A framework for addressing the housing needs of survivors of domestic abuse: Cheshire East Council

What went in

Priority area addressed: Cheshire East Council sought to respond to the new statutory duty under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 to provide support within safe accommodation. Recognising the limitations of siloed approaches to housing and domestic abuse, the council identified the need for a more integrated, trauma-informed, and flexible model to improve outcomes for survivors, particularly those facing multiple disadvantage and at risk of homelessness. The Whole Housing Approach (WHA) was chosen as a model that provides a framework for how local authorities can offer a range of safe accommodation and support options across all tenure types, tailored to victims/survivors’ individual needs and wishes.

Budget: The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 New Burdens funding c£640,000 each year plus funding from the National Lottery for the Whole Housing Approach Pilot. 

Other resource needed: 

• Dedicated strategic and operational coordination from local authority leads.
• Partnership working with Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse (STADA) and the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA).
• Input from national experts, including Surviving Economic Abuse.
• Co-production with survivors with lived experience.
• Participation and engagement with local housing providers and ‘by and for’ organisations (organisations designed and delivered by and for people who are minoritised, including by race, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or age).
• Timeframe: April 2022 to March 2025. 

What came out

• Delivery of all components of the Whole Housing Approach model, including flexible funding, responses and pathways for perpetrators of abuse, co-location of specialist domestic abuse advisors within housing teams, training for professionals and engagement with social housing providers.
• A redesigned, streamlined, and trauma-informed sanctuary scheme: security measures in and around properties, paired with multi-agency support, enabling survivors to remain safely at home if they choose.
• Development of a Whole Housing Hub, bringing together domestic abuse and housing specialists to provide tailored support to survivors at risk of homelessness or recently moved into safe housing.
• Improved partnership working across housing, domestic abuse, and community organisations.
• Inclusion of economic abuse and care-experienced young people within the strategic model.
• Bespoke interventions for survivors facing multiple disadvantage in supported housing.
• Early evidence of improved housing outcomes and system cost savings.
• DAHA accreditation for the Housing Options team
• Independent evaluation with cost-benefit analysis.

Cheshire East Council was one of the first local authorities in England to pilot the Whole Housing Approach (WHA) as a strategic response to new duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Over three years, the council worked with national partners to implement a model that offers survivors flexible, trauma-informed options to secure safe and stable. The pilot has improved outcomes for survivors, particularly those facing multiple disadvantage, while generating wider system efficiencies. It offers a replicable model for how councils can meet legal duties, prevent homelessness, and deliver meaningful change through collaboration, innovation, and survivor-led design.

The whole housing approach: Supporting domestic abuse survivors

Domestic abuse is one of the leading causes of homelessness. Survivors frequently face homelessness when attempting to escape, with domestic abuse now the second most common reason for households approaching councils for homelessness relief, an increase of 7.9 per cent from the previous year. Many survivors face a stark choice of either remaining with their abuser or becoming homeless. 

The WHA enables local authorities to deliver on Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act through a Coordinated Community Response (CCR) that links all housing tenure types with appropriate housing options and support services. Recognised as good practice in the UK Government’s 2022 statutory guidance, it provides a roadmap for survivor-centred housing responses.

Aims of the WHA:

• earlier identification and intervention, mobilising social and private landlords and other key stakeholders
• reduction in homelessness caused by domestic abuse
• increased tenancy sustainment, including action to remove perpetrators from properties where safe and appropriate
• stronger collaboration between the housing and domestic abuse sectors through a Coordinated Community Response. 

Benefits of the WHA:

The WHA enables local authorities to provide sustainable housing solutions while reducing duplication, strengthening partnerships, and improving value for money. A previous evaluation demonstrated that WHA interventions can help produce meaningful outcomes for victim/survivors that enable them to sustain freedom and independence from their abuser.

In addition - areas which have piloted the Whole Housing Approach previously have demonstrated that for every £1 invested, an average of £19.61 can be saved for the public purse.

Cheshire East Council successfully bid to become a WHA pilot site in partnership with Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse and the National Lottery Community Fund. Building on an existing multi-agency board, the council aligned local services with the WHA framework, underpinned by a local needs assessment shaped around the model.

The flexibility of the WHA allowed the council to embed local priorities from the outset, including improving support for care-experienced young people and ensuring a trauma-informed approach. Collaboration with Surviving Economic Abuse offered additional training opportunities for Housing and Domestic Abuse specialist staff.

A shared theory of change guided the work: All survivors and their families are kept safe from domestic abuse through improved housing stability and increased choice and control over their lives.

Key activities:

• mapping existing housing and support pathways
• developing a local WHA strategy and delivery plan
• reviewing and improving the sanctuary scheme
• embedding cross-tenure housing responses across sectors
• strengthening relationships with ‘by and for’ organisations
• co-producing services with survivors
• commissioning an external evaluation to track impact.

Challenges and how they were managed:

• Embedding new ways of working: Some partners were unfamiliar with the WHA. Ongoing relationship-building, awareness raising sessions and dedicated project management were key to securing buy-in.
• Reaching all tenure types: Homeowners often remain invisible to local systems. National policy change, supported by organisations like Surviving Economic Abuse, is needed to increase options.
• Sustaining resources: System-wide financial pressures posed significant challenges to sustaining service momentum throughout the pilot. However, the combination of robust cost-benefit analysis, powerful survivor testimony, and compelling case studies demonstrating real-world impact proved critical in securing continued investment and maintaining stakeholder commitment.

The WHA pilot significantly improved the housing and domestic abuse system across Cheshire East. Survivors now benefit from more consistent, appropriate support.

Key outcomes:

• An improved Sanctuary Scheme model, allowing survivors to remain safely in their homes.
• Improved housing options and pathways across tenure types.
• Better inclusion of marginalised survivors, including those experiencing economic abuse or facing barriers linked to race, disability, or care experience.
• Increased awareness among practitioners of housing rights and legal tools under the Domestic Abuse Act.
• Flexible funding: A dedicated fund within the Housing Options team (for rent arrears, deposits, etc.) was widely regarded as a 'game-changer'.
• WHA coordination: The WHA Coordinator role was essential, ensuring local authority focus and improving case-level collaboration between Domestic Abuse specialist staff and housing teams.
• Social housing: The new Homechoice Domestic Abuse caseworker post was cited as a flagship success. The entire Housing Options team is now domestic abuse-trained and confident in making referrals. The Domestic Abuse caseworker has established strong safeguarding links with key RSLs, helping to differentiate DA from ASB and improve responses.
• Perpetrator management: Innovative local work to support perpetrators into housing was identified as a key safety measure for survivors and children.

• Adaptability matters: WHA’s flexible model enabled local innovation and ownership.
• Partnerships are everything: Progress depended on sustained, trust-based collaboration—including voices often excluded from DA systems.
• Survivor voice is essential: Co-production with people with lived experience grounded the work in reality.
• Intersectionality is vital: Tackling structural inequalities improves access for all survivors.
• Change takes time: System reform is gradual, but the early results are compelling.

Conclusion and looking ahead

The Cheshire East WHA pilot offers compelling evidence that a place-based, tenure-inclusive response to domestic abuse is both effective and sustainable. As the council embeds learning into its refreshed domestic abuse strategy, the model provides a scalable approach for other areas looking to fulfil their legal duties, prevent homelessness, and improve outcomes for all survivors, especially those often overlooked.

Author: Emma Storey
Director of Housing, Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse
[email protected]   

Key Contact: Rhiannon Edwards
Domestic & Sexual Abuse Development Lead Advisor, Cheshire East Council
[email protected]