The event, No Home for Domestic Abuse – Breaking the Cycle, will take place on November 14, in Clydebank Town Hall.

The aim of the forum is to start a conversation about what West Dunbartonshire can do as a community to help reduce domestic crime.

During the event, the audience will hear from Police Scotland who will set out the scale of the problem and from senior officers behind the Council’s innovative No Home for Domestic Abuse policy, as well as from West Dunbartonshire’s Health and Social Care Partnership.

Guests will also be invited to participate in discussions about the challenges faced with dealing with domestic violence.

The four-hour event is open to residents in West Dunbartonshire, and will seek to answer the question of what more can be done to reduce incidences of domestic abuse in the area.

There will also be a range of stalls available giving information on how to access support to help friends or neighbours experiencing domestic abuse.

Diane Docherty, councillor and convener of housing and communities, said: “We know that domestic violence affects our residents in West Dunbartonshire and we are committed to working to change that.

“While this crime typically takes place behind closed doors, there are things that the whole community can do to help reduce it. This conference is a great chance to learn a bit more about what domestic abuse can be, and how we can all work together to combat it.”

Caroline McAllister, councillor and vice convener of housing and communities and violence against women champion, added: “I would encourage local residents to get involved in this community conference as it is a great opportunity to voice your opinion on what can be done to tackle domestic violence.

“As a Council, and with partners, we have done a lot of work on domestic abuse, but we are also aware that this area faces a lot of challenges and that there is much more work to be done.

“Changing behaviour is vital to stopping violence in our homes. This  community event will help our residents have a conversation about what they can do to support neighbours or friends experiencing domestic abuse.”

The event has been created alongside the ongoing success of the council’s No Home for Domestic Abuse campaign, which introduced a zero-tolerance policy on domestic abuse within our properties.

The policy, which was launched last June, brought in measures to ensure victims have immediate access to practical help and specialist legal assistance.

It also uses the full force of anti-social behaviour laws to ensure the perpetrator is legally removed from the home.

Since introduced, it has helped more than 160 victims.

The conference has been organised on behalf of West Dunbartonshire Community Planning Partnership, including West Dunbartonshire Council, West Dunbartonshire HSCP, West Dunbartonshire CVS and Police Scotland.

To register for the event, which begins at 9am, please email info@wdcvs.com or call 0141 941 0886.