The SafeLives accreditation programme is designed to recognise and reward good and safe practice in community-based domestic abuse services across Scotland, England and Wales.

The aim is to offer services, partner agencies and commissioners a set of standards for supporting victims of domestic abuse. The programme is increasingly being recognised by commissioners and funders as the mark of quality for domestic abuse services.

Since being launched in 2009, many services have been offered SafeLives coaching, workshops and assessment with over 50 gaining accreditation. The Borders service is only the second in Scotland to have achieved Leading Lights status, the other being Committed to Ending Abuse in Falkirk.

Councillor Julie Pirone, executive member for community and culture, said: “This is an incredible achievement for our DAAS service and they deserve our sincerest congratulations on their award. Getting to this point has involved 12 months of considerable hard work and it is testament to the team’s commitment that they did so while continuing to deliver a much needed and critical service.

“This is a team who work incredibly hard to support anyone over the age of 16 who has been the victim of domestic abuse and they do so with remarkable strength, compassion and professionalism. Leading Lights accreditation provides us with clear confirmation that their work is of an extremely high standard and on behalf of the people of the Borders, I would like to commend them for all their efforts.”

DAAS provides support for any adult who has experienced or is experiencing domestic abuse in the Scottish Borders. The service is free and confidential and provides a range of support that can help people to recover from the impact of living with domestic abuse, including working with survivors to improve safety, reduce the risk of further harm and find the best solutions to stay safe.

The team can be contacted directly on 01835 825024 or at: daas@scotborders.gov.uk. Information is also available on the council’s website.