Women and girls asked about experiences of violence

Women and girls aged over 16 are being asked about their experiences of violence to shape the future of support services.

The survey commissioned by Surrey County Council (SCC) aims to understand the perspectives of those who have experienced or witnessed violence against women and girls (VAWG).

This includes any physical, sexual, psychological, financial, emotional or discriminatory abuse or violence.

The council said it wanted to understand the type of support already available, whether there were gaps are how the service could be improved.

Carl Bussey, SCC assistant director for safer communities, said understanding these experiences was "essential to shaping a safer future for everyone".

The survey is part of wider research which the council said it hoped would help "strengthen our partnership response, improve support, and tackle perpetrator behaviour".

Mr Bussey added: "By addressing the root causes of harm, we can drive meaningful change."

The survey is anonymous and open until 28 February.

Participants can expect questions about services they have accessed, their ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion and health status.

The council said the survey was open to all women and girls aged over 16, whether or not the violence had been previously reported.

It is being analysed by independent agency Solutions Research.

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