Darlington AssociationPersonal Safety, Abuse & Harassment
Disabled people may be more vulnerable to some risks, whether through abuse or to personal safety. They may experience harassment or abuse because of their impairment. This could take many forms, perhaps physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse. It could happen in many situations and be carried out by people from all walks of life - including strangers, neighbours, care workers or family members. In addition disabled people may need to be more aware of personal safety issues when travelling. This section outlines the range of services that could assist in improving personal safety or to deal with the consequences of abuse.
Contents
Personal Safety: Local Advice and Services
Personal Safety: Regional and National Information
Harassment and Abuse: Local Services
Harassment and Abuse: Regional and National Helplines
Other Sources of Information
Contacts
Personal Safety: Local Advice and Services
The Darlington Community Safety Partnership is a joint effort by local agencies, including the Borough Council and Police, to reduce burglaries, increase fire safety awareness and promote community safety. The Community Safety Partnership website has links various safety initiatives including domestic violence and race crime.
The Crime Reduction Officer can be contacted through Darlington Police office for general advice on personal and household safety. The Fire Safety Officer can also provide important home safety advice.
Darlington Association on Disability's Direct Payments Support Service offers advice and information for people seeking to employ their own personal assistants. Advice is available on how to employ someone with your own safety in mind, and premises can be arranged for interviewing purposes.
Lifeline is a service provided 24 hours, 7 days a week for disabled people and older people living at home by Darlington Borough Council. For a small charge, it provides a telephone emergency service. In an emergency your call will be answered by trained operators who can contact your doctor, relatives, friends, neighbours or a mobile warden to make sure someone can reach you as quickly as possible.
Return to ContentsPersonal Safety: Regional and National Information
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust publishes several useful guides to improving personal safety. Some of these are available from the trust's website and you can buy more detailed guides.
The Home Office Crime Reduction Centre's website provides information about personal safety.
Return to ContentsHarassment and Abuse: Local Services
Abuse or harassment of a criminal nature should be reported to the Police.
Darlington Borough Council in partnership with the Police, Health services and other local organisations, has developed an Adult Protection Committee to tackle and prevent the mistreatment of vulnerable adults. Anyone considered to be a ‘vulnerable adult’ - and this term would include many includes disabled people - can contact Social Services if they believe they may be the victim of abuse. Social Services have a duty to investigate, and to alert the police if the abuse could also be considered a crime.
The Commission for Social Care Inspection is responsible for maintaining the quality of care people get from care providers. It deals independently with complaints about the quality of care received in residential and nursing homes, or care provided from a Domiciliary Care agency.
Darlington Borough Council's Housing Service can assist council tenants who may be experiencing harassment from neighbours.
The Darlington Domestic Violence Forum offers direct and helpline support to people affected by domestic violence. It also promotes effective working across all agencies with a role to play in tackling domestic violence.
Darlington Rape Crisis offers telephone and face-to-face counselling and information to women and girls who have experienced sexual abuse recently or in the past.
Darlington Samaritans provides confidential emotional support, 24 hours a day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair. Callers to the service do not have to be suicidal; someone is available to listen to anyone who is worried about something, feel upset or confused, or who just wants to talk.
Victim Support South Durham, which covers the Darlington area, provides advice and support for victims and witnesses of crime.
Darlington Women's Refuge offers support and temporary safe accommodation to women who are experiencing domestic violence.
Return to ContentsHarassment and Abuse : Regional and National Helplines
Action on Elder Abuse provides information and support for older people experiencing abuse or anyone who is concerned about an older person they suspect is being abused.
Childline is the free 24-hour helpline for children and young people in the UK They can call about any problem, at any time - day or night and talk to a ChildLine counsellor who will help them to find ways to sort things out.
Hitting Home is the BBC website about domestic violence offering advice information and contacts.
NSPCC has an advice line for people working with deaf children and can give advice on dealing with abuse.
Parentline Plus Tyne and Wear offers telephone support for parents under stress.
Respond is for people with learning difficulties who are experiencing or have experienced sexual abuse. It also provides support and information to carers and support staff.
Rights of Women provides a Legal Advice Line staffed by solicitors and barristers. Its service is free and confidential and can help with family law, divorce, relationship breakdown, children and contact issues, domestic violence and lesbian parenting. Workers also provide legal advice on sexual violence, welfare rights, debt, housing, employment, immigration and crime.
Voice is a national charity supporting people with learning difficulties who have experienced crime or abuse. It also supports families, carers and service providers.
Return to ContentsOther Sources of Information
Other sections of the Darlington Association on Disability Information Guide may contain further information relevant to personal safety or abuse.
The Legal Rights section gives information on how to access legal advice.
There are a number of local and national organisations providing broad information and advice resources. Please refer to this guide's Introduction for contact details.
Contact Darlington Association on Disability's Information Service for assistance with searching for information about any subject in this guide or for support in dealing with your information requests.
