"Housing Providers Help Detect Domestic Abuse"

Staff including gas engineers and caretakers are being trained to spot signs that residents may be victims of domestic violence

Calls to housing providers requesting help with lock changes, smashed windows, or reporting loud sex are now being flagged as potential signs of domestic violence.

Housing associations are increasingly training staff on detecting evidence of domestic violence - believed to be the UK's most underreported crime - after one social landlord found an increase in reported cases of 1,500%.

"On average two women a week are murdered by their current of former partner and it is imperative that services respond effectively in order to stop these tragedies," said Gudrun Burnet, domestic violence expert at Peabody, which has pioneered the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA).

"Having a safe place to go and a roof over your head is fundamental for anyone suffering domestic abuse. Housing associations are vital and need to ensure they are getting their response right first time, every time."

Peabody, which has 28,000 homes and 80,000 residents, now sees reports of domestic violence coming in from a wide range of sources.

Among those to have flagged warning signs are people making maintenance calls, gas engineers and caretakers on the estates.

"If a tenant keeps calling (for a) lock change ... or says my window was smashed, if a neighbour calls complaining of noise nuisance, or there is arguing, we check to see if there is anything there that leads to domestic abuse," said Titilayo Ogumgbemi, who works in Peabody's central call centre.

"Sometimes it's a call about loud sex noises. It might be that somebody is being raped," she added.

"We don't just brush it under the carpet and be embarrassed about that."

Women on average experience 35 incidents of abuse before calling the police.

One woman, who was helped by Peabody after an initial request to move properties revealed a history of domestic abuse, explained her reluctance to approach the authorities.

"It was embarrassing - even though people were aware of it, like neighbours, and they can hear the fights and the arguments, it still felt embarrassing to actually say: 'I'm a victim of domestic abuse'," explained "Faye", whose name has been changed to protect her identity.

"I contacted Peabody in a state of panic asking for a swap. They gave me advice, they probed me for more information."

When asked what would have happened if she had not received help from her housing provider, Faye said: "I probably would have had a mental breakdown. I wouldn't have turned to anybody."

Efforts to increase avenues for women experiencing domestic violence come amid growing concern about the one in four women and one in six men who experience abuse from a partner or loved one in their lifetime.

In December a new criminal offence of controlling or coercive behaviour in intimate or familial relationships was introduced in an attempt to improve rates of reporting and convictions in domestic violence cases.

But the Home Secretary Theresa May has said recently that domestic violence victims were being "let down" by the police.

"Victims of abuse are still being let down and reports are not being taken seriously enough," Ms May told the Police Federation annual conference.

"The right skills, training, and commitment to protect the vulnerable are still not held by every single police officer."

Housing providers hope that increasing their ability to detect domestic violence will help fill the gap in trust for victims reluctant to turn to the police.

"Not everybody feels happy contacting the police because at times there is the factor the police might start judging you, whereas we don't want to judge anybody," said Abdul Ali, who was formerly a community police officer and now works as a warden on Peabody estates.

"We are out there, the eyes and ears."