You searched for Barriers to accessing support - Women’s Aid https://womensaid.org.uk/ Until Women and Children are Safe Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:37:52 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://womensaid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/favicon-100x100.png You searched for Barriers to accessing support - Women’s Aid https://womensaid.org.uk/ 32 32 Leadership https://womensaid.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/leadership/ Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:33:00 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?page_id=49148 Leadership team Women’s Aid’s Leadership Team is responsible for the effective day-to-day management of the charity, ensuring that our strategic outcomes are translated into high-quality services and partnerships to deliver positive outcomes for survivors. Collectively, the team provides operational oversight across all areas of the organisation, upholds our commitment to safeguarding and service quality, and […]

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Leadership team

Women’s Aid’s Leadership Team is responsible for the effective day-to-day management of the charity, ensuring that our strategic outcomes are translated into high-quality services and partnerships to deliver positive outcomes for survivors. Collectively, the team provides operational oversight across all areas of the organisation, upholds our commitment to safeguarding and service quality, and ensures that our work reflects the values and principles integral to the domestic abuse sector.

Working collaboratively with the Board of Trustees, the Leadership Team oversees organisational and financial performance, compliance with relevant legislation and standards, and the development of a safe, supportive environment for staff and members.

The team leads our training, accreditation, research and evaluation programmes, ensuring that our work is evidence-informed, sector-leading, and grounded in survivor experience. The team also guides our fundraising efforts, supporting sustainable income generation that enables us to deliver and grow our vital services.

Bringing a breadth of experience spanning frontline service delivery, organisational development, marketing and digital, policy, advocacy, and sector leadership, Women’s Aid’s Leadership Team ensures that our work remains survivor-centred, innovative, and impactful.

Farah Nazeer is an accomplished leader with over 22 years of executive experience in the voluntary sector, specialising in women’s rights, human rights, and social justice. She has driven impactful policy, programme, and campaign interventions nationally and internationally, underpinned by feminist leadership, inclusivity, and anti-racism.

Since 2021, Farah has been CEO of Women’s Aid Federation of England, the UK’s leading charity working to end violence against women and girls. She oversees the federation of 185 member organisations delivering 300+ services nationwide. Her tenure has seen strategic transformation, governance reform, and cultural change, alongside her role as a prominent spokesperson and convenor within the VAWG sector.

Farah’s career includes senior roles at ActionAid UK, Bond, Lumos, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and the Women’s Institute. She has led advocacy on gender-based violence, economic justice, institutional reform, and sustainability, influencing UK and global policy through legislative change, coalition-building, and high-impact campaigns.

A passionate advocate for intersectionality and systemic change, Farah champions diversity and accountability. She holds an MSc in Politics, Environment and Research and a BA in Politics with Eastern European Languages from UCL. She is also an experienced board member and former elected councillor.

Nikki Bradley MBE (hc) is the Director of Delivery and the designated safeguarding lead at the Women’s Aid Federation of England.

Nikki has been a qualified social worker for forty years working across the range of family and children centred statutory services as a practitioner and a manager. As such she has a detailed understanding of the range of interventions and challenges facing the multi-agency professional teams when responding to the impact of domestic abuse. Nikki has extensive experience of representing children in a range of court settings where domestic abuse was a dominant risk. 

In 2013 Nikki was awarded an MBE for her contribution to children and families, for her work in developing a Family Intervention model alongside government and several housing providers. A year later Nikki was awarded an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University where she is an alumni.

Nikki has a lot of experience of work towards more effective communication and impact within multi-disciplinary settings including for families with No Recourse to Public Funds and in children’s mental health provision.

Having joined the charity sector several years ago, Nikki is ambitious about the potential for closer collaboration with statutory partners to address some of the serious and systemic issues that impede the protection of children who are at risk of harm.

Sarah Davidge is the Head of Membership, Research and Evaluation at Women’s Aid Federation of England and has worked at Women’s Aid for 15 years in a range of roles within the membership and research teams. Sarah leads a number of projects providing an evidence base for the experiences of survivors of domestic abuse and the specialist services supporting them, including the No Woman Turned Away project which supports women facing barriers to accessing refuge.

Her research has included the 2019 reports The Economics of Abuse looking at the relationship between economic resources and domestic abuse, and Funding Specialist Support for Domestic Abuse Survivors which looks at the investment needed to create a sustainable support sector which is accessible to all women.

Her recent research has included the 2020 report A Perfect Storm: The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on domestic abuse survivors and the services supporting them and more recently Come Together to End Domestic Abuse: a survey of UK attitudes to domestic abuse 2022 which looks at attitudes towards domestic abuse in the UK and Influencers and attitudes: How will the next generation understand domestic abuse? Which explores what influences the attitudes of children and young people.

Isabelle Younane is Head of External Affairs at Women’s Aid Federation of England. She joined Women’s Aid in August 2021, and currently leads the charity’s work across public affairs, communications, events and campaigning to ensure domestic abuse is at the top of the public and political agenda.

Prior to joining Women’s Aid, Isabelle has held policy, advocacy and communications roles at ActionAid UK, the British Council and the United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK), primarily focusing on gender inequality and human rights abuses internationally.

An English graduate from the University of Exeter, she holds a Master’s degree in Human Rights from University College London and sits on the Advisory Council for New Diplomacy Project, an independent think tank that aims to support the development of a progressive foreign policy for the 21st century.

Kate Graves has been working in Accounting and Finance for over 40 years with experience across commercial, social enterprise and charity finance. She has been with Women’s Aid Federation of England since March 2024. She has extensive experience building finance teams, implementation of systems and problem solving in a fast-paced environment.

Faye Connelly is Head of Fundraising at Women’s Aid, where she leads the strategic development and delivery of income generation to support women and children affected by domestic abuse.

