EmpowerWise

Domestic abuse and Facilities Management: 5 things FM professionals should know

Domestic abuse can have a direct impact on the workplace, and Facilities Management teams may find themselves involved without initially realising that domestic abuse is behind the situation.

For example, an employee experiencing abuse may need changes to building access, parking arrangements or their usual working location. Reception may need to know not to confirm whether someone is at work. Security teams may need information about a person who presents a risk. Cleaning or maintenance staff may notice someone repeatedly waiting around a building or accessing areas where they should not be.

It is also important to remember that domestic abuse is not only physical violence. It can include coercive control, stalking, harassment, economic abuse and technology facilitated abuse. An abuser may use the workplace as another way of monitoring, contacting, intimidating or controlling someone.

FM teams should therefore know how to record and report a concern, who within the organisation needs to know, how to protect confidential information and what action can be taken to make the workplace safer.

They do not need to investigate the abuse or decide whether someone is telling the truth. Their role is to recognise potential risk, respond appropriately and follow the organisation’s procedures.

Domestic abuse may begin at home, but the risk does not necessarily stay there.

For Facilities Management, understanding that distinction can be an important part of creating a safer workplace.

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“But they’ve never actually hit me.”

It is something we hear often when talking about domestic abuse, because there is still a misconception that for a relationship to be abusive, there must be physical violence.

Someone can be frightened of their partner without ever having been hit. They might have their money controlled, their phone checked, be told what they can wear, be prevented from seeing friends or family, have their location monitored or find themselves constantly changing their behaviour because they are worried about their partner’s reaction.

Over time, this can become their normal. They may find themselves explaining where they have been, who they have spoken to or why they took longer than expected. They may stop seeing certain people because it causes arguments, change what they wear because it is easier, or gradually give up things they once enjoyed. Their world can become smaller without them necessarily recognising when or how it happened.

This is why understanding coercive control is so important. We should not look at individual behaviours in isolation, but at the pattern they create and the impact that pattern has on someone’s freedom, independence and everyday life.

Domestic abuse is not measured by whether somebody has bruises. Sometimes one of the biggest warning signs is how much a person has had to change their own life and behaviour to manage somebody else’s.

What happens when the person experiencing domestic abuse doesn’t actually work for your organisation?

Facilities Management relies on people from lots of different organisations working alongside each other every day.

Cleaners, security staff, maintenance teams, engineers, reception staff and other contractors may spend every working day in your building, while technically being employed by somebody else.

So what happens if one of them discloses domestic abuse?

Would your team know who has responsibility? Would they know where to signpost them? Would your workplace domestic abuse policy even include them?

And what if the risk comes into the workplace?

An abusive partner turning up at reception, waiting outside at the end of a shift or repeatedly trying to gain access suddenly becomes more than an HR issue. It can become a safeguarding, security and workplace safety issue too.

This is where Facilities Management can play such an important role.

FM teams do not need to become domestic abuse specialists. But they do need clear processes, confidence and an understanding of how to respond safely when something happens.

Because when somebody says, “I don’t feel safe going home today,” the answer should never depend on whose name is on their payslip.

At EmpowerWise, we help organisations understand domestic abuse in the workplace and build practical, safe responses that work in the real world.

I had such a lovely time today visiting Solasa and being given the opportunity to talk about the work we do at EmpowerWise.

There is something really special about being in a room with women who genuinely care about making a difference. We had some brilliant conversations, shared experiences, talked about the realities of domestic abuse and the importance of helping people recognise what may be happening behind closed doors.

A huge thank you to the wonderful women at Solasa for making me feel so welcome. I came away feeling energised, encouraged and very grateful to have been invited.

Days like today remind me why I started EmpowerWise. Every conversation helps us spread awareness that little bit further, and you never quite know who that knowledge may eventually help.

It's important to pause for a moment and simply say thank you.

Running a social enterprise comes with plenty of challenges, but it also brings opportunities to meet organisations that genuinely believe in creating positive change.

I am incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and UnLtd for believing in EmpowerWise and investing in our vision.

Because of your support, we are reaching more people, starting more conversations and helping more organisations build the confidence to recognise and respond to domestic abuse.

Thank you for trusting us, encouraging us and helping turn ideas into action. Your support means more than you probably realise.

Here's to continuing the journey together and creating lasting change, one conversation at a time.

Domestic abuse might not be in your Facilities Management job description.

But that doesn't mean you won't encounter it.

Think about the people who often see what others don't.

The receptionist who notices the same person repeatedly waiting outside for a member of staff.

The security officer who is told, “Please don't let my ex into the building.”

The cleaner who finds someone crying in the toilets after everybody else has gone home.

The facilities manager who becomes aware that an employee is frightened to walk across the car park alone.

The colleague who notices somebody receiving dozens of calls and messages throughout their shift.

Domestic abuse doesn't stay neatly behind someone's front door when they come to work.

It can follow them through phone calls, messages, stalking, harassment, unwanted visits and threats. And sometimes the workplace itself becomes part of the risk.

Facilities Management teams can be in a unique position because they understand the building, access, security, visitors and the practical measures that can help somebody feel safer at work.

But would your team know what to do if someone disclosed domestic abuse?

Who needs to know? What shouldn't you promise? What practical changes could be considered? And importantly, how do you support somebody without taking control away from them?

This is why domestic abuse awareness belongs in Facilities Management too.

It isn't about turning FM professionals into domestic abuse specialists.

It's about making sure that when something doesn't feel right, they know how to recognise it, respond safely and get the right people involved.

“We don't have domestic abuse here”

I've heard variations of this quite a few times:

“We don't really come across domestic abuse.”

But domestic abuse does not necessarily look the way people expect it to.

Sometimes what we see is sickness absence, a change in someone's behaviour, financial difficulties, constant contact from a partner or somebody becoming increasingly withdrawn.

Sometimes we see absolutely nothing.

And sometimes the first indication is somebody sitting in front of us saying, “Can I tell you something?”

The question then becomes whether we are ready for what comes next.

Over the next few weeks I am going to be talking much more about this, including some of the things I have learned from more than 20 years of working with people affected by abuse.

Because you don't need to be an expert to respond well. But you do need to know what helps and what can inadvertently cause harm.

What would you do?

Imagine someone you work with has changed recently.

They are arriving late when they never used to. Their phone seems to be going constantly. They have stopped joining colleagues socially and they seem anxious about getting home on time.

Then one day they tell you:
“Things aren't great at home. Please don't tell anyone.”

What would you do next?

Would you ask more questions? Encourage them to leave? Tell somebody else? Keep it completely confidential?

These situations are rarely as straightforward as we would like them to be.

You do not need to become a domestic abuse specialist to support someone appropriately. But knowing how to recognise concerns, respond safely and understand what to do next can make an enormous difference.

What would your first response be?

🎉🏆 WE ARE FINALISTS!! 🏆🎉

We are absolutely thrilled to share that EmpowerWise has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Mental Health & Wellbeing Wales Awards 2026!

And we have been shortlisted in a category that means so much to us:

IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY

EmpowerWise was created because we wanted to get people talking about subjects that are too often hidden, misunderstood or avoided.. domestic abuse, sexual violence, exploitation, sexual harassment.

We want people to recognise what abuse can look like, understand the realities behind it and, most importantly, feel more confident about what to do when someone needs support.

Every training session, every conversation, every organisation that chooses to learn more and every person who takes that knowledge back into their workplace or community helps spread that message further.

To now be recognised for the impact we are making in our communities feels HUGE.

We are still a relatively young organisation, with enormous ambitions for what EmpowerWise can achieve, so being named a 2026 finalist is something we are genuinely incredibly proud of.

A massive thank you to everyone who has booked our training, attended a session, recommended us, collaborated with us, shared our work or simply cheered us on.

We are spreading the word, starting conversations and we are making an impact.

Mental Health & Wellbeing Wales Awards 2026 Finalist, Impact in the Community, we cannot stop smiling! Kelly Watts Jeni Scott