Sheffield Hospitals Charity awarded over £240,000 to deliver CARE a domestic abuse project for NHS staff

14th November 2025

Sheffield Hospitals Charity will provide crucial support to help staff affected by domestic abuse across Sheffield’s NHS thanks to funding from NHS Charities Together and NHS England through their Workforce Wellbeing Programme.

Sheffield Hospitals Charity will provide crucial support to help staff affected by domestic abuse across Sheffield’s NHS thanks to funding from NHS Charities Together and NHS England through their Workforce Wellbeing Programme.

The grant has been awarded as part of a £11 million programme, which includes a £5 million contribution from NHS England, and is one of 29 ambitious projects across England to receive funding from the programme this Autumn.

The project known as CARE (Culture, Awareness, Response, Empowerment) aims to transform the NHS’s approach to supporting employees affected by domestic abuse.
Through this funding, Sheffield Hospitals Charity will work with partners to develop and deliver training, awareness campaigns, and support mechanisms across NHS sites in Sheffield, ensuring that all staff, regardless of their role, can access the help and guidance they need.

The grant will help provide direct support to NHS staff who are affected by domestic abuse. It will also help NHS Trusts create a workplace culture where domestic abuse is not tolerated and where staff feel safe to speak up. The funding will support wider change across the NHS by including questions about domestic abuse in the national staff survey and by developing training that can be shared with other NHS Trusts across the country.

CARE has been co-created by Sheffield Hospitals Charity, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Health Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, and Independent Domestic Abuse Services. Projects like this will help ensure that NHS staff have the support they need to continue providing the best possible care for patients when it matters most.
Beth Crackles, Chief Executive of Sheffield Hospitals Charity, said:

“Research shows that nurses, midwives and healthcare staff are three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than the average person, with 92 of survivors reporting that their work was negatively affected. Through the CARE project, we’re helping to create a culture of understanding, safety, and support so that staff know they can seek help and be listened to. This funding will make a real difference to lives, both within the NHS workforce and beyond.”