By Dominic Casciani BBC News Online community affairs reporter

Etty Martin and Sheri Rogers of Crisis Intervention

In practice there is virtually no immediate support for victims of domestic violence when they call the police, other than fleeing to a refuge.

And experts say it is in the gaps between the moment the first call is made, to the day the abuser is jailed, that things can go wrong with devastating effect.

Not only are many women too scared to contact the authorities, those who do so often retract their statements within hours.

But the Crisis Intervention Service in Walsall, West Midlands, aims to change the system by intervening as early as possible, winning the trust of women who need help but don't know where to turn.

Sometimes officers hear an address come in on a call and they'll say to themselves 'Here we go again' - they feel all they are able to do is take a sticking plaster approach Inspector Ian Grundy, West Midlands Police

Walsall has been identified as a domestic violence hotspot and West Midlands police regard it as much as a priority as other violent crime.

"We are policing an area with generally stable extended families," said Inspector Ian Grundy of West Midlands Police.

"There is certainly a case of many people culturally accepting domestic violence going back generations."

This social unwillingness to confront the violence compounds a woman's fear of seeing through her complaint.

"If women are not protected through the process they are generally too frightened to confront what is happening," says Sheri Rogers of the crisis intervention service.

"Once they have made a complaint, they have to go to court and face the abuser. You need to be a very strong woman to take those steps."

How it works

Crisis intervention is a simple idea. In essence, women are immediately offered support from domestic violence experts.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN WALSALL Population: 260,000 4,000 complaints (Apr - Dec 2002) Recent rise in incidents "New Deal" community and health regeneration project

When police make an arrest, the woman is generally at home in an extremely distressed state, with no idea whether the man will be returning. It is in those first hours that women are most vulnerable and likely to withdraw their complaint.

"Before we developed this service, we had a situation where we were trying to put help in place after the event," said Sheri Rogers.

"For instance, a lot of violence happens after the pubs shut. Where could they get independent advice in the middle of the night?"

When officers alert the crisis intervention team they visit the victim as quickly as possible.

I kept the beatings secret for years Click here for Lorraine's story

They are independent of social services and the police and aim to help the woman understand what she can do next.

"If the woman wants to go with her children to a relative in another area, the team are there to make sure she gets there," said Sheri Rogers. "If she wants to stay at home, they are there to make sure she is ok.

"That phone call to the police has probably been the first time the victim has admitted she is being abused," said Sheri.

"It's absolutely crucial in these hours when she is genuinely terrified that she gets to speak to the right people who can help her, whatever she decides to do."

A lot of violence happens after the pubs shut. Where could they get independent advice in the middle of the night? Sheri Rogers

The service, part of Walsall's New Deal community regeneration plan, tries to get the woman in contact with the services she needs, be it emergency accommodation or a complete change of location.

Etty Martin, head of the Walsall NHS domestic violence programme, said: "Crisis intervention is about maximising opportunities to help the woman at a time when they are close to crumbling.

"If you think that it takes an average of 35 assaults for a woman to turn to the police, she is in a terrible mental state at this point.

"But unless the help is right when she makes that call, there may well be far more violence before we have another chance to help."

Role of the police

Crisis intervention may sound obvious, but it has never been tried before.

If it works, and the Home Office are interested, it will change the way authorities tackle domestic violence, including the police.

It takes an average of 35 assaults for a woman to turn to the police Etty Martin

Many domestic violence officers are so stretched they may not manage to contact a victim for up to a month after a complaint.

Secondly, many officers are reluctant to get involved, said Insp Ian Grundy. "Officers get frustrated with what goes on, especially if a complaint is withdrawn.

"I would not blame them for feeling frustrated because they face some real difficulties.

"Sometimes they will hear an address come in on a call and they'll say to themselves 'Here we go again'. And they feel that all they are able to do is take a sticking plaster approach.

"What we are looking forward to is crisis intervention will mean the victim will get the immediate help they need and, I hope, we will get more of a chance of pursuing charges and getting a conviction."