This day marks the start of 16 Days of Action for Violence Against Women and Girls.
Dr John Byrne, Medical Director for NHS South West London, will introduce the White ribbon campaign which is about engaging men and boys to end violence against women and girls. Community Safety Leads will then share learning from live cases from Domestic Homicide Reviews in south west London, how to spot the signs of someone who maybe at risk, and will also explore the roles of GPs and other colleagues in helping with domestic abuse in primary care settings.
About the speakers
Dr John Byrne is the Executive Medical Director for NHS South West London. John was born in Dublin, graduated in medicine from University College Dublin in 1994 before serving for six years as a doctor in the Royal Army Medical Corps, where he completed his training in general practice. In 2002 he became a partner at a GP surgery in Hampshire, and in 2008 was appointed locality medical director for Hampshire Community Healthcare. He is currently the Executive Medical Director at NHS South West London ICB.
Zoe Gallen is the Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Lead for London Borough of Merton. Zoe has worked in domestic abuse and VAWG for 17 years. She set up the domestic abuse partnership and VAWG partnership and supports the domestic homicide reviews and the partnership meetings. She now has a strategic role with the responsibilities of managing the VAWG strategy and action plan, managing the multi-agency risk assessment conference, managing local service contracts. Ensuring survivors safety and sharing knowledge is Zoe’s priority.
Albina Hiorns is Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Operational Manager for Richmond and Wandsworth councils. Due to her passion for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, she began her career at a domestic abuse charity Woman’s Trust fourteen years ago. Since then, she has worked with several domestic abuse organisations supporting high-risk victims of domestic abuse as well as coordinated a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) in Richmond.
During the last three years in her current role, Albina has been focusing on partnership coordination, training and awareness raising, oversight of commissioned services and MARAC performance, and coordination of Domestic Homicide Reviews