Return to ContentsContacts
Action on Elder Abuse
Astral House
1268 London Road
London SW16 4ER
Telephone : 020 8765 7000
Helpline: 0808 808 8141
Fax : 0 20 8765 7000
Minicom :
Email: enquiries@elderabuse.org.uk
Website : www.elderabuse.org.uk
Childline
Telephone helpline : 0800 1111
Fax :
Minicom :
Email :
Website :
Commission for Social Care
No. 1 Hopetown Studios
Brinkburn Road
Darlington DL3 6DS
Telephone : 01325 371720
National helpline : 0845 015 0120
Fax : 01325 371766
Minicom :
E-mail : enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk
Website : www.csci.org.uk
County Durham & Darlington Fire Service Headquarters
Framwellgate Moor
Durham DH1 5JR
Telephone : 0191 384 3381, Fire Safety Officer 0191 384 3381
Fax : 0191 384 0907
Minicom :
E-mail : contact through website
Website : www.ddfra.co.uk
Darlington Association on Disability
Direct Payments Support Service
20-22 Horsemarket
Darlington DL1 5PT
Telephone 01325 360524
Fax : 01325 488188
Minicom : 01325 245 061
Email : mail@darlingtondisability.org
Website : www.darlingtondisability.org
Darlington Community Safety Partnership
Telephone :
Fax :
Minicom :
Email : contact through website
Website : www.darlingtoncommunitysafety.org.uk
Darlington Domestic Violence Forum
Telephone : 01325 487718
Domestic Violence Helpline : 01325 364486
National Domestic Violence Helpline : 0808 200 0247
Fax :
Minicom :
Email : contact through website
Website : www.ddvf .org
Darlington Police
6 St Cuthberts Way
Darlington , DL1 5LB
Telephone : 01325 467681
Crime Reduction Officer 01325 467681
Fax :
Minicom :
Email : darlington@durham.pnn.police.uk
Website : www.durham.police.uk/local/south/darlington.php
You can e-mail the police with a query and report certain non-urgent crimes on the website, www.online.police.uk
Darlington Rape Crisis
Darlington & County Durham Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre
PO Box 106
Darlington DL3 7YS
Helpline : Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6.30pm - 9pm, 01325 369933
Fax :
Minicom :
E-mail : info@rapecrisis.org.uk
Website : www.rapecrisis.org.uk
Darlington Samaritans
13 Woodland Road
Darlington DL3 7BJ
Usual hours open to receive callers: 10am - 10pm
Telephone : 01325 465465
Helpline : 08457 909090
Fax :
Minicom : 08457 90 91 92
E-mail : jo@samaritans.org
Website : www.samaritans.org
Darlington Social Services
Access and Contact Team
Central House
Gladstone Street
Darlington DL3 6JX
Telephone : 01325 346200
Minicom : 01325 360862
Emergency Duty Team : 08702 402994, outside of ordinary office hours
Minicom : 01642 602346
Fax : 01325 346474
Email :
Website : www.darlington.gov.uk
Darlington Women's Refuge
Family Help : 01325 364486
Refuge 24 hour national Crisis Line 0990 995443
Fax :
Minicom :
Email :
Website : www.darlingtonrefuge.org.uk
Hitting Home
Website : www.bbc.co.uk/health/hh/index.shtml
Home Office Crime Reduction Centre
Information Services Team
The Hawkhills
Easingwold
York YO61 3EG
Telephone : 01347 825058
Fax : 01347 825097
Minicom :
E-mail : crc@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Website : www.crimereduction.gov.uk
Housing Service
Darlington Borough Council
Housing Centre
Town Hall
Darlington DL1 5QT
Telephone - 0800 389 1227
Out of hours emergency telephone : 07976 752447
Town Hall : 01325 380651
Fax :
Minicom :
E-mail: housing@darlington.gov.uk
Website : www.darlington.gov.uk
Lifeline
Darlington Borough Council
Warden Services
13 Horsemarket
Darlington DL1 5PT
Telephone 01325 388508
Fax :
Minicom :
Email :
Website : www.darlington.gov.uk
NSPCC
Weston House
42 Curtain Road
London EC2A 3NH
Telephone : 020 7825 2500
Helpline : 0800 056 0566 (English only)
Asian helplines : open Monday-Friday 11am-7pm
Bengali : 0800 096 7714
Gujurati : 0800 096 7715
Hindi : 0800 096 7716
Punjabi : 0800 096 7717
Urdu : 0800 096 7718
Asian helpline in English: 0800 096 7719
Fax : 020 7825 2525
Minicom : 0800 056 0566 (Helpline, english only)
E-mail : help@nspcc.org.uk
Website : www.nspcc.org.uk
Parentline Plus Tyne and Wear
Suite 4, Lambton House
10 Lambton Road
Jesmond
Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4RX
Telephone : 0191 281 4881
Helpline : Freephone 0808 800 2222
Fax :
Minicom : 0800 783 6783
Email : contact through website
Website : www.parentlineplus.org.uk
Respond
3rd Floor
24-32 Stephenson Way
London NW1 2HD
Telephone : 020 7383 0700
Helpline : 0808 808 0700
Fax : 020 7387 1222
Minicom :
e-mail : admin@respond.org.uk
Website : www.respond.org.uk
Rights of Women
52-54 Featherstone Street
London EC1Y 8RT
Advice line : 020 7251 6577, open Tuesday-Thursday 2-4pm and Friday 12-2pm
Administration : 020 7251 6575
Fax : 020 7490 5377
Minicom : 020 7490 2562
Email : info@row.org.uk
Website : www.rightsof women.org.uk
Suzy Lamplugh Trust
PO Box 17818
London SW14 8WW
Telephone: Monday to Friday from 9.15am until 4.45pm 020 8876 0305
Fax : 020 8876 0891
Minicom :
E-mail : info@suzylamplugh.org
Website : www.suzylamplugh.org
Victim Support South Durham
4 Beveridge Walkway
Newton Aycliffe
County Durham DL5 4EE
Telephone : 01325 319263
Fax : 01325 300673
E-mail : victim.south@vscd.co.uk
Website : www.victimsupport.org.uk
Voice UK
Wyvern House
Railway Terrace
Derby DE1 2RU
Telephone : 01332 295775
Helpline : 0870 0133 965, open 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday
Fax : 01332 295670
Minicom :
E-mail: voice@voiceuk.org.uk
Website : www.voiceuk.org.uk