Hairdressers across the country to be trained in recognising domestic violence and elder abuse

A hairdresser on Bribie Island, north of Brisbane, has had her dream of running a ground-breaking domestic violence program in salons across Australia come true after launching a course that links abuse victims with professional services.

WARNING: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence and abuse that readers may find distressing.

The Australia-first program will roll out to the nation’s 67,000 hairdressers and barbers who will use the sanctity of their client-hairdresser relationship to potentially save lives.

Hairdressers with Hearts (HWH) founder Sonia Colvin has already helped more than 200 victims turn their lives around by seeing the signs of abuse in her salon and reaching out.

“I’ve had clients say to me, ‘I don’t know why I’m telling you this’ or ‘I can’t believe I just told you all that’, and while trends may come and go in this industry, what stays the same is the unique client-hairdresser connection,” Ms Colvin said.

“Our industry can make a huge difference to some of the nation’s most vulnerable, whether we are hairdressers and barbers based in a salon, working remotely or in rural areas, in multicultural or aged-care communities, or providing mobile services in people’s homes.

“We are not domestic violence or elder abuse workers — we are the link, and with the correct resources and appropriate training, we can do our part.”

Ms Colvin started the program three years ago but had battled to get federal recognition and funding to help train apprentices around the country to look for “warning signs”.

‘Hairdressers and barbers frontline in the community’

But from today, the non-profit organisation has joined forces with the Red Rose Foundation, Caxton Legal Centre and the Centre Against Domestic Abuse to train hairdressers and barbers in city and regional salons.

“Hairdressers and barbers are frontline in the community — reaching people on a grassroots level, having intimate conversations with clients on a regular weekly, monthly or six-weekly basis,” Ms Colvin said.

“Sometimes it is the only time a victim is on their own and able to speak safely about their situation at home.”

The stylists would also be trained to look for signs of elder and financial abuse.

Ms Colvin said while cutting one client’s hair she learnt Mary* had been kicked out of her family home by her son — he had given her just 10 minutes’ warning.

So she mobilised the appropriate welfare services to help Mary get her life back on track.

The woman has since told Ms Colvin she would be living in her car if it was not for HWH caring enough to step in.

“Once upon a time when clients told me something, I would worry about them — I’d feel sick at night-time they might be being hurt at home — so that has gone from me now,” Ms Colvin said.

“Now we know we can help someone, shake it off and move on, and feel like we have done what we needed to do, referring them to the right relevant support group — making them safe.”

‘People tell us their secrets’

Albany Creek salon owner Arren Heeley was the first barber in Australia to do the HWH training.

“I have been a barber for 23 years now and what we get told sometimes is amazing; there is something about sitting in the chair and they want to tell us their story,” he said.

“The amount of people we do speak to on a daily basis — you spread that across a year and it is unique the fact people do come in and tell us their lives and their secrets, things they would not even tell their friends.

“They feel safe — it is a safe place and I think it is going to save lives and I hope it does.”

Mr Heeley said a lot of male clients were older and he was noticing an increase in post-COVID-19 stories of possible financial abuse.

“With the problems with the pandemic, hearing more stories of the kids with the inheritances — they want it now — sort of taking advantage of elderly ones,” he said.

“A lot of them do not understand that they do have rights.

“I do think it is important when we hear something, we do give the right advice.

“The training gives us the ability now — instead of going home thinking about what we should have done — it is giving us the ability to do something about it now, putting them in contact with the right people.”

The course includes nine modules, ranging from how to have a conversation with clients, identifying domestic violence and non-lethal strangulation, and violence against males.

There is also a self-care module for hairdressers.

HWH ambassador’s inspirational fight for survival

HWH ambassador and domestic violence survivor Simone O’Brien was savagely bashed with a baseball bat by her fiancee in September 2012.

She endured more than 50 operations to rebuild her crushed skull, jaw and face, in an inspirational fight for survival.

The perpetrator was jailed for 15 years.

The mother-of-three has now devoted her life to helping other victims.

Ms O’Brien said she believed the HWH program would help both men and women because “everyone goes to get their hair done”.

“Unpacking issues, and if they are the perpetrator, they can be picked up as well and get help,” she said.

Ms O’Brien said there were a number of physical, financial and emotional warning signs that hairdressers and barbers should be aware of.

“The most obvious signs are generally physical such as bruises, a busted lip, black eyes, red or purple marks on the neck, hair missing, smashed phone, tenderness of the head and neck at the basin, anxiety and looking at their watch or phone continuously,” she said.

“Victims commonly try to cover up the physical signs with clothing, wearing scarves or long sleeves on hot days, heavier make-up or wearing sunglasses inside.”

She said financial signs included extreme budgeting for hair services.

“Such as paying $100 in cash and only paying $10 on card, anxiety about how long the appointment is taking and whether the cost is increasing, many text messages about time and costs, or not having access to a vehicle or bank cards,” she said.

“The perpetrator may even attend the appointment, monitoring the client’s every movement; sit out the front of the salon or in the car outside, or tell the hairdresser how the victim is to have their hair done.”

[YouTube Simone’s story]