TO leave an abusive partner is really hard. 

Every single person who leaves a situation where they have felt intimidated and scared, is incredibly brave. 

It's only when my mum told a social worker that she needed help nearly 20 years ago that police stepped in, despite officers coming to my house countless times after violence to my mum. When they helped, after she had reached out, my mum packed our car full of everything we owned, picked me up from school and we moved house that day. 

It's only now I'm a woman and not a child that I understand the enormity of the situation. She was scared and alone having to uproot her whole life to get us away from danger. 

So, when I see schemes set up by police specifically to help people who need a lifeline to get out of a domestic abuse situation, I feel grateful that victims will be heard and seen.

Six months ago, Thames Valley Police tweeted: "Did you know victims of domestic abuse are able to use a codeword scheme to help them signal for help from the safety of a pharmacy."

I didn't know but the Home Office have a scheme called 'Ask for Ani' and 68 pharmacies around our region, including 22 in Oxfordshire are taking part. 

All you have to do is walk into a pharmacy and ask for 'Ani' - an acronym for Action Needed Immediately. 

Victims are then taken into a consultation room, asked by a pharmacist if they are in danger and if they want the police to be called. If it's not an emergency they'll get support thorough a helpline or service. 

The whole thing seems like quite an established scheme. Ask for Angela is a similar idea run in bars and clubs - the idea being you ask somebody behind the bar for Angela and they help you to escape a date that isn't going well or maybe isn't what you expected. But this scheme has been outed many times for not working. 

I wanted to know if Asking for Ani would work in a pharmacy. I really hoped it would but I don't want to waste the NHS time, so I'll tell them who I am and why I'm doing it if they try and help. 

There's seven pharmacies taking part in the scheme in Oxford. Weirdly, they're all Boots stores.

Here's what happened when I went into each one: 

Boots, Cornmarket Street

I walked into Boots on Cornmarket Street, went upstairs and looked around the aisles - waiting for the huge queue to go down. 

By the time I'd found what I was looking for, there was one person waiting for a prescription so I went to the till. 

As the man scanned my products, I asked him: "Is Ani here?" 

He looked at me and said: "Ani? We don't have an Ani." 

I said: "Okay." 

He added: "Wait, do you mean Ani from the pharmacy?" 

I nodded and he said: "No, there's not an Ani here."  

I paid for my items, went back downstairs and left Boots. 

Boots, Templars Square

In my second attempt, I headed to Templars Square. 

The Boots is a small unassuming unit and looks like the kiosks you get inside an airport. 

I walked in and asked the lady behind the counter: "Where's your pharmacy please?" 

She said: "Pharmacy? Your nearest one is over in Superdrug." 

"Oh, I was told there was a pharmacy here. No problem though, I'm looking for Ani. Do you know an Ani here?" 

She laughed, shook her head and shrugged. 

I headed for the exit - albeit one step in front of me. 

Boots, Ambassador Avenue

I went to the retail park next, the Boots is a really big unit next to the Food Warehouse and near the Burger King drive-thru. 

I waited in a queue and armed with some painkillers asked the lady behind the till if Ani was in. 

She looked at me and said: "Just one second please." 

I said: "Do you know what I mean?" 

She said: "Yes, let me just get Ani." 

I replied: "No, thank you. I want to check if it works, I'm a journalist and I don't want to waste your time." 

She said: "Phew! Are you okay though? Are you sure?" 

I reassured her and asked what would have happened if I hadn't been. She said I would have gone to a side room to wait for the pharmacist and she would have called 999. 

Boots, London Road

I walked in, the till is just by the entrance. 

"Hi, is Ani here?" 

The lady looked at me, "there's no Ani here," she replied. "I don't know any Ani's." 

Boots, Bury Knowle Health Centre

Bury Knowle Health Centre is just next to the park off London Road. I walked down the driveway and into the pharmacy, slightly confused as there was no 'Boots' branding. 

I asked the man behind the till, dressed in a suit: "Hi, do you know where the Boots Pharmacy is please?" 

He said: "There used to be a Boots but not anymore. The nearest one is next to Sainsbury's. Are you sure you need a Boots?" 

Me: "No I don't think I need the Boots but I'm wondering if Ani is here?" 

He said no, laughed and told his colleagues. I could hear them all laughing, though I wasn't sure what the joke was. 

Boots, Cowley Road

Boots on Cowley Road is empty. The aisles are really far apart and the shelves are bare. I thought it might be closing down. I walked over to the pharmacy section and asked the woman behind the till if Ani is in. 

She said she didn't know Ani but went to ask her colleagues, including the pharmacist. They looked over at me and said: "No, no Ani's here." 

Boots, Summertown

The queue for Boots in Summertown was fairly long but I needed some plasters so I waited in line. 

When I got the front, the pharmacist scanned my plasters and I asked if Ani was working. 

He said: "No, no Ani's here." 

I said: "No problem, just these plasters then please." 

He replied: "Actually, no, my mistake. I'll put this through and then please come with me." 

I told him I was okay and he checked, before saying: "Sorry, I was thrown off a bit." 

Something needs to change

There might not be a single person out there who wants to use the 'Ask for Ani' scheme in Oxford.  

Maybe nobody has seen that tweet or searched for a way out like this. Maybe nobody's confident enough to do this. 

It's definitely intimidating walking up to a counter, sometimes empty and sometimes heaving, asking for Ani knowing your world could completely change of you could simply be ignored. 

I was laughed at. Twice. 

According to the Home Office, more than 100 people across the UK have used this scheme successfully. I can't help think it might be more that have tried, unsuccessfully. 

With figures revealing that domestic abuse is very much in our society, we know that there needs to be many options in place for getting help. 

Not everybody wants to just call 999, not everybody can. 

The options for getting help need to be made easy, accessible, and judgement-free. 

What did the Home Office say? 

More than half of UK pharmacies are participating in the 'Ask For Ani' scheme, which launched in January 2021 - nearly a year after lockdown, when restrictions on daily life meant pharmacies were one of the only places we could go without an excuse. 

When asked if the scheme was considered a success, a spokesperson said: "Domestic Abuse is a devastating crime that ruins lives and we are taking action to support victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

"We know that local areas are already doing great work to support victims of domestic abuse who may be more isolated and finding it more difficult to access help and support. The 'Ask for ANI' scheme is intended to work alongside and build on this existing work and provide an additional tool that can be used to help the most vulnerable victims access emergency support in the community."

'Concerning'

A charity which works with victims of domestic violence says results are ‘concerning’.

A spokesperson for Reducing the Risk said: “Any scheme which supports domestic abuse victims is very welcome. It is concerning to hear that only a small number of the staff in pharmacies were aware of how to respond when approached and asked about Ani.

“There is a need to train and support the staff in these situations. Sadly, it would appear that this hasn’t been happening. If pharmacies take part in the scheme, there needs to be commitment on the part of the management to release staff for such training.”

In Oxfordshire, Reducing the Risk works with organisations to support victims of domestic abuse.

The charity offers training and support through the RtR Network and free training is available, which pharmacies staff are welcome to join.

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