With extensive experience across charitable fundraising, Faye oversees a diverse portfolio including major gifts, trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships, individual giving, and community fundraising. She is responsible for driving sustainable income growth, strengthening donor engagement, and building long-term partnerships that amplify the organisation’s impact nationwide.

Faye is passionate about creating values-led fundraising strategies that centre survivors’ voices while maintaining the highest standards of ethical practice and transparency. She works closely with senior leadership and trustees to align fundraising ambitions with organisational strategy, ensuring that resources are directed where they are needed most, from frontline services to national campaigning and policy work.

Known for her collaborative leadership style, Faye builds high-performing teams and fosters strong cross-sector relationships to advance the mission of ending domestic abuse. Her work helps ensure that Women’s Aid can continue providing life-saving support, raising awareness, and driving systemic change for women and children across the UK.

Jo is an experienced training and organisational development leader with over 15 years’ experience across higher education, public sector, and non-profit environments. As Head of Training and Development at Women’s Aid, she leads the strategic growth of a trauma-informed, evidence-based learning offer that supports the professionalisation of domestic abuse practice across England.

Since joining Women’s Aid, Jo has led a major transformation programme, strengthening quality, modernising delivery, and restructuring teams to create a financially sustainable and high-performing function. Her approach centres on collaboration, inclusion, and measurable learning impact.

Before joining Women’s Aid, Jo founded and led Empower – Be The Change, an award-winning leadership and coaching organisation recognised nationally for innovation and impact. She has extensive experience developing leaders, designing evaluation frameworks, and building learning cultures that support confidence, capability and sector-wide change.

Jo holds postgraduate qualifications in leadership, coaching, mentoring and education, alongside Mental Health First Aid and Prince2 practitioner certification.

Priya brings a practical mix of legal knowledge, operational experience and culture-building to her role at Women’s Aid. Known for an approach that is calm, fair and clear, her work has taken her from public and private healthcare to business change and transformation, including supporting large workforces across the EMEA region. Throughout her career she has focused on strengthening leadership, decision-making and the everyday culture people work within.

At Women’s Aid, Priya oversees people strategy, organisational design, operations, and comms and engagement, alongside developing strong, accountable leadership at every level. Her focus is on how culture is lived day to day, not just how it appears in policy. She has led structural and cultural change in varied environments, strengthened governance, and supported other leaders to bring clarity, fairness and respect into the way they manage others. She combines employment law expertise with people-centred design to build systems that help colleagues work confidently, feel supported and do their best work.

Alongside her role at Women’s Aid, Priya is a Senior Lecturer in strategic people management and advanced employment law, and a CIPD IQA Lead. She received a national CIPD Outstanding Achievement Award, recognising one of the highest postgraduate results achieved in the UK, for early work on flexible working in healthcare, undertaken before sector-wide adoption, which helped shape a trial later implemented in practice; a recognition that continues to guide her commitment to strengthening HR thinking and practice through principled leadership and good governance.

Ellie is a purpose-driven leader, who is committed to driving positive social impact. Her varied experience spans the voluntary, private and public sectors, where she has driven national policy change and delivered impactful programmes and services, including for central government.

Before joining Women’s Aid, Ellie held senior positions in policy and delivery roles with a focus on families, education and children and young people. She spent five years working across varied policy areas for the Department for Education and has also held a policy leadership role at an Ed Tech start up, Multiverse. Ellie started her career working with young people in London, where she qualified as a teacher and went on to deliver a programme focused on promoting young people’s positive mental health and wellbeing, working for Barnardo’s.

As Head of Policy and Survivor Services at Women’s Aid, Ellie is passionate about evidence-informed policymaking and ensuring that survivor voice is at the heart of Women’s Aid’s work and amplified directly to national policymakers.

Elena Tognoni is an experienced marketing, brand and digital leader with over 15 years’ experience across international NGOs, health and social care, and mission-driven organisations. As Head of Marketing, Brand and Digital at Women’s Aid, she leads the strategic development of impactful marketing and user-centred digital services that strengthen the charity’s national voice and support women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

Before joining Women’s Aid, Elena spent six years at MSI Reproductive Choices UK, where she transformed marketing and digital capability, led major digital projects (including an award-winning website launch) and strengthened the organisation’s brand presence at a national level. Her work spanned digital strategy, content, service design, marketing, and cross-channel user experience, with a consistent focus on safeguarding, accessibility and audience needs.

Elena brings extensive experience in leading multidisciplinary teams, shaping digital ecosystems, and building clear, insight-driven strategies. She is passionate about strategies that centre survivors’ voices, improve access to support, and drive long-term social change.

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]]> Health Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (Health IDVA) https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=49034 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:28:06 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=49034 Salary:  £25,845 -£30,790 pa FTE Contract:  12 month fixed term contract with the potential for extension Benefits:  25 days annual leave + bank holidays (pro rata if part time), 3% matched pension contribution, employee health cash plan and discounts scheme Closing date:  Sunday 7th December 2025 Interview date:  Monday 15th December 2025 Please note: this post […]

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]]> Salary:  £25,845 -£30,790 pa FTE
Contract:  12 month fixed term contract with the potential for extension
Benefits:  25 days annual leave + bank holidays (pro rata if part time), 3% matched pension contribution, employee health cash plan and discounts scheme
Closing date:  Sunday 7th December 2025
Interview date:  Monday 15th December 2025

Please note: this post is restricted to women under schedule 9, Part 1, Equalities Act 2010

JOB PURPOSE

The Health IDVA provides vital support to those affected by domestic abuse, helping them access the specialist services they need and navigate challenges in their daily lives. You will work directly with patients with a wide range of experiences and needs, offering advocacy, guidance, and practical support. A key part of the role is raising awareness among community healthcare professionals about the impact of domestic abuse, particularly on mental health, through training, guidance, and ongoing support, so that patients are identified earlier and supported more effectively.

