LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Service Provision Mapping Study

Key findings in our 2021 mapping study of LGBT+ domestic abuse services in England and Wales found that:

1. There are a small number of LGBT+ domestic abuse services; most are victim support services based in London.
2. LGBT+ domestic abuse support is largely provided by LGBT+ ‘by and for’ organisations with a domestic abuse service.
3. On a lesser scale, LGBT+ specialist support also exists within VAWG and generic domestic abuse organisations.
4. No funded LGBT+ ‘by and for’ domestic abuse services exist in the South West and North East of England, or in Wales.
5. There are no LGBT+ specific services for LGB+ and or T+ perpetrators and/or perpetrator programmes.
6. There is a lack of emergency accommodation/ housing services for LGB+ and/or T+ people, in particular GB+ and/or T+ men.
7. There is a lack of service provision for LGB+ and or T+ children and young people outside of London.
8. LGBT+ ‘by and for’ domestic abuse services often work outside of their geographical remit and beyond their capacity to meet the demand.
9. On average, LGBT+ domestic abuse services are small, with just one or two staff members employed.
10. There are currently 3.5 FTE LGBT+ IDVAs based in 4 services: Galop, LGBT Foundation, RISE and LGBT Birmingham.
11. Most services have no main source of funding. The management of multiple funders is an extra set of pressures for the LGBT+ specialist domestic abuse sector.
12. VAWG and domestic abuse organisations providing a specialist LGBT+ service are less likely to adopt key indicators for LGBT+ inclusion relevant to the needs of nonbinary and/or trans+ service users.
13. Partnership working appears to be underdeveloped; only a small number of services indicate referral pathways to their local MARAC suggesting that most others are not embedded in their local ‘coordinated community response’ to domestic abuse.
14. Two ‘by and for’ LGBT+ organisations are not funded to provide support for domestic abuse, but continue to deliver this work due to demand.

Read the full study to find out more about this important snapshot of LGBT+ domestic abuse provision nationally.