source: WAITS

published: February 2025

Image Credits: WAITS Charity

On Wednesday the 19th February, our Change the System Conference was held in collaboration with Birmingham City University. The event was designed with the purpose of not only amplifying the voice of domestic abuse (DA) survivors, but of utilising their expertise, alongside that of key stakeholders, to contrive genuine solutions to change the system.

Four main issues surrounding DA were identified by our SEEKERS Board including: the court and justice system, housing and refuge, police response, and social services. All four themes served as a basis for discussions throughout the day including presentations by key stakeholders such as Councillor Kindy Sandhu, Tony Hopkins, and Nikki Plummer.

'February 2025 Conference'

“The SEEKERS Board eloquently provided present changemakers with possible solutions to the issues at hand"

Moreover, SEEKERS Board members Rebecca Beard, Uzma Akhtar, and Amarah Feroza, not only outlined their lived experience, but eloquently provided present changemakers with possible solutions to the issues at hand. The collaboration between such a large range of opinions, backgrounds, and experiences, was absolutely invaluable, and in many ways, essential when dealing with such a dynamic and complex social issue as domestic abuse.

On behalf of WAITS, we would like to say one last thank you to Claudia Gonzalez, the Community Organising Lead, and to Professor Laura Hammond from Birmingham City University, for organising such a fabulous event.

Thank you to all those who attended the event, but most importantly, thank you to those who listened. Thank you to those who truly heard the voice of survivors, and their proposed solutions. Thank you to those who will ensure their solutions are implemented. Thank you to those who, alongside WAITS, will once and for all change the system!