Strategic Partnerships

At NCDV we believe in evidence-based practice and empirical research to further sector knowledge and good-practice.

We hold our own datasets and conduct our own studies which you can find here:

We also collaborate with Universities and other establishments across England and Wales who, by agreement, are able to access anonymised statements and/or draw on our expertise to conduct their own research on topics linked to domestic abuse and coercive control. We currently partner with University College London, and University of Winchester.

Our Head of Training & Development, Charlotte Woodward, is a doctoral researcher at Anglia Ruskin University. Charlotte delivers guest lectures at various institutions and welcomes discussion about potential future collaborations. You can contact her through our central office at office@ncdv.org.uk      

Trade unions play a vital role in protecting workers’ rights, wellbeing, and dignity. For employees experiencing domestic abuse, union representation can be especially important, offering advocacy, confidentiality, and an independent voice at times when workplace processes may unintentionally cause harm.

Survivors of domestic abuse can sometimes find themselves falling foul of rigid HR frameworks: attendance policies that don’t account for coercive control, performance management processes triggered by trauma-related impact, or disciplinary routes that fail to recognise ongoing risk and safeguarding needs. In these moments, informed union support can be the difference between protection and further marginalisation.

NCDV works in partnership with unions to strengthen trauma-informed responses to domestic abuse in the workplace. We support unions to ensure that survivor-employees are met with understanding, safety, and practical options, not disbelief, blame, or procedural harm.

Through our specialist expertise and national reach, we can offer unions:

• Training on recognising and responding to domestic abuse in the workplace. Find out more here.
• Domestic Abuse Champion Union Rep Training — join our national network of trained Union Rep DA Champions. Find out more here.
• Speedy access to our civil injunction service for union members in urgent need of legal protection.
• Mutual promotion and profiling, strengthening shared commitments to safety and social responsibility.

Unions affiliated with NCDV can also access our Union Rep Domestic Abuse Champion training at a discounted rate, helping to embed specialist knowledge across representative networks and ensure survivors are supported by people who understand both employment structures and domestic abuse dynamics. This is an exciting new network for Reps with regular updates.

We believe that tackling domestic abuse requires collective action. By working together, unions and NCDV can challenge harmful systems, protect survivor-employees, and help make domestic abuse socially unacceptable — in workplaces and beyond.

To find out more contact Charlotte Woodward, Head of Training & Development. You can reach her through our central office at office@ncdv.org.uk