This role addresses a need in community healthcare, where many patients are not recognised as survivors of domestic abuse. By combining domestic abuse expertise with a therapeutic approach, the Health IDVA will provide direct support to patients while helping community services and healthcare teams feel confident and equipped to respond appropriately. You will be supported by the Head of Adult Services and HIDVA Managers. You will have the opportunity to complete a formal domestic abuse qualification once you pass your probation (if not already qualified).

Through this work, the Health IDVA will help ensure that patients receive timely, compassionate support while also strengthening the skills, confidence, and understanding of community services and professionals. By building strong partnerships and sharing expertise, the role will contribute to a more coordinated and effective response to domestic abuse, ensuring that patients are supported at every stage and that services are better equipped to meet their needs.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Support to Survivors

  • Hold a caseload of clients, including NHS staff.
  • Ensure survivors are fully informed of their rights and options, and explain the criminal and civil legal remedies available to them.
  • Promote enhanced safety and wellbeing for victim-survivors accessing community healthcare, including NHS staff.
  • Conduct needs and risk assessments, including DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Abuse Risk Assessment), to determine appropriate levels of support. Develop and implement safety plans collaboratively with clients to address their needs in a timely manner.
  • Assist clients in accessing appropriate legal, financial, housing, medical, educational, and employment services, as well as counselling and community support networks.
  • Work in partnership with police, housing providers, and other agencies to advocate for survivors and facilitate referrals to ongoing support services.
  • Attend Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences when required (MARAC) and make referrals where appropriate.
  • Recognise and address the needs of survivors who experience additional barriers to accessing services, including those from minority groups or with protected characteristics.
  • Uphold safeguarding responsibilities for children, young people, and adults, in line with Child Protection Procedures and safeguarding policies.
  • Maintain accurate client records, monitoring data, and outcome information. Prepare reports and evaluations as required for service monitoring.
  • Participate in an out-of-hours rota, providing a HIDVA service within the hospital on Friday evenings and weekends as scheduled

Partnership Working and Training

  • Promote the Health IDVA service and establish formal working links with GP practices and other healthcare providers (such as dental, health visiting or mental health teams.
  • Attend safeguarding, handover and partnership meetings to raise awareness of the service and share our knowledge so earlier identification of domestic abuse within community healthcare settings can be achieved.
  • Deliver training sessions to community healthcare staff to raise awareness of domestic abuse, safe enquiry and appropriately responding to disclosures.
  • Contribute to multi-agency safeguarding meetings and local domestic abuse forums to share learning and strengthen partnership working.

General

  • Uphold the values and good name of Rising Sun at all times represent the organisation in a way that is consistent with its philosophy and ethos and in line with all Rising Sun’s policies.
  • Actively participate in clinical supervision, training and development opportunities.
  • Develop your understanding of trauma informed work and embed in your day-to-day practice.
  • Maintain an up-to-date working knowledge to be able to advise women of their rights and options for seeking help and support from other agencies, such as housing options, legislation and welfare.
  • Comply with organisational policies and procedures, including Safeguarding, Data Protection and Health and Safety.
  • Undertake other duties and responsibilities in keeping with the nature of this post, as may be required from time to time.

This job description sets out the duties of the post at the time when it was drawn up and will be reviewed from time to time. Duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following experience, knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Qualifications

  • Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) qualification (desirable)
  • Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) qualification (desirable)
  • Health qualification (desirable)

Knowledge and Experience

  • At least 3 years’ experience of working with survivors of domestic abuse, including high risk clients, and assessing client risks and needs
  • Experience of co-producing short- and longer-term risk management, safety and support plans with survivors and their children
  • Experience of delivering training (desirable)
  • Experience working with the police, social services and MARAC
  • Experience of lone working and able to work on own initiative
  • Experience working with people with mental health needs, substance misuse, other complex needs
  • Experience of working in a hospital / healthcare setting (desirable)
  • Knowledge of criminal and civil legal remedies and housing law relating to domestic abuse
  • Knowledge of domestic abuse risk assessment tools including DASH and extensive understanding of the MARAC process
  • A thorough understanding of safeguarding relating to adults with care and support needs and children
  • Up to date knowledge of the welfare benefits system and the ability to ensure service users maximise their benefit entitlement (desirable)
  • Knowledge of local services and DA Specialists across Kent & Medway (desirable)

Skills and attributes

  • Ability to network face to face and virtually, to develop new contacts and partnerships
  • Ability to train professionals on recognising domestic abuse and responding appropriately (desirable)
  • Ability to motivate yourself and work independently on your own initiative
  • Solution focused and creative in approaching new challenges
  • Competent using Microsoft office programmes, in particular MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
  • Passionate about the aim and principles of Rising Sun
  • Committed to equal opportunities, safeguarding and maintaining confidentiality
  • Able to drive and have access to a reliable car (post holder will be required to attend meetings and across our areas of work)
  • Able to work some evenings and weekends
  • Eligible to live and work in the UK

How to apply

If you feel that this role would be a good fit for you, please visit our website https://www.risingsunkent.com/get-involved/join-the-team to find downloadable copies of the job pack and application form and for further details about Rising Sun. Please demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the person specification in your personal statement.

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]]> Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=48316 Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:26:46 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=48316 We have a rewarding opportunity available for a Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker to join our team based in Bristol. You will join us on a full time, permanent basis, working 37.5 hours per week. In return, you will receive a competitive salary of Point 12 £27,711 per annum plus benefits. Established in […]

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]]> We have a rewarding opportunity available for a Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker to join our team based in Bristol. You will join us on a full time, permanent basis, working 37.5 hours per week. In return, you will receive a competitive salary of Point 12 £27,711 per annum plus benefits.

