GWENT Police has become the first police force in Wales to offer round-the-clock specialist support to victims of domestic abuse.

From this weekend, the force's control room will house a team of four specially-trained 'assertive outreach officers' who will work exclusively with people who make known to the police they are victims of such crimes.

The scheme has been set up in collaboration with Women's Aid, following a successful pilot project which ended last year.

(Video: Gwent Police ACC Rhiannon Kirk talks about the benefits of the new scheme)

"Gwent Police deal with 12,000 domestic abuse calls a year," Newport Aid's Natalie Poole said.

"It takes a lot of courage for victims to contact the police for support. Our staff provide a first response to make sure [the victims] are safe."

While the focus is on the victims' safety, the police hope more victims will follow through on reporting their abuse by providing statements and helping to prosecute offenders.

93 per cent of the victims involved in the pilot scheme went on to have further engagement with the police.

One woman, Jenny, had been unwilling to engage with the police for fear of future reprisals, but when the assertive outreach team met her, Jenny opened up about the abuse she had suffered.

The team was able to put her in touch with a specialist support service which helped her through the court system to bring the perpetrator to justice.

Jenny described the impact of the support she received from the team as a “huge weight lifted off my shoulders”.

Senior assertive outreach officer Suzanne Dennehy said victims might see the outreach officers as more approachable than the police.

"There's no uniform," she said. "We're less intimidating, and we've got specialist training."

The team only gets involved if a victim consents.

DI Chris Haire said the scheme would support all victims, including those who decide not to involve themselves with the police.

"Whether a victim chooses to prosecute or not, the main focus is providing care and aftercare," he said.

"We understand a victim may not want to make a statement that day, but if they want to do so later, we will still support them."

Gwent Police's assistant chief constable, Rhiannon Kirk, said she thought the scheme represented the future of public services.

"It's so important to work together and give victims the right support they need at the time," she said.

"People don't want to be shifted between agencies."

The scheme was launched ahead of White Ribbon day (Sunday), which urges men to take a stand against male violence against women.