An innovative group of staff in Keele’s student services team who support students affected by domestic abuse have been praised for their work by a national charity. 

The Domestic Abuse Liaison Officers (DALO) team are made up of colleagues from a variety of student facing roles at Keele, who were brought together to provide better and more effective support for students who disclose domestic abuse in any form. 

The DALO team at Keele are believed to be one of the first and only dedicated domestic abuse support teams at a UK university, with many others wrapping domestic abuse care in with their existing sexual violence support services. 

Now their efforts have attracted praise from across the country, with the founder of the EmilyTest charity visiting campus this week to learn more about the team’s sector-leading work. 

EmilyTest was founded by Fiona Drouet in memory of her daughter Emily, an undergraduate law student who was subjected to a campaign of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) by a fellow student whilst studying at university in Scotland. 

The charity’s mission is to ensure no other student suffers the same circumstances, and they work with universities across the UK to educate and support their staff to tackle gender-based violence among their students. 

During their visit Fiona and colleagues from the charity met with the DALO team, as well as students who have benefited from their service, to learn more about the work the team does and the significant positive impact it has had. 

Alison Felton, Head of Student Wellbeing at Keele, said: “We were really pleased to welcome Fiona and colleagues from the EmilyTest charity to Keele to showcase all the amazing work our DALO team has achieved in the short time it has been established.   

“Unfortunately, statistics highlight that 1 in 5 adults will experience domestic violence during their lifetime with young adults aged 18 to 24 at higher risk so it was therefore so important that this team was established at Keele to support our students who may be affected by domestic violence.  We hope to continue this great work going forward with the support of the EmilyTest charity as well as other local charities who currently support us.” 

Fiona Drouet, founder of EmilyTest, added: “The DALO project is a much needed and innovative response to the growing, often overlooked issue of domestic abuse in universities. It plays a vital role in ensuring students and staff are better equipped to recognise and respond to these harms, which so often go unseen. Domestic abuse thrives in silence, so it’s crucial that when someone seeks help, they’re met with a safe and understanding response.  

“We praise Keele University for leading the way with this important initiative, which is a critical step in ensuring we effectively prevent, intervene in, and support those affected by this devastating issue.” 

Katie Laverty, Director of Student Services and Success at Keele, added: "I'm enormously proud of the DALO team at Keele, not only for setting up this unique and pioneering initiative, but also for the sector-leading work they do to support students affected by all kinds of domestic abuse. It was a huge honour to welcome Fiona Drouet to campus to learn more about the team, and humbling to share our work with her on this hugely important issue."