Established in 1999, Next Link is the leading provider of domestic abuse services to women and children in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. At Next Link we are committed to providing holistic, empowering and personalised support and advocacy to women and children experiencing domestic abuse. With a focus on survivor’s safety and recovery; we believe the provision of flexible support tailored to survivor’s needs can be transforming, helping to maximise independence and self-determination so survivors can make informed choices.

In return for joining us, we will offer you:

  • Up to 30 days annual leave (depending on length of service)
  • 3 extra holidays including International Women’s Day
  • Excellent development and training opportunities
  • Employer pension contribution (minimum 5% of your gross salary)
  • Mindful Employer Plus Scheme
  • Cycle to Work Scheme
  • Long Service Awards
  • Health and Wellbeing programme

About the role:

  • Our Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker will provide safe housing and support to women who have experienced domestic abuse and have complex needs.  You will support to empower women with complex needs to move on to independent or lower level supported accommodation.
  • Key duties and responsibilities of our ideal Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker:
  • Promote the service through building positive relationships with current, potential referrers and service users to ensure a steady flow of appropriate referrals.
  • Sign up new licensees using the agreed licence agreement and advise on rights and obligations of the agreement and then settle into the allocated Safehouse. Complete all paperwork, photocopy and send off as appropriate. Ensure new files are set up and a handover is given to the allocated keyworker.
  • Liaise closely with applicant and referral agencies and keep informed of progress and outcome.
  • Advise woman on personal safety and safety procedures regarding the safe house. Complete a personal safety plan.
  • Establish the need for any civil legal remedies and support to access a specialist solicitor when appropriate.
  • Carry out a financial assessment for each service user assisting them to maximise their income, address debts and support them to make appropriate welfare benefit claims.
  • Complete sign up paperwork, including welfare benefits claims ensuring they are accurately complete and promptly submitted.
  • Take primary responsibility for the collect of rent and other charges payable. Work closely with the resident and Finance Department to minimise and manage arrears.
  • This is not an exhaustive list of your duties and outlines the general ways in which it is expected you will meet the overall requirements of this post.

What we are looking for in our ideal Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker:

  • Numeracy and literacy to GCSE level/NVQ 2 or equivalent
  • Ability to maintain accurate and up‐to‐date records of contact with service users, other support /housing related information and to communicate with colleagues and stakeholders using common Microsoft Office packages, e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook and other IT software
  • Knowledge and understanding of the issues, barriers and support needs of women experiencing domestic abuse, homelessness, mental health and complex needs face in accessing and sustaining accommodation
  • Knowledge of domestic abuse civil legal remedies
  • Knowledge of Domestic Abuse risk assessment tools including DASH and the MARAC process
  • Proven experience of working with women who have survived domestic abuse
  • Proven experience working with people with mental health needs, or people with complex needs
  • Proven experience working in homelessness/supported housing sector providing support in shared or self-contained accommodation
  • Experience of working with women with multiple needs (e.g. mental health, homelessness, alcohol/drug dependency, self‐harm behaviours)
  • A current, full driving licence and access to an appropriate vehicle

If you are motivated, resourceful and passionate about empowering female victims of domestic abuse, please apply now to join us as our Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker to contribute to the valuable work Next Link and its wider services, delivering hope and support to survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

How to apply:

Please download the application pack from our website and complete the application form.  Please submit your application by 9am 8th August 2025.  Please do not send CVs.  Interviews will be held week commencing 11th August 2025.

www.nextlinkhousing.co.uk                                  HR.Enquiries@missinglinkhousing.co.uk

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]]> Safe blog: The barriers making survivors’ journeys to safety more difficult and dangerous https://womensaid.org.uk/safe-blog-the-barriers-making-survivors-journeys-to-safety-more-difficult-and-dangerous/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 14:10:27 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?p=48096 The barriers making survivors’ journeys to safety more difficult and dangerous A Safe blog 17th June 2025: Through dedicated support and advocacy, Women’s Aid’s No Woman Turned Away Project (NWTA) supports women and their children fleeing domestic abuse who face barriers when trying to access a safe place to stay. Our Nowhere to Turn 2025 […]

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The barriers making survivors’ journeys to safety more difficult and dangerous 

A Safe blog

17th June 2025: Through dedicated support and advocacy, Women’s Aid’s No Woman Turned Away Project (NWTA) supports women and their children fleeing domestic abuse who face barriers when trying to access a safe place to stay. Our Nowhere to Turn 2025 report evaluates the work of the NWTA project in 2024 and utilises insights from the project to inform research on the experiences of survivors facing additional structural barriers and inequalities to accessing refuge and other safe accommodation.  

Our report evidences the urgent need to fund refuge services that can meet survivors’ diverse support needs, includes an in-depth exploration of the specific barriers faced by migrant survivors with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and presents key recommendations needed to address these barriers. 

There is a significant shortage of and an urgent need to fund refuge spaces that are equipped to meet survivors’ support needs 

  • A total of 70 women were refused between one and 10 times from a refuge vacancy listed on Routes to Support, as the vacancy was unable to meet their support needs. This is a 27.3% increase compared with 2023.
  • By the end of support from NWTA, 48.0% of women had a new housing outcome including refuge, emergency accommodation and private rental.
  • Women experienced further abuse and hardship while waiting for refuge; 24.0% experienced further abuse, 13.2% could not afford essentials and 8.8% slept rough. 

The Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) replaced the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession (DDVC) in 20242, exacerbating barriers to accessing safe accommodation 

  • It is crucial that survivors access immigration advice before applying for the MVDAC because they may have no further visa application options when the MVDAC expires. However, there is a national shortage of legal aid solicitors and less than half (47.4%) of women were able to access immigration advice by case closure.
  • Uncertainty among refuge workers on whether survivors with the MVDAC can apply for the Domestic Abuse Rule and continue to access the public funds needed for refuge has led to more refuges declining referrals for these women or requesting a solicitor is already in place to make a further immigration application and/or the survivor is already accessing benefits. The MVDAC has therefore exacerbated barriers to accessing refuge for survivors with the concession. 

