In 2017, hairdresser Annie Reilly received the shocking news that a client of hers, Kerri McAuley, had been murdered by her abusive ex-partner. What made this particularly devastating for Annie was that, just two weeks before, Kerri had told her about the domestic abuse she suffered and had said that she thought her ex would kill her. Annie had assumed that when Kerri said this, she was using a figure of speech. You can imagine how distraught Annie was when she realised that if only she had realised the seriousness of what Kerri told her, she could have alerted someone and potentially saved the young woman’s life.
What happened to Kerri and Annie is an extreme case, but with 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men experiencing domestic abuse over their lifetime, it is inevitable that some of your clients – and colleagues - are victims. What is more, we know that for domestic abuse victims in rural areas like the Forest of Dean, the impacts of abuse are even worse than for those in cities: the abuse lasts for longer and is much harder to escape, and very few rural victims ever disclose what is happening to them or get any kind of support.
Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service are working to change this and hairdressers, barbers, beauty therapists and tattooists are in a unique position to help us. You see your clients regularly, so build up a relationship with them and can notice worrying changes over time; you are skilled at building a rapport with people and making them feel comfortable enough to talk; and because of how physically close to clients your work brings you, you can spot signs of domestic abuse that may be hidden to others. Will you help us to offer a lifeline to victims of domestic abuse?
We are contacting all hairdressers in the Forest of Dean to offer them free Cut It Out domestic abuse training, either in person or online. The training, which takes around 1 hour, will include information about:
- Different types of domestic abuse.
- How you can recognise the signs of domestic abuse in your clients.
- What to do if a client says they're being abused.
- Domestic abuse services and support you can tell your clients about.
We will also give you GDASS posters for your salon, and Cut It Out lapel badges and mirror stickers for everyone who completes the training.
To register your interest in Cut It Out training or find out more about the scheme, please click select a date.
Please help us to Cut It Out in Gloucestershire.
