A guest post from Nicole Jacobs, the Chief Executive of Standing Together
Standing Together is a charity based in West London that coordinates the local approach to domestic violence and also does work nationally and internationally. Launched more than 13 years ago, Standing Together works to promote a co-ordinated, multi-agency community response to domestic violence. This approach recognises that no one agency can tackle domestic violence effectively if acting alone. Without effective coordination of activities between agencies, responses are less effective and survivors of domestic violence are still at risk of falling through the gaps in the system.
The coordinated partnership model enables all the relevant agencies to identify and respond successfully to domestic violence. We work together with statutory and community organisations – from criminal justice agencies to children’s services and refuges – to ensure that victims and children are safer, and perpetrators are held to account.
We also influence national policy and practice by initiating and driving innovation in providing safer options for women and holding perpetrators accountable. We have influenced national and local government and ensured a better response to domestic violence. As a result, significant and positive changes have occurred in the provision of special courts and enhanced expert services and policies aimed at reducing the risk to women.
We act as the domestic violence coordinator for Hammersmith & Fulham. What is unique about us is that we have divided the role of the coordinator – so we have a dedicated Maternity Coordinator, Children and Health Coordinator, Specialist Domestic Violence Court Coordinator, MARAC (multi-agency risk assessment conference) coordinator, Housing coordinator. Our work is not only limited to H&F, but we also work within the tri-borough (K&C and Westminster) and have MARACs in the tri-borough as well as in Brent, Ealing and Haringey.
For more information, please visit our website www.standingtogether.org.uk.
Hammersmith and Fulham Forum 
Mr John Mills, 69 Osborn Place, Leominster- Herefordshire, HR6 8BW
Dear Nicole Jacobs
Your letter in “The Times” of October 12th 2016 “Innovative courts”attracted my attention.
Over the years I have seen how much it means to people with mental health problems to be
able to turn their lives around. Even intense suffering can be healed with the right help. As a
teenager and young man I experienced deep depression from family problems but with medical
help was able to master it after 13 years.
Please find enclosed 2 articles from an international journal which you may not have come across before as it is not available through the usual channels. I thought you might appreciate seeing them:
“What you should know about mental disorders”, and “An end to domestic violence”. I still find the reminders on page 6 of the article on mental disorders helpful. Both issues were translated into over 90 languages, and in excess of 43 million copies of each journal distributed without cost in more than 200 lands. “AWAKE” can be downloaded at no cost from J.W.org.
Please copy and paste:
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201304/
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201412/
Please forgive the delay in contacting you but now I am permanently disabled and housebound, and writing is difficult, so my friend Frank Howard is kindly emailing you in my behalf.
I send my best wishes for your good health.
Yours sincerely,
John Mills
johnhowardmills42@gmail.co.uk