Unqualified professionals are illegally giving immigration advice to survivors 

  • Non-regulated professionals gave immigration advice to 29 survivors and for a quarter (24.1%) of these, the advice was inaccurate. Non-regulated professionals also submitted immigration applications on behalf of 12 survivors. This is illegal and has serious implications on survivor’s immigration options. 

Our report found that statutory services often failed to meet their legal duty to support survivors. A key role of the NWTA project is to challenge statutory services to ensure they meet their legal duties to survivors, sometimes with the support of solicitors.  

  • Over two-thirds (67.4%) of inadequate and unsafe responses to survivors recorded by Women’s Aid direct services were regarding statutory services.
  • For 61.5% of families with NRPF, children’s services failed to provide adequate support and accommodation.   

How can these barriers be addressed? 

To address the barriers explored in our report, Women’s Aid is calling for statutory service workers to receive training developed and delivered by specialist domestic abuse organisations. Statutory services play an integral role in supporting survivors and staff must be equipped to recognise and meet the needs of women and children fleeing abuse.  

Women’s Aid recommends that frontline workers at local domestic abuse services access training on supporting women with insecure immigration status to ensure these survivors receive the right support including accessing immigration advice.  

We are calling for the Home Office to abolish the NRPF condition for all survivors, extend the eligibility of the MVDAC and Domestic Abuse Rule to all survivors and fund training on supporting survivors with insecure immigration status for statutory and local domestic abuse services. We also recommend that the Ministry of Justice reinstate legal aid for all survivors and ensure that there are sufficient legal aid solicitors to meet demand.  

Read the full report here. 

Find out more about No Woman Turned Away and make a referral here. 

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]]> Nowhere to Turn 2025 https://womensaid.org.uk/nowhere-to-turn-2025/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 10:28:42 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?p=48051 Nowhere to Turn 2025 Nowhere to Turn 2025 builds on our evidence base on the structural inequalities that many survivors face when seeking safety from domestic abuse. This report explores survivors’ difficult and dangerous journeys and the role of the No Woman Turned Away (NWTA) project in supporting survivors to navigate barriers to accessing refuge […]

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Nowhere to Turn 2025

Nowhere to turn. Findings from the ninth year of the No Woman Turned Away project

Nowhere to Turn 2025 builds on our evidence base on the structural inequalities that many survivors face when seeking safety from domestic abuse.

This report explores survivors’ difficult and dangerous journeys and the role of the No Woman Turned Away (NWTA) project in supporting survivors to navigate barriers to accessing refuge or other safe accommodation. This year’s report includes an in-depth exploration of the barriers faced by survivors with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), the impacts of the introduction of the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) in 2024 and the failures of statutory services to meet their legal duties. Utilising findings from the NWTA project in 2024, the report makes evidenced-based recommendations for key stakeholders. 

Download Nowhere to Turn (PDF)
Download Nowhere to Turn (Accessible PDF)
Download Nowhere to Turn summary (PDF)
Download Nowhere to Turn summary (Accessible PDF)

Watch this webinar exploring domestic abuse, housing and the statutory guidance, including some of the key findings from the Nowhere to Turn 2025 report. 

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]]> Flexible Fund: Frequently asked questions https://womensaid.org.uk/what-we-do/supporting-survivors/flexible-fund/flexible-fund-faqs/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 09:31:56 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?page_id=48067 Flexible Fund: Frequently asked questions If your service is eligible to make referrals, this page provides essential information to help you support survivors in accessing financial assistance through the Flexible Fund. The Flexible Fund offers two streams of support designed to meet survivors’ needs at different stages of their journey: the Flee Fund and the […]

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Flexible Fund: Frequently asked questions

If your service is eligible to make referrals, this page provides essential information to help you support survivors in accessing financial assistance through the Flexible Fund.

The Flexible Fund offers two streams of support designed to meet survivors’ needs at different stages of their journey: the Flee Fund and the Future Fund. Below, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about the funds, application process and reimbursement.

To request the application form links, please email us at FlexibleFund@womensaid.org.uk.

The Flexible Fund will reopen week commencing 14th July 2025. The application links will be available from Friday 4th July. Please do not request them before this date.

Frequently asked questions

About the fund 

For Women’s Aid to be able to administer the fund, it is currently only available to survivors through a referral from: 

  • One of our over 180 member organisations
  • Members of Welsh Women’s Aid member organisations in Wales
  • Services listed on Routes to Support
  • A specialist delivery partner

To ensure that any risk of further abuse is minimised (e.g. economic abuse) and to verify the needs of survivors, a specialist domestic abuse practitioner must refer survivors to the fund. Survivors cannot apply to the fund directly.  

We have strong research and evaluation mechanisms in place that will help us to assess the reach of the fund. This will help us secure further insight into survivors’ needs and to support the Home Office on potential future funding.  

We are committed to responding to the needs of black and minoritised survivors, who we know are disproportionately affected by abuse. The Home Office has worked closely with Women’s Aid to review the eligible services and mapped against known specialist ‘by and for’ services to understand possible reach, as well as engaging with specialist ‘by and for’ services who were not part of previous funding. We will be monitoring this throughout the funds’ dissemination, and capturing data on the distribution of funds as part of learning for future funding. This includes capturing data through our delivery partners.  

No, the fund is based on individual survivor need.  

This will be confirmed in due course. 

About applications 

Payments are flexible and tailored to individual needs and circumstances: 

  • Flee Fund payments range from £250 to £500, in £50 increments. 
  • Future Fund payments range from £500 to £2,500, in £250 increments. 
  • The Flee fund will be open for applications on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10am
  • The Future fund will be open for applications on Wednesdays at 10am 

To request the application form links, please contact FlexibleFund@womensaid.org.uk  

The fund will be open each month from July 2025 to February 2026. It’s important to note that the forms may not be accessible for the full duration of the month, and that applications may close early if the funds for the month are fully allocated.

