A new global training initiative has launched to help workplaces strengthen their response to domestic and sexual violence and better support employees who may be affected. The training has been made available at no cost to participating organisations.
The programme, Safe Spaces, was developed by insurance provider AXA. It is a video-led training programme designed to help employees recognise and respond to signs of abuse in the workplace.
The launch comes against a backdrop of widespread need. In England and Wales alone, an estimated 2.3 million people experience domestic violence and abuse each year. For employers, this presents a clear responsibility to translate duty of care into everyday practice and to create workplace cultures where concerns can be raised and addressed safely.
The programme is structured around the 3R methodology of Recognise, Respond, Refer. This approach is intended to help employees understand what signs of abuse to look for, how to respond with empathy and confidence and where to direct colleagues for specialist support.
Creating Safe and Supportive Workplaces
“At AXA, we believe the workplace can play an important role in supporting people who experience domestic and sexual violence,” said Kirsty Leivers, chief culture, inclusion and diversity officer at AXA. “Safe Spaces was created to complement existing HR policies by giving people the confidence to apply them in practice. By combining expert insight with powerful storytelling, the programme supports our ongoing commitment to creating safe and supportive workplaces.”
AXA partnered with Omni Productions, a creative production company specialising in human-centred communications, to deliver the programme. and worked closely with AXA’s HR, inclusion and communications teams alongside subject-matter experts and specialist organisations. The aim was to translate complex and sensitive issues into accessible learning tools that could be used across different workplace contexts.
Central to the programme is the use of video and drama to reflect situations employees may realistically encounter. These films are supported by expert interviews and informed by survivor insight, handled carefully to ensure credibility and relevance.
Human-centred Approach
“HR teams are increasingly being asked to lead on complex social issues inside organisations,” said Sam Hearn, co-owner and managing director at Omni. “Our role is to support them by turning responsibility into something practical. Using drama allows people to understand context and engage with the learning in a way that feels relevant, rather than being overwhelmed by policy or theory.”
As part of the project, Omni created a dedicated Safe Spaces website to host the training films and resources in one place. The platform acts as a learning hub for employees and provides access to specialist support services, and the training assets are available to organisations that commit to using Safe Spaces with their employees, allowing teams to integrate the content into their own Learning Management Systems and track completion internally.
Laiverse added, “What’s been particularly encouraging is the level of engagement we’re seeing. It reinforces the importance of using human-centred approaches when tackling complex issues and shows that employees are willing to engage when training feels respectful, practical and handled with care.”