Judith Fitzsimons - Domestic Violence Policy Co-ordinator, London Borough of Hackney
Judith Fitzsimons joined Hackney Council in 2008 as the Domestic Violence Policy Co-ordinator. She currently co-ordinates the Domestic Violence Policy and Operations Group (formerly the DV Forum) which is central to Hackney’s Integrated Partnership Response to Domestic and Gender Violence. Judith is the borough lead for Domestic and Gender Violence Awareness Training, providing trainings and briefings to partner agencies to improve agency response to service users affected by violence. She also oversees Domestic and Gender Violence policy and procedure work for the borough and works as part of the Domestic Violence and Hate Crime Team, helping to ensure that partner agencies are working closely with the team and referring clients experiencing domestic and gender violence to the team for advice and support.
Prior to joining Hackney Council, Judith worked as a Domestic Violence Advocate with the charity Woman’s Trust. This involved providing advocacy, advice and support to women experiencing domestic violence and included supporting them through the criminal justice system. During this time, Judith was successful in forming a link with a major commercial law firm who agreed to provide free legal advice and in-court support to women applying for injunctions against their violent partners. Prior to this, Judith was a refuge worker with the charity Refuge for three years. She holds an MA in Gender, Culture and Development.
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