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving our systems and processes, we have transitioned to a new grant-making system, SurveyMonkey Apply. As a result, we are no longer accepting applications via Microsoft Forms. You will need to register with SurveyMonkey Apply once you open the link to the application form and submit your application through your new account. 

The service or caseworker will apply on behalf of the survivor to the fund. The application form will take approximately 10 minutes and be a simple series of questions about the referrer, demographics of the survivor for monitoring purposes, and their eligibility for the fund. Please ensure you fill in all the fields on the application form unless a question is stated as optional.  

For help with managing your account on SurveyMonkey Apply, please refer to the FAQs here:  

https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/apply/faqs/account-faq/    

For guidance on making an application, please see the FAQs here:

https://help.surveymonkey.com/en/apply/faqs/application-faq

If you experience a technical problem with your account or encounter issues when submitting your application on SurveyMonkey Apply please contact customer support by:  

To contact SurveyMonkey Apply’s technical support team, click the ‘Having a technical Issue with this site? Fill in a support request form’ drop down option under the ‘i’ icon in the top bar of your account.  

You can then choose from a number of options: 

You can use this to let the platform know if it’s navigation, an error, or anything else.  

You’ll then be able to select the area of the platform where you’re experiencing an issue: 

If you’re having issues during initial set up or around your own account access, select “Accounts”. If you’re working on your application and experiencing issues there, select “Applications” and identify the relevant stage or process to flag with the team.  

On the Programs page, under the name of the fund you’re applying to, you should be able to see the number of applications submitted and a green button saying “More >”.

Select “More >” and this will take you back to the program homepage, where you will be able to click “Apply” on the right hand side of the page:

If you’ve already submitted an application, when you go to complete the “Details of Service” section in any applications after that, you will be given the option to reuse data. This means that you won’t have to fill out the name and location of your service, your contact details, and other details that won’t change with each applicant.

You can simply select “Add data” and this will use your previous information, though you’ll still be able to check this and edit any answers.

As the organisation working directly with the survivor, you are well placed to identify what financial needs the survivor has. We ask that you outline costs in your application such as specialist equipment, rent, deposit and furnishing to support our review of the application.  

Survivors who applied previously for the Flee fund can apply for the Future fund this time round.   

Survivors are also able to apply once for both the Flee and Future funds although it is noted that the funds are targeted at different stages in a survivor’s journey so it would not be expected they would apply for both at the same time or in quick succession. This iteration is open for a longer period and therefore it is possible that survivors who required Flee fund money at the start of the funding period, may be ready for the Future fund funding towards the end of the period.  

Access limits remain in place: survivors can only access each fund once. For example, someone who has received the Flee fund cannot apply for it again, but they could access the Future fund. Whereas those who have accessed the Future fund may still access the Flee fund. Services will rely on their expertise to advise survivors on what is appropriate in terms of need.  

The referring organisation needs to be assured that the information they are sharing about the survivor’s needs and eligibility is accurate and that they are able to make the payment directly to the survivor. 

We aim to approve applications within five working days, although there may be occasions where we need to contact you for further information.  

No, only survivors in England and Wales can access this fund.  

Yes.  

Applications must be for named individuals and amounts applied for reflective of their individual circumstances and need.  

Applications can be made by adult survivors for both themselves and their children. 

Yes, survivors with NRPF status are eligible for the fund. However, the fund cannot be used for legal fees. Please be aware if it is it used for legal fees, it may impact their status and other government arrangements.  

We will be providing a list of the questions which can be used to help prepare for completing the online referral form. You can request this by emailing us at FlexibleFund@womensaid.org.uk Please note that this form is only a sample, and we cannot to accept applications sent in by email or post. All applications must come through the online application form.  

As funds are limited, there is a cap/upper limit to the number of applications each service can apply for each month. The cap for each organisation recognises the following:

  •  That the size/income of service is not always an indicator of number of survivors supported by a service
  • The reach of our specialist delivery partners in the communities/demographics they cover
  • The size/geographical spread is a factor
  • That smaller and by and for Black and Minoritised services may be small in income size but have higher numbers of survivors/survivors with multiple barriers to support

Please contact our Flexible Fund management team by emailing FlexibleFund@womensaid.org.uk to confirm your organisation’s allocation.

It is important to note that:

  • All applications will be reviewed in the order they are received and are assessed based on eligibility and available funding
  • There is no guaranteed allocation for any member organisation
  • The fund may run out before we get the opportunity to review your application, or your application may be declined if there are no remaining grants available for that month.
  • Caps will be renewed at the beginning of each month, until the end of the fund in February 2026.
  • If you have any remaining allocations at the end of the month, this cannot be carried forward to the next month

There is no guaranteed allocation for any organisation as applications are reviewed based on available funding. It is important to note that the term ‘cap’ refers to the maximum number of successful applications your organisation could have, but it does not guarantee that this number will be reached.

About payments and invoicing 

Funds go to the applying organisation.  

Once your application is approved, you will receive a decision notification instructing you to pay the survivor the approved amount. You will also be asked to submit an invoice to us by a specified deadline. Upon receipt, we will review the invoice details before our finance team processes the payment. The payment run date will be confirmed in the email acknowledging receipt of your invoice, and the payment will be credited on that date. 

We do not need to see receipts or evidence of spend but may ask to discuss this with you as part of our learning about the fund. We do require you to provide us with the date the survivor received the funds so we can monitor this and streamline the process if required for future funds. Sharing this date is a requirement of funding. 

The essence of this fund is being able to get the money to survivors as soon as possible, this means that we ask you to pay the survivor as soon as their application is approved. Due to the number of services that will make applications to this fund, we cannot administratively dispense this fund to services upon each application or make payments in advance of application. The payment schedule will be sent out via email each month. 

