New "safe spaces" for people experiencing domestic abuse in South Yorkshire
Nationwide Building Society said it will offer them at more than 400 branches across the UK
Britain's biggest building society has said it will offer safe spaces to people experiencing domestic abuse.
Nationwide Building Society said it will offer safe spaces to people experiencing domestic abuse at more than 400 branches across the UK.
The society pledged last year that everywhere it has a branch, it will still be there until at least 2026.
Safe spaces, launched by domestic abuse charity Hestia as part of the UK Says No More campaign, are designated locations which anyone experiencing domestic abuse can use.
Upon asking a member of staff to use their safe space, people will be able to use a private room to help them deal with the issue. They can have access to a phone if they need one, and the chance to discreetly contact family, friends or specialist support.
Nationwide said branch staff have received specialised training to help spot signs of domestic abuse and offer support to those affected, including helping them manage their finances, providing access to a specialist support team and other resources.
Carmel Offord from Independent Domestic Abuse Services, who're based in Sheffield and Barnsley, tells us: "Although these safe spaces may provide and opportunity for people to get help, they also send a message about society's intolerance for abuse and the broad support that is available to people.
"When we see posters in banks and pharmacies raising awareness of domestic abuse and letting people know there's somewhere they can go if they need support, it's a really positive thing.
"It's kind of indicative of a societal shift, I think, in the way domestic abuse is becoming destigmatised."
HSBC UK, which already operates safe spaces, recently reported that the bank has seen an increase in their use during the winter months.
The bank joined Hestia's safe spaces scheme in April 2022, and said that since then more than 200 people have used a HSBC UK safe space.
HSBC UK has said it experiences an average of two customer calls per day mentioning domestic or financial abuse.
TSB joined the scheme in May 2021 and it also offers an emergency flee fund, making a payment of between £50 to £500, depending on individual needs, to support domestic abuse survivors.