Reducing the Risk of Domestic Abuse proudly announces that OUH has become the first NHS Trust to be afforded Torchbearer status. We congratulate and thank them for their support in reducing the risk

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust has been the first NHS Foundation Trust to be accredited as a Torchbearer Organisation by the specialist Domestic Abuse charity Reducing the Risk of Domestic Abuse (RtR). This achievement marks the successful completion of an ambitious, Trust-wide initiative to embed domestic abuse awareness across its entire workforce of over 14,000 staff.

To achieve Torchbearer status—the highest level of accreditation offered by RtR—OUH has gone beyond standard training. The Trust has implemented a comprehensive strategy that includes:

  1. Universal Awareness: Domestic abuse awareness delivered across all clinical and non-clinical departments.
  2. Specialist HR & Management Focus: Targeted training for HR teams and line managers to ensure they can lead with empathy and practical support when a staff member discloses abuse.
  3. A Multi-Level Champion Network: The appointment of DA Champions at every level of the organisational hierarchy, from frontline medical staff to senior leadership, ensuring a safe space is always within reach.

Chloe Allington-Dyckes| Lead Designated Safeguarding Officer (Workforce) at OUH, commented:

“By training our HR teams and managers specifically, we ensure that the ‘safe base’ starts from within. It isn’t enough to just have a policy; we now have a culture where support is accessible at every level of the Trust, whether you are a consultant, a porter, or an administrator.”

Dawn Hodson, CEO of Reducing the Risk, added:

“OUH has demonstrated that size is no barrier to safety. By adopting our flagship initiative, they are ensuring their Champions sit at every level of the hierarchy, they have dismantled barriers of stigma and ‘professional distance’ that so often prevent survivors from seeking help at work.”

Reducing the Risk (RtR) is a specialist domestic abuse charity providing training and support to organisations and communities across the UK. Its Torchbearer initiative helps employers create safer workplaces through specialist training, practical tools and a network of trained champions. RtR has been supporting champions’ networks since 2007, making it one of the longest‑running programmes of its kind in the country.