It is up to the referring service to agree the most appropriate and safe method of transferring funds to the survivor through cash, bank transfer or voucher.  

We cannot guarantee that receipt of the fund will not interfere with any existing benefits. We have allowed the grant to be disseminated by the service in the form that best meets the needs of a survivor, including in voucher form. The service will take this decision based on its own assessment of the survivor’s needs and financial circumstances.  

Your invoice should be made to Women’s Aid Federation of England and must include:  

  • The unique application reference
  • Payment amount being reclaimed
  • Your organisation’s bank name
  • Your organisation’s account number
  • Your organisation’s sort code

Survivor names must not be included to ensure compliance with Data Protection Regulations. 

No, Women’s Aid can only make payment to those authorised to make referrals and not direct to the survivor or any other body. Therefore, please ensure that it is your organisation’s bank details provided on the invoice. 

No. To comply with Data Protection Regulations, please carefully double-check and ensure that any survivor names are removed from your invoice before submitting them to us for reimbursement. Only the unique application number should be included. 

Unfortunately, we will be unable to process invoices that include survivor names. 

Yes, you may include multiple payments in one invoice if you have successful applications for more than one survivor.  

We will be running fortnightly payments via BACS. In cases where there is only one payment run in a month or if a payment run is delayed, we will send out communications in advance. The payment schedule will be included in the email acknowledging receipt of your invoice, and the payment will be credited on that date.

If you have questions not covered here, please feel free to contact our team for further assistance at FlexibleFund@womensaid.org.uk.

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]]> Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=47929 Thu, 29 May 2025 09:05:45 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=47929 We have a rewarding opportunity available for a Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker to join our team based in Bristol.  You will join us on a full time, permanent basis, working 37.5 hours per week.  In return, you will receive a competitive salary of Point 12 £27,711 per annum plus benefits. Established in […]

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]]> We have a rewarding opportunity available for a Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker to join our team based in Bristol.  You will join us on a full time, permanent basis, working 37.5 hours per week.  In return, you will receive a competitive salary of Point 12 £27,711 per annum plus benefits.

Established in 1999, Next Link is the leading provider of domestic abuse services to women and children in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. At Next Link we are committed to providing holistic, empowering and personalised support and advocacy to women and children experiencing domestic abuse. With a focus on survivor’s safety and recovery; we believe the provision of flexible support tailored to survivor’s needs can be transforming, helping to maximise independence and self-determination so survivors can make informed choices.

In return for joining us, we will offer you:

  • Up to 30 days annual leave (depending on length of service)
  • 3 extra holidays including International Women’s Day
  • Excellent development and training opportunities
  • Employer pension contribution (minimum 5% of your gross salary)
  • Mindful Employer Plus Scheme
  • Cycle to Work Scheme
  • Long Service Awards
  • Health and Wellbeing programme

About the role:

Our Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker will provide safe housing and support to women who have experienced domestic abuse and have complex needs.  You will support to empower women with complex needs to move on to independent or lower level supported accommodation.

Key duties and responsibilities of our ideal Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker:

  • Promote the service through building positive relationships with current, potential referrers and service users to ensure a steady flow of appropriate referrals.
  • Sign up new licensees using the agreed licence agreement and advise on rights and obligations of the agreement and then settle into the allocated Safehouse. Complete all paperwork, photocopy and send off as appropriate. Ensure new files are set up and a handover is given to the allocated keyworker.
  • Liaise closely with applicant and referral agencies and keep informed of progress and outcome.
  • Advise woman on personal safety and safety procedures regarding the safe house. Complete a personal safety plan.
  • Establish the need for any civil legal remedies and support to access a specialist solicitor when appropriate.
  • Carry out a financial assessment for each service user assisting them to maximise their income, address debts and support them to make appropriate welfare benefit claims.
  • Complete sign up paperwork, including welfare benefits claims ensuring they are accurately complete and promptly submitted.
  • Take primary responsibility for the collect of rent and other charges payable. Work closely with the resident and Finance Department to minimise and manage arrears.
  • This is not an exhaustive list of your duties and outlines the general ways in which it is expected you will meet the overall requirements of this post.

What we are looking for in our ideal Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker:

  • Numeracy and literacy to GCSE level/NVQ 2 or equivalent
  • Ability to maintain accurate and up‐to‐date records of contact with service users, other support /housing related information and to communicate with colleagues and stakeholders using common Microsoft Office packages, e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook and other IT software
  • Knowledge and understanding of the issues, barriers and support needs of women experiencing domestic abuse, homelessness, mental health and complex needs face in accessing and sustaining accommodation
  • Knowledge of domestic abuse civil legal remedies
  • Knowledge of Domestic Abuse risk assessment tools including DASH and the MARAC process
  • Proven experience of working with women who have survived domestic abuse
  • Proven experience working with people with mental health needs, or people with complex needs
  • Proven experience working in homelessness/supported housing sector providing support in shared or self-contained accommodation
  • Experience of working with women with multiple needs (e.g. mental health, homelessness, alcohol/drug dependency, self‐harm behaviours)
  • A current, full driving licence and access to an appropriate vehicle

If you are motivated, resourceful and passionate about empowering female victims of domestic abuse, please apply now to join us as our Female* Complex Needs Safe House Support Worker to contribute to the valuable work Next Link and its wider services, delivering hope and support to survivors of domestic violence and abuse.

How to apply:

Please download the application pack from our website and complete the application form.  Please submit your application by 9am Friday 13th June 2025.  Please do not send CVs.  Interviews will be held week commencing 16th June 2025.

