A better 999 response matters. But women should not have to reach crisis before the system understands them.

In July, West Midlands Police expanded the domestic abuse specialist adviser service inside its 999 control rooms. The service now runs seven days a week, with evening cover, and brings domestic abuse expertise into decisions made when a call first comes in.

That change matters here. Raneem’s Law was introduced in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother, Khaola Saleem, who were murdered in Solihull in 2018 after Raneem had repeatedly contacted the police. West Midlands Police says specialist advisers have reviewed thousands of domestic abuse-related calls since the pilot began in March 2025.

It is a practical reform, rooted in a local failure that should never have happened. But it also raises a harder question: what happens to the woman who is not ready, able or safe enough to call 999?

The first disclosure rarely arrives neatly

A woman may first hint at abuse during a GP appointment. She may mention money problems to a community worker, ask an ESOL tutor about housing, or tell a faith leader that things at home are “difficult”. A young person may describe control as jealousy because nobody has taught them the difference.

For some women, calling the police carries added fears. Immigration status may be used by a perpetrator as a threat. A woman may need an interpreter but fear losing privacy within a small community. She may worry that disclosure will bring shame, disbelief or consequences for her children. None of those barriers is caused by a culture or a faith. They arise from the way control is used and from services that are not always easy to trust or reach.

The Government’s current violence against women and girls strategy recognises this. It says immigration status can affect whether migrant and asylum-seeking victims report abuse, and commits to requiring police to obtain a domestic abuse victim’s consent before sharing information with Immigration Enforcement.

That is a significant promise. Its worth will depend on implementation, clear communication and whether women believe it applies safely in practice.

Policy has moved. Provision must catch up

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s new strategy for 2026–29 is unusually direct. It identifies three persistent failures: people do not always receive the right response when they seek help; specialist services remain underfunded; and poor responses carry too little accountability.

Those are not separate problems.

A skilled 999 adviser can improve risk assessment at the point of emergency. A trained GP can recognise a disclosure. A youth worker may spot controlling behaviour before it escalates. Yet each professional needs somewhere credible to refer the person next.

The Government has committed £550 million for victim support services over three years and plans a new national commissioning statement defining specialist and “by-and-for” services. It also admits that short funding cycles and fragmented commissioning leave support patchy and unpredictable.

The contradiction is plain. We want consistent help, but often fund it through short grants that make staff retention, partnership building and long-term recovery work difficult.

Culturally responsive support is part of the safety system

In Birmingham, culturally responsive support cannot be treated as a translation add-on at the end of a contract.

Good practice means understanding how immigration rules, financial dependence, family pressure, faith, racism and fear of statutory agencies may interact in one person’s life. It means using qualified interpreters rather than relatives. It means knowing when a faith leader can help and when their involvement would increase risk. It also means recognising that many women will approach a trusted local organisation before they approach a large statutory service.

Small community organisations often hold that trust. They hear the partial disclosure. They notice when someone stops attending. They can explain rights in ordinary language and make a supported referral rather than handing over a telephone number.

This work requires clear safeguarding boundaries and links with specialist domestic abuse providers. Community trust is not a substitute for professional expertise. Nor should small organisations be expected to carry high-risk cases without funding, training and referral agreements.

Their role is to make the system reachable.

Prevention cannot begin at 999

The national strategy gives welcome attention to early intervention, healthy relationships and harmful behaviour among young people. That needs to reach beyond a single school lesson.

Young people need repeated, age-appropriate conversations about consent, coercive control, online behaviour and financial pressure. Boys and young men need spaces where harmful ideas can be challenged without labelling every boy as a future perpetrator. Parents need language they can use at home. Community and faith settings need support to respond well when someone speaks.

Integrate Hope’s position is simple: the emergency response and the community response must be designed as one pathway.

Raneem’s Law shows what can change when specialist knowledge is present at the first police call. The next task is to make sure women and young people meet informed, safe support at every other first door too.

Commissioners should ask more than how many referrals a service completed. They should ask who never reached the service, which groups disengaged, whether interpreters were independent, how quickly warm referrals were accepted, and whether smaller trusted organisations were paid for the work they contributed.

That is how policy becomes safety in real life.

If you need support

If you are in immediate danger, call 999. If you cannot speak on a mobile, listen to the operator and press 55 when prompted; pressing 55 does not itself allow police to locate you.

In England, Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline is free and open 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247.