A SUPPORT service set up with Gwent Police for victims of domestic abuse has helped 750 people in its first year.

The Assertive Outreach Team is staffed around the clock by specially-trained support workers, who aim to help victims of abuse escape a life of fear.

The service has helped hundreds of people who reported abuse to the police. Support can include carrying out home visits, helping people make victim statements, and helping people access out-of-county refuges.

"We are there to reassure, and make the victims feel safe," senior support worker Suzanne Dennehy said. "By getting out there and letting victims know there are people who support them, that's how we can make a difference."

Going to the police "can be a really daunting experience" for someone who is being abused, Ms Dennehy added.

"To go through all that and then be in a police station can be intimidating," she said. "What they disclose is really traumatic, it's personal, and it's upsetting for people.

"Our aim is for the victim to feel confident in calling the police and knowing that they'll get first-class services."

The Assertive Outreach Team, set up in collaboration with Cyfannol Women's Aid, covers the same area as Gwent Police.

READ MORE: Police scheme offers 24-hour support to victims of domestic abuse

Since the team was formed in November 2018, the vast majority of the people it has supported have been women (94 per cent).

The team's four support workers can also put abuse victims in contact with more specialised groups which help people from the LGBT community or from ethnic minority groups.

"It's about working together, and bring our expertise together, for the best service," Ms Dennehy said.

The team's work has attracted the interest of other police forces, she added, who would like to bring in similar schemes in their areas.

Team member Nadine Wills said some people might not even know they were in an abusive relationship.

"If there's no physical abuse, they might not realise – but it can be just as damaging to live with years of coercive control," she said. "There's still so much fear of disclosure – a fear they might not be believed."

Ms Dennehy said the team's ultimate aim was for victims to "break the cycle of abuse and move on with their lives".

To anyone wishing to speak to the Assertive Outreach Team, Ms Dennehy said: "Ring 101 or 999 [in an emergency] and ask to be put through to us.

"If we can't speak to you there and then, we will get back to you."

She added: "There are domestic abuse agencies all over Gwent. The support is out there, and if you go to a domestic abuse service, it is confidential."

Welsh Government information and support for victims of domestic and sexual violence is available online at www.gov.wales/live-fear-free