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]]> Women’s Aid respond to updated Crime Survey for England and Wales questions from the Office of National Statistics https://womensaid.org.uk/womens-aid-respond-to-updated-crime-survey-for-england-and-wales-questions-from-the-office-of-national-statistics/ Fri, 16 May 2025 09:06:10 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?p=47862 Women’s Aid respond to updated Crime Survey for England and Wales questions from the Office of National Statistics Women’s Aid said: “We are pleased that this year the Office for National Statistics will be including a new set of domestic abuse questions in the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). We have supported the […]

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]]> Women’s Aid respond to updated Crime Survey for England and Wales questions from the Office of National Statistics

Women’s Aid said:

“We are pleased that this year the Office for National Statistics will be including a new set of domestic abuse questions in the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). We have supported the redevelopment of these questions, in partnership with the University of Bristol, Respect and the College of Policing, and in consultation with diverse survivors and key stakeholders, including Imkaan. The CSEW provides critical data on domestic abuse. It does not rely on victim-survivors reporting domestic abuse to the police, instead estimates are generated from a general survey of people aged 16 and over resident in households in England and Wales every year. The CSEW has always been at the cutting edge of survey development, however Women’s Aid has for many years been concerned that the questions in the survey have failed to adequately capture the lived experience of victim-survivors of domestic abuse, including failing to capture the continuous nature of abuse, the context in which the abuse occurs and the impacts of the abuse. As a result, the questions did not adequately capture coercive and controlling behaviour, and the results were likely to underestimate the gender asymmetry of domestic abuse.

The new questions will provide an updated headline prevalence estimate of the number of people experiencing domestic abuse in the past year. In addition, the new questions will also provide insight into victim-survivors’ experiences of domestic abuse since the age of 16, including detailed profiles of which victim-survivors are experiencing the highest impact and highest harm forms of abuse. Whilst the headline measure will better capture some experiences of abuse, it will be based on the experience of particular behaviours, without situating these experiences within the context and impact of the behaviour.

It is therefore essential that the headline measure be read together with the detailed abuse profiles, which will provide insight into who is doing what to whom. Extensive research has demonstrated that women are not only more likely to experience domestic abuse, but more likely to be subject to coercive control, repeat victimisation and be seriously harmed or killed, through abuse that is primarily perpetrated by men. In addition, it is particularly important to understand that men do not experience domestic abuse as part of embedded, structural inequalities against their sex. For women, however, domestic abuse is deeply rooted in inequalities between women and men. It is also important to consider how other forms of inequality intersect with sex inequality to affect a woman’s experiences of domestic abuse. Structural inequalities also cause the barriers and discrimination often faced in accessing support and justice by Black and minoritised victim survivors, LGBT+ victim survivors, D/deaf and disabled victim-survivors and older and teen victim-survivors. Structural inequalities are manipulated by perpetrators, as they strive for power and control. By understanding not only prevalence but impact, and how this is affecting different groups of the population, we will be able to identify to what extent policies and practice are either reducing or exacerbating experiences of domestic abuse, and in particular for whom, so that we can develop targeted and meaningful interventions.

We urge on-going caution in over-reliance on single national datasets, noting that the Crime Survey will still underestimate prevalence of Violence Against Women and Girls and that this is disproportionately the case for Black and minoritised women due to the structural inequalities that they experience, and emphasise the importance of a holistic approach to measuring progress to ending VAWG.

We also welcome the ONS’s work on developing improved statistics on the experiences of domestic abuse of children and young people, and look forward to working together to ensure that the experiences of all victim-survivors are represented in the data.”

 

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]]> What still needs to change four years on from the Domestic Abuse Act? https://womensaid.org.uk/what-still-needs-to-change-four-years-on-from-the-domestic-abuse-act/ Fri, 02 May 2025 08:14:45 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?p=47778 What still needs to change four years on from the Domestic Abuse Act?  Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said:   “Four years ago this week, the Domestic Abuse Act received Royal Assent, becoming law. This landmark legislation has helped steer the national response to domestic abuse, introducing provisions in a wide range of areas, […]

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]]> What still needs to change four years on from the Domestic Abuse Act? 

Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said:  

“Four years ago this week, the Domestic Abuse Act received Royal Assent, becoming law. This landmark legislation has helped steer the national response to domestic abuse, introducing provisions in a wide range of areas, from housing to health and the family courts, reflecting the diversity of needs that survivors have when fleeing abuse, as well as the insidious nature of domestic abuse.  

While there has been a lot of positive change over the last four years, since the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act, it is important that we recognise some of the limitations which continue to prevail, hindering survivors access to the support they so desperately need to heal from abuse.  

Underfunding has been an issue within the domestic abuse sector for decades, with subsequent government’s making insufficient investment that do not reflect the demand on specialist support services. This has resulted in a £321 million funding gap, which is putting the future of life-saving domestic abuse services at risk, and too many women and children at risk of harm. 

Alarmingly, 15% of respondents to our most recent Annual Audit, which analyses service provision for domestic abuse across the country, said they either had to close or reduce an area of work because of limited funds, impacting the support options available for survivors. Given that there is already a known national shortage of support services, and that 1.6 million women experienced abuse last year alone, this is deeply concerning.  

Despite having been recognised as survivors in their own rights legally since the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act, funding issues have created significant barriers for children accessing support. Our Annual Audit 2025 found that 31.4% of organisations providing services for child survivors are operating without dedicated funding. Given that 1.8 million children experience domestic abuse last year alone, there is an urgent risk that without adequate investment in these services, the Government’s laudable commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade could see child survivors being left behind.   

Domestic abuse has a profound impact on the mental wellbeing and physical safety of children, which can have long-lasting effects if they are not given the proper support they need to heal and move forward. As the recent report from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Office found, specialist support, which is centred around children and their needs, plays an essential role in reducing the impact of domestic abuse on children, making it essential for them to be properly supported as they move on and heal from abuse. Children’s experiences of support must reflect the recognition they legally have as survivors. 

Women’s Aