A major campaign to enlist hair and beauty professionals in the effort to tackle domestic abuse has been launched by Northamptonshire Police with support from Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold.
Hair and beauty professionals at the #CutItOut launch event
Domestic abuse is a significant issue in Northamptonshire: in May 2019, domestic abuse was 36% of all crime recorded in Northamptonshire.
The new campaign is called #Cutitout, and aims to raise awareness and train salon staff to recognise the warning signs of domestic abuse and safely refer clients to organisations that can help them.
#CutitOut began in Norwich in 2017 when Kerri McAuley was killed by an abusive partner. Kerri had earlier confided in her hairdresser Annie Reilly, and Annie subsequently helped to develop the campaign.
More than 160 professionals from across the county attended the first event. Annie Reilly said: “Every day I think about what I could have done and what difference it could have made. I’m passionate about this campaign because as hairdressers, many of our clients will confide in us and we need to be equipped with the right information so we can help them in the best way.”
The campaign is funded by Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold and Northamptonshire Police. Stephen said that the campaign is part of a wider strategy that brings together the work being done by agencies and voluntary groups to deal with this significant issue.
