Victims of domestic abuse will be able to access safe spaces at 750 Well Pharmacy consultation rooms across the country, where they can contact specialist domestic abuse services for support and advice.
With rising numbers of cases of domestic abuse across the country during the pandemic, figures from the charity Hestia showed a near 40 per cent increase in people trying to access specialist support during the first lockdown, with three thousand victims seeking help between April and September this year.
Domestic abuse includes psychological, physical and financial abuse, all of which can have devastating consequences for the victim.
The Covid-19 pandemic is having terrible implications on the level of domestic abuse and although people are advised to stay home in order to save lives, the daunting reality for many victims of domestic abuse is that home is not safe.
Janice Perkins, pharmacy superintendent at Well said: “I am pleased to share that we have worked with Hestia’s UK SAYS NO MORE’s scheme to roll out Safe Spaces across all our 750 pharmacies up and down the UK.”
Lyndsey Dearlove, head of Domestic Abuse Prevention at Hestia, said: “Businesses have a unique role to play in breaking the silence around domestic abuse and ensuring victims can access the help and support they need.
“Lockdown restrictions due to Covid-19 have provided an opportunity for businesses to step up their response to domestic abuse for their staff and customers.
“We recognise that key workers in pharmacies hold a unique position within the community as a single point of contact for victims. By creating this safe space in Well’s pharmacies, we hope many will be able to safely access support whilst following government guidelines.”
