, Horsham

Jamie Christian Scott - Liberal Democrats, Halesowen and Rowley Regis

Jamie Paul Wildman - Green Party, Daventry

Jan Ross - Labour Party, East Devon

Jane Brophy - Liberal Democrats, Altrincham and Sale West

Janet Richards - Green Party, New Forest West

Jason Halsey - Pirate Party UK, Bournemouth West

Jason Pilley - Independent, Southend West

Jason Winstanley - Pirate Party UK, Gower

Jayne Clough - Green Party, Birkenhead

Jayne Kirkham - Labour Party, Truro and Falmouth

Jeffrey Donaldson - DUP, Lagan Valley

Jeremy Lefroy - Conservative Party, Stafford

Jerry Roodhouse - Liberal Democrats, Rugby

Jill Hope - Liberal Democrats, Northampton South

Jo Platt - Labour and Co-operative Party, Leigh

Joan Ryan - Labour Party, Enfield North

Jodian Rodgers - Money Free Party, Bristol West

Joe Levy - Green Party, Exeter

Joe Naitta - Liberal Democrats, Derby South

Joe Richards - Liberal Democrats, Hackney North and Stoke Newington

John Boadu - Christian People's Alliance, Croydon Central

John Cryer - Labour Party, Leyton and Wanstead

John Leech - Liberal Democrats, Manchester, Withington

John Otley - The Yorkshire Party, Leeds East

John Woodcock - Labour and Co-operative Party, Barrow and Furness

Jon Ashworth - Labour and Co-operative Party, Leicester South

Jonathan Essex - Green Party, Reigate

Jonathan Fryer - Liberal Democrats, Dagenham and Rainham

Jonathan Hornett - Green Party, Wellingborough

Julia Brown - Green Party, Kingston upon Hull East

Julia Cambridge - Liberal Democrats, South Holland and The Deepings

Julian Critchley - Labour Party, Isle of Wight

Julian Huppert - Liberal Democrats, Cambridge

Julian Ware-Lane - Labour Party, Southend West

Julie Hilling - Labour Party, Bolton West

Kalvin Chapman - UKIP, Manchester Central

Karen Roberts - Liberal Democrats, Rhondda

Karen Wheller - Green Party, Lewisham West and Penge

Karen Wilkinson - Liberal Democrats, Kingswood

Kate Hoey - Labour Party, Vauxhall

Kate Smith - Liberal Democrats, Amber Valley

Katherine Dunne - Labour Party, Twickenham

Kerry McCarthy - Labour Party, Bristol East

Kim Parkinson - UKIP, Doncaster North

Kirstein Rummery - Women's Equality Party, Stirling

Kirsten Johnson - Liberal Democrats, Oxford East

Kirsty Jones - Green Party, Nottingham North

Kizzi Johannessen - Green Party, Reading East

Lana Hylands - Labour Party, Esher and Walton

Larry Sanders - Green Party, Oxford East

Laura Bannister - Green Party, Manchester, Withington

Laura Collins - Green Party, Mitcham and Morden

Laura Coyle - Liberal Democrats, Henley

Laura Davison - Labour Party, Folkestone and Hythe

Lee Rhodes - Labour Party, West Dorset

Leonard Amos - UKIP, Bracknell

Leslie Groves Williams - Green Party, East Worthing and Shoreham

Lewis Sturrock - Something New, Ross, Skye and Lochaber

Lily Clough - Green Party, Wallasey

Lisa French - Liberal Democrats, Mid Bedfordshire

Lisa Smart - Liberal Democrats, Hazel Grove

Lois Davis - Green Party, Battersea

Loraine Birchall - Liberal Democrats, Barrow and Furness

Lorna Howe - UKIP, Saffron Walden

Louise Irvine - National Health Action Party, South West Surrey

Lucy Bywater - Green Party, Bedford

Lyndsay McAteer - Green Party, Warrington North

Madeleine Moon - Labour Party, Bridgend

Marc Green - Labour Party, Mole Valley

Margaret Ritchie - SDLP, South Down

Margot James - Conservative Party, Stourbridge

Maria Caulfield - Conservative Party, Lewes

Mark Garnier - Conservative Party, Wyre Forest

Mark Hooper - Plaid Cymru, Cardiff Central

Mark Keir - Green Party, Uxbridge and South Ruislip

Mark Lindop - Green Party, Sittingbourne and Sheppey

Marie Chadwick - Liberal Democrats, Newton Abbot

Martin Paul Costello - UKIP, South Swindon

Martin Power - UKIP, Blackley and Broughton

Martin Whitfield - Labour Party, East Lothian

Martyn Day - SNP, Linlithgow and East Falkirk

Mary Morgan - Green Party, South Leicestershire

Matt Western - Labour, Warwick and Leamington

Matt Wright - Conservative Party, Delyn

Matthew Hancock - Conservative Party, West Suffolk

Melissa Wilson - Green Party, Sedgefield

Michael Desmond - Labour Party, Faversham and Mid Kent

Michael Thompson - Labour Party, Bromsgrove

Michael Wyatt - Liberal Democrats, North West Leicestershire

Mike Freer - Conservative Party, Finchley and Golders Green

Mick Gregg - Green Party, Bosworth

Mike Katz - Labour Party, Hendon

Mike Plummer - Liberal Democrats, Poole

Mike Powell - Liberal Democrats, Pontypridd

Mike Smith-Clare - Labour Party, Great Yarmouth

Molly Scott Cato - Green Party, Bristol West

Morwen Millson - Liberal Democrats, Horsham

Naomi Rylatt - Labour Party, Filton and Bradley Stoke

Natalie Bennett - Green Party, Sheffield Central

Neil Blackburn - Pirate Party UK, Manchester Central

Neil Carmichael - Conservative Party, Stroud

Neil Dawson - Labour and Co-operative Party, Morley and Outwood

Neil Puttick - Labour Party, Macclesfield

Neil Taylor - The Liberal Party, Altrincham and Sale West

Nick Yeomans - Independent, Brighton, Pavilion

Nicky Shepard - Liberal Democrats, North East Hertfordshire

Nigel Dodds - Democratic Unionist Party, Belfast North 

Nigel Hennerley - Green Party, Tatton

Nik Johnson - Labour Party, Huntingdon

Nina Dluzewska - Labour Party, Chesham and Amersham

Olivia Bell - Labour Party, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross

Oliva Heald - Conservative Party, North East Hertfordshire

Patrick Canavan - Labour Party, Christchurch

Patrick Cox - Green Party, Birmingham, Hall Green

Patsy King - Labour Party, Edinburgh East

Paul Bullen - UKIP, Huntingdon

Paul de Hoest - Green Party, South West Hertfordshire

Paul Jacobs - Green Party, Spelthorne

Paul Ray - Liberal Democrats, Lichfield

Paul Rowlinson - Plaid Cymru, Delyn

Penny Mordaunt - Conservative Party, Portsmouth North

Peter Aldous - Conservative Party, Waveney

Peter Baldrey - Labour Party, North Wiltshire

Peter Hirst - Liberal Democrats, Congleton

Peter Shearman - Labour Party, Windsor

Peter Smith - Labour Party, South West Norfolk

Peter Thomson - Green Party, Newcastle upon Tyne Central

Phélim Mac Cafferty - Green Party, Hove

Rachel Parkinson - Green Party, St Helens North

Rachel Sadler - Liberal Democrats, Tunbridge Wells

Rebecca Connick - Green Party, Gedling

Rebecca Forrest - Liberal Democrats, Bolton West

Rebecca Lury - Labour Party, Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner

Richard Bradley - Green Party, Houghton and Sunderland South

Richard Chaloner - Green Party, Montgomeryshire

Richard Graham - Conservative Party, Gloucester

Richard Hadwin - Independent, Somerton and Frome

Richard Knight - Green Party, East Hampshire

Richard Mallender - Green Party, Rushcliffe

Ritchie Cunningham - Liberal Democrats, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey

Rob Pocock - Labour Party, Sutton Coldfield

Robina Barton - Labour Party, Orkney and Shetland

Roger Godsiff - Labour Party, Birmingham, Hall Green

Roger Mullin - SNP, Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath

Ros Brown - Green Party, Keighley

Rosalind Garton - Labour Party, North East Fife

Rose Doman - Christian People's Alliance, Stretford and Urmston

Rosemary Warrington - Green Party, Ilford South

Rosina Robson - Liberal Democrats, Uxbridge and South Ruislip

Ross Shipman - Liberal Democrats, Bolsover

Royston Smith - Conservative Party, Southampton, Itchen

Rupa Huq - Labour Party, Ealing

Ryan Bate - Liberal Democrats, Halton

Sabrina Poole - Green Party, The Cotswolds

Sally Keeble - Labour Party, Northampton North

Sally Pattle - Liberal Democrats, Linlithgow and East Falkirk

Sally Symington - Liberal Democrats, Hemel Hempstead

Sally Woodhall - Independent, Redditch

Sara Hyde - Labour Party, Bromley and Chislehurst

Sarah Champion - Labour Party, Rotherham

Sarah Heald - Conservative Party, Manchester, Withington

Sarah Jones - Labour Party, Croydon Central

Sarah Osborne - Liberal Democrats, Mid Sussex

Scott Mabbutt - Green Party, Northampton South

Shaka Lish - Green Party, Brent Central

Sharon Galliford - Green Party, Surrey Heath

Sharon Lovell - Women's Equality Party, Vale of Glamorgan

Sharon Taylor - Labour and Co-operative Party, Stevenage

Shaun Stammers - Labour Party, Forest of Dean

Simon Beard - Liberal Democrats, Dartford

Simon Fell - Conservative Party, Barrow and Furness

Simone Reynolds - Liberal Democrats, Bexleyheath and Crayford

Sinead King - Green Party, Chingford and Woodford Green

Sophie Cook - Labour Party, East Worthing and Shoreham

Sophie Walker - Women's Equality Party, Shipley

Stella Creasy - Labour and Co-operative Party, Walthamstow

Stephen Burke - Labour Party, North Norfolk

Stephen Crosher - Liberal Democrats, Holborn and St Pancras

Stephen Kinnick - Labour Party, Aberavon

Stephen Morris - The English Democrats, Barnsley Central

Stephen Priestley - UKIP, Folkestone and Hythe

Stephen Psallidas - Liberal Democrats, Sedgefield

Stephen Todd - Christian People's Alliance, Harwich and North Essex

Stephen Twigg - Labour and Co-operative Party, Liverpool, West Derby

Stephen Williams - Liberal Democrats, Bristol West

Steve Beasant - Liberal Democrats, Great Grimsby

Stewart Dickson - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, East Antrim

Stuart McDonald - SNP, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East

Stuart Tuckwood - Green Party, Cambridge

Sue Dann - Labour Party, Plymouth, Moor View

Susan McDonnell - The North East Party, Easington

Susan van de Ven - Liberal Democrats, South Cambridgeshire

Tabitha Evans - Green Party, Broxbourne

Tamara Galloway - Green Party, Orpington

Ted Grant - Green Party, Liverpool, Wavertree

Teresa Murray - Labour Party, Rochester and Strood

Terence Smith - Labour Party, Brigg and Goole

Terry Bridgeman - Labour Party, Basingstoke

Tess Seddon - The Yorkshire Party, Leeds North East

Thangam Debbonaire - Labour Party, Bristol West

The Iconic Arty-Pole - Official Monster Raving Loony Party, Louth and Horncastle

Thomas Brake - Liberal Democrats, Carshalton and Wallington

Thomas Stewart - Green Party, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Tim Dawes - Green Party, Havant

Tim Lee - Green Party, North East Hertfordshire

Tim Norman - The Yorkshire Party, East Yorkshire

Tim Young - Labour Party, Colchester 

Tony Hill - Liberal Democrats, Maidenhead

Tony Lloyd - Labour Party, Rochdale

Tony Pearce - Green Party, Stafford

Tracey Hague - Green Party, Croydon Central

Tracy Harvey -  Labour Party, Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

Ukonu Obasi - Liberal Democrats, Walthamstow

Venetia Sams - Christian People's Alliance, Milton Keynes North

Vernon Coaker - Labour Party, Gedling

Veronica German - Liberal Democrats, Monmouth

Victoria Borwick - Conservative Party, Kensington

Vicky Ford - Conservative Party, Chelmsford

Vicky Foxcroft - Labour Party, Lewisham, Deptford

Vikki Slade - Liberal Democrats, Mid Dorset and North Poole

Vince Maple - Labour Party, Chatham and Aylesford

Virendra Sharma - Labour Party, Ealing, Southall

Vix Lowthion - Green Party, Isle of Wight

Warren Fox - Liberal Democrats, Bolton North East

Wendy Taylor - Liberal Democrats, Newcastle upon Tyne East

Wera Hobhouse - Liberal Democrats, Bath

Wes Hinckes - Labour Party, Bridgwater and West Somerset

Wes Streeting - Labour Party, Ilford North

William Edwards - Labour Party, Bury St Edmunds

William Forster - Liberal Democrats, Woking

Willow Winston - Independent, Lewisham East

Zöe Franklin - Liberal Democrats, Guildford