Hairdressers help to Cut it Out as domestic violence campaign relaunches across the borough

Outside Vintage hair and nail studio, the first Salon to sign up to Cut it Out Rochdale relaunch. Left to right Wendy Stringer, domestic abuse coordinator, Rochdale Borough Council Councillor Susan Smith, the council’s cabinet member for communities and cooperation Donna Beaumount, team leader, victim support Nicola Cockayne, owner Vintage hair and nail studio

The Cut It Out Rochdale campaign - a borough-wide initiative training people working in hair and beauty salons to have conversations about domestic abuse with their customers – has been relaunched.

The programme, run by Rochdale Borough Council, will see specialist training given to more than 200 hairdressing and beauty students from Hopwood Hall College.

Following on from the positive feedback from the salons that signed up in 2019, the council is also again offering training sessions near to businesses. There will be a three-month follow up with all participating salons, to offer further support and to understand if the sessions have led to conversations.

Upon completing the training all students and professionals will receive a certificate and a pin badge which they can wear at work so customers know they can talk to them about abuse.

The training sessions have been delivered by the council’s community safety, victim support and safe net partnership team. Participants are taught about domestic abuse, how to spot the signs, and the services available across the borough.

Councillor Susan Smith, the council’s cabinet member for communities and cooperation said: “I am so pleased that we are relaunching Cut it Out Rochdale.

“For many women hairdressers and beauty salons are safe, female-only spaces where they are at ease and salons become environments where victims can confide in stylists who they trust. But this does not just affect women so we are also including barbers in the campaign, as we know that men can also be victims.

“We are offering the training and resources to all salons across the borough for free, as we understand that salon professionals are in a unique position to recognise the signs and symptoms of domestic abuse in their customers. We are providing salons with information on local services to use as they feel appropriate. With proper training on how to safely refer victims to help, salon professionals can become invaluable and influential in reducing the impact of domestic abuse and ensuring victims know someone is listening.”

Zoe Staniczenko, programme manager for hair and beauty courses at Hopwood Hall College, said: “This has been such an important initiative for the borough and one which our students were keen to get involved in, following on from the success of the scheme in 2019.

“The training is really informative and the harsh reality that 1 in 4 of our students’ future clients will be victims of domestic abuse has been particularly hard-hitting for our students who are now keen to put their training into practice.”

For further information please email CutItOut@rochdale.gov.uk or visit rochdale.gov.uk/cutitout

Or Victim Support 0161 507 9609; Safenet 0300 3033 581 www.rochdale.gov.uk/domesticabuse