Celebrity Hair Stylist Backs Campaign To Train Hairdressers To Spot Domestic Abuse

Now you may have seen the campaign it's been online on the internet and everything about this. Had this hand gesture, which is what someone can do to silently, tell you that they're in trouble that they they need. Some assistance often related to domestic violence. So if you see that you know you've got to act, but what about the people that you can talk to? You know when you finally sort of get out the house and actually talk to someone. Of course, we all chat to our hairdressers. Don'T we so are they the people that actually could be a lifeline for the people affected by domestic violence? There is a new campaign called cut it out. It'S looking at training the hair and beauty industry to be more receptive to the hidden troubles of their clients, urging them to report violence and seek help. Well, let's talk to the hairstylist nikki clarke, who's getting involved in this and sergeant in the thames valley, violence reduction unit, as well as creator of this initiative, claire furness good, to see you both this morning, claire. Why did you think that hairdressers actually were going to be actually a good avenue for people to to reach out and ask for some help? Well, i think, having your hair done is a real personal service, um and actually they're they're like therapists. So we understand that it's quite commonplace for people to make disclosures about their relationships and perhaps the unhealthy nature of those relationships. So with that in mind, i think it's really useful to to support the professionals in that sense, by providing them with some guidance and training around the subject of domestic abuse. Yeah nikki i mean this it it almost once it's presented, it seems like common sense. Doesn'T it because, well you know we we talk to you guys about everything under the sun, so you know these sort of issues could come up. Absolutely. I mean it's quite extraordinary that you, you say it is a simple thing and it is because you know people do confide in their hairdressers. I mean it's quite extraordinary. I think it's because they feel quite vulnerable with um. You know wet hair and possibly no makeup. You know hairdressers have taken on the place of i mean i wouldn't necessarily say therapist all the time, but certainly as a confidant, and i think that this campaign is there to just try and be able to direct hairdressers to spot the signs. And you know, and to be able to direct them to the right people that are going to be able to help, but so it's all about training, nikki, then, because you, you won't want to. You know to put people in the spotlight where they don't quite know. What to do or how to react so how important is the training going to be for for you and your team, for example? Well, the training is going to be paramount. I mean i'm on my way there now to see um, just in fact how this is going to be done and how i can help. You know talk to my staff about it, and, but also really the whole of the industry really needs to um to be to just be made aware of it, and it may just be some very, very simple signs, so you know i'm going to learn a lot. This morning myself, but as i say, it was a very, very simple idea and of course, we're in a perfect position to be able to help yeah. So in terms of the training, then claire, what what are you putting forward? Is it about being able to say the right thing to those who are vulnerable or or point them in the right direction or to alert services like the police yeah? It'S a combination of all of it. Really it's spotting the signs and symptoms of domestic abuse because, of course, domestic abuse isn't just physical abuse. It'S multifaceted. There are lots of um things that happen in relationships and it's pointing out those signs and symptoms and then being able to signpost those victims for support. For the local charities and also those national charities as well, how happy happy is the wrong word? How how rewarding is it that you've got people like nikki getting involved with this, which obviously gives the campaign a huge lift and hopefully is going to get people across the country, hairdressers and beauticians wanting to get involved in this? Absolutely i mean it's so fantastic that nikki has backed this. It'S really taken it to that next level i mean my dream is for it to be mandated in the qualifications so that every student hairdresser that comes through has to go through this process of understanding those signs and symptoms, because essentially we're creating an army of eyes And ears within the community that can support statutory agencies like ourselves and those um support, charities, um both nationally and locally. Would you like to see that nikki sort of this is this built into the the curriculum? If you like, you know, i don't think it's that far-fetched. Actually, i mean really we're talking about people just being aware, and this is a national problem, and i think that you know it's interesting. What claire said? It'S not always the physical signs, but it's that kind of mental abuse as well and, of course, we're not just talking about women here. You know we're talking about men as well, so i think it's a really important aspect of what we do and yes, i do hope it would be. Actually you know built in yeah claire. Can we talk about the male side of this i mean. I know women are more victims. I think it's one in four women fall victim to this in some way, shape or form, but it's about one in six men as well, which is still a significant number, absolutely yeah one in six men do suffer uh domestic abuse, but of course we know that There are so many more hidden victims, um within the male community out there, and so that's really important for our barbers, for example, to get on board and and do this training so that the awareness is there um, so that they're able to safely signpost these men To to services that are available both locally and nationally for them, and once people do reach out claire what support is available for them, i mean because it's all about being it's a very difficult step, isn't it to to move away from an abusive relationship? Absolutely obviously, we have the statutory service us, the police that people can report to, but also those national agencies you've got women's aid mankind. They would offer support and guidance around what to do next. Those safe steps to take there are a wealth of programs out there. As well to kind of re-educate yourself on what a healthy relationship should look like, which i would implore any victim to kind of pursue, really it's refreshing nikki that i mean you say you're off to do some training now. I always think it's really refreshing when someone especially is established, as you turns around and says i'm going to learn something new here, i'm going to make a difference. You know it's interesting um. You know it's something that you know. I do feel quite strongly about. I mean we hear about it on the news all the time, and actually this was just an opportunity for us to to really do something about it, and you know we talked about building it into the curriculum. You know these things should be part and parcel of how people behave in relationships, and i think you know certainly in lockdown. I think we've all had time to to think quite carefully and of course, we've seen an increase in that happen as well. So the timing couldn't be more apt, yeah, absolutely nikki, and claire really good to see you both this morning. Thank you.