Landmark milestone signals growing uptake of digital safeguarding by frontline services tackling domestic abuse
WEPROTECT, the instant victim referral app developed by Domestic Abuse (DA) Alliance, has exceeded 10,000 registered professional users across England and Wales, marking a major step forward in the adoption of technology to support victims of domestic abuse.
The WEPROTECT app is used by police officers, safeguarding teams and victim support service practitioners to streamline referrals and connect victim-survivors to civil legal protection and specialist support, quickly.
WEPROTECT is currently deployed across 12 police forces and numerous specialist support services, creating a connected network of professionals working to improve outcomes for victim-survivors.
Since its launch in 2019, WEPROTECT has accelerated 69,000 referrals to specialist legal support, provided by the DA Alliance. These referrals have led to 6000 civil orders being secured for victim-survivors to help them escape abuse and start to feel safe again.
Trusted by Frontline Services
WEPROTECT has become a trusted operational tool, helping organisations reduce demand on their services, strengthen safeguarding decisions, and improve access to timely support for victim-survivors.
Razi Hassan, Director of Partnership and Communication, Domestic Abuse Alliance, said:
“Reaching 10,000 professional users is a significant moment for WEPROTECT and reflects the confidence frontline services have placed in our app and service provision.
Our focus is simple: equip professionals with practical, technology-led tools that enable faster, more informed decisions and remove barriers to support.
When police officers and practitioners can act quickly, victims are safer.
The scale of adoption we are seeing demonstrates a clear shift – digital solutions are no longer optional, they are essential to delivering an effective, joined-up response to tackling domestic abuse.”
Hertfordshire Police was one of the first police forces to implement WEPROTECT. The Force has since made 17,000 referrals through the free-to-use WEPROTECT app.
T/DCI Richard Fitton said:
“Since 2019, our partnership with WEPROTECT in Hertfordshire has added significant value by providing victims and vulnerable individuals with access to specialist legal support. This has streamlined referral pathways and become an important element of our broader safeguarding approach.”
Driving a More Coordinated Response
WEPROTECT enables frontline professionals to:
- Submit structured risk and needs assessments.
- Follow a clear referral pathway for victim-survivors into specialist civil legal services.
- Assist victim-survivors in securing civil legal protection.
- Monitor real-time data from point of referral, through the victim-survivor’s legal journey.
This coordinated approach helps ensure victims are identified swiftly and supported more effectively.
Driving Innovation
DA Alliance is continuing to invest in WEPROTECT’s development, with a focus on reducing frontline demand and improving outcomes for victim-survivors. Ongoing developments include:
- AI-enabled risk assessment tools
- Automated referral and case management pathways
- Enhanced reporting and data insights for partners
- Automated process serving and provision of court orders.
Razi Hassan added:
“This milestone is shared with every organisation using WEPROTECT.
It reflects a collective commitment to improving how we respond to domestic abuse – through collaboration, innovation and a relentless focus on improving outcomes for victim-survivors.”
About Domestic Abuse Alliance
Domestic Abuse (DA) Alliance brings together organisations working on the frontline of domestic abuse with the civil legal sector to provide legal support and protection for victims. The free to use WEPROTECT app, which is in use across 12 UK police forces, enables an immediate referral to be made to the DA Alliance’s team of specialists, who support victim-survivors to secure civil protection measures such as court orders and injunctions to help them break the cycle of abuse.
