MHA are the first housing association in Wales to be awarded a Gold accreditation for its response to domestic abuse by the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA)
The DAHA accreditation is the UK benchmark for how housing providers should respond to domestic abuse in the UK. It means we are recognised as taking a stand to ensure we deliver safe and effective responses to domestic abuse. We want our customers and staff to have confidence that we can and will help and support victims.
It is estimated one in five people aged 16 years and over (9.9 million) have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16 years in the UK. As a housing association with over 3,800 homes and 250 staff, we know domestic abuse will impact the lives of many, which is why we are taking action at MHA.
Sian Nicholas, Head of Neighbourhoods said:
This is about more than just accreditation. It’s about people, families, safety and sanctuary. This framework enabled us to test, build and excel at our practice.
Achieving accreditation is a significant achievement for MHA and we will continue to work alongside DAHA post accreditation to ensure we continue to embed and build on our current approach.
At MHA, all staff are trained in recognising the signs of domestic abuse and work with the victim to do what it takes to get the right help, including putting anyone who is affected in touch with support organisations, as well as ensuring their home is safe and secure.
The accreditation follows an in depth, rigorous assessment process, where the assessment team found MHA “have demonstrated a deep commitment to making homes safe, supportive, and survivor-focused and commitment to adopting and embedding the standards of the DAHA framework”
DAHA Assessment Panel said:
Congratulations to the community safety team at Monmouthshire Housing for your inspiring leadership in embedding compassion and care into housing practice.
From embedding a caring voice into compliance visits to a 100% success rate in meeting household needs, your work truly exemplifies how the new DAHA accreditation framework supports councils and housing providers to make visits person-centred and supportive, ensure survivor voices are heard at every step, build homes that are truly safe from domestic abuse and drive improvement through care, not just compliance.
Your achievement reflects the power of thinking differently — where safety, empathy, and autonomy go hand in hand.
Michele Morgan, Director of Housing & Communities said:
I am incredibly proud of MHA, to achieve a ‘Gold’ DAHA accreditation both raises the bar for the approach to domestic abuse for social housing providers in Wales and is a significant achievement for the Group.
The accreditation is testament to the determination and hard work of the community safety team, who have transformed our approach and offer to those living with domestic abuse.
As a landlord and employer, we are absolutely committed to playing our role in the fight against domestic violence, this is just another positive step. Our goal always is to support victims in these potentially harmful situations back to happy and safe lives where they can live free from fear and violence.
