Domestic abuse charity pauses waiting list for children

A domestic abuse charity said it has made the difficult decision to temporarily close its waiting list for children's services.

Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service (NDAS) said due to a significant increase in demand, its waiting list for children's domestic abuse outreach would be closed until at least September 2026.

The charity was originally set up under the name of Northampton Women's Aid in 1976.

NDAS said: "This is not a decision we take lightly, but it is necessary to ensure we can provide safe, high-quality, and effective support to the children and families currently in our care."

Government data shows that 16-19-year-olds face the highest rates of domestic abuse.

Last year, NDAS received more than 1,500 referrals but was only able to accept around one-third, meaning approximately two-thirds could not be supported due to capacity constraints.

NDAS added: "This reflects the scale of pressure on domestic abuse services and highlights how demand is currently outstripping available provision."

The charity said that although it is not accepting new referrals, "all existing referrals remain on our system, and we are reviewing the situation regularly".

Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.