The work undertaken by police to keep survivors of domestic violence safe has won national recognition as it is set to be rolled out.

Greater Manchester Police's use of AtHoc, for domestic abuse offender management was praised at the recent CIR Risk Management Awards in London.

This comes after His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) recognised the use within the force’s recent police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy (PEEL) inspection as ‘promising practice’.

The Public Safety Award, which was handed to GMP in partnership with AtHoc service provider, BlackBerry, and marks the second year in a row GMP have been awarded this title, was recognising the work in managing Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) with alerts.

DVPOs are an important piece of legislation used by police forces to safeguard victims of abuse, where there may not be enough criminal evidence to secure charges against those accused of harm.

The system has been alerting, via AtHoc, Armed Response Officers of DVPOs near to their location when on patrol.

They receive a copy of the order, as well as information about both victim and perpetrator.

Using this, they can conduct victim welfare checks, and check on offender compliance.

These enhanced checks have resulted in several arrests being made so far for order breaches, and the plan now is to roll out the initiative across the Specialist Operations branch, so that more officers around the region can conduct DVPO checks.

Inspector Darren Spurgeon, GMP’s AtHoc lead, said: “I am delighted that our use of AtHoc has received more national recognition.

“What is most important from this award win, and from the recognition within the latest PEEL inspection, is that victims of domestic violence are getting a more proactive service from GMP and being better safeguarded from harm.

“Since rolling out this initiative, we can see the potential Geo Alerts and AtHoc could have for many other areas of policing. Other forces have also embraced the technology, with more to follow suit, because of GMP’s innovative use.”

Inspector Craig Birkhead, the AtHoc operational lead, said: “I am absolutely delighted the work we have done using AtHoc to support the most vulnerable people in our communities is proving to be a success, and has been highlighted as a promising initiative in GMP’s recent HMICFRS PEEL report.

“I would like to thank our Armed Response teams who have adopted this technology as part of daily business and have been instrumental in its success to date.”

Detective Superintendent Toby Facey GMP's Domestic Abuse lead said: “GMP is committed to tackling domestic abuse by utilising a whole systems approach to ensure that every part of the organisation is working cohesively to support victims and target suspects.

“The DVPO scheme is a very important tool in our armoury and has been successfully utilised to protect over 1200 victims this year alone.

“The use of AtHoc has significantly increased our capability and has protected numerous victims through proactive arrests. Behind the scenes the DVPO team has worked tirelessly to administer the scheme successfully and I would like to thank them for their efforts”.

What to do if you are suffering domestic violence or a survivor of the abuse:

Report it to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.

You can also report information and crimes via www.gmp.police.uk using the 'report' tool.

Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

There are also lots of organisations and support agencies available across Greater Manchester that can help and provide support for you:

Greater Manchester domestic abuse helpline

Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, except bank holidays. For anyone experiencing domestic abuse. Includes a language service and advice for the LGBT community.

End the Fear

Includes information on local help all over Greater Manchester.

Wigan and Leigh Dias drop-in centre works with women and men who are experiencing or recovering from domestic violence and abusive relationships and helps them to regain control of the situation.

More support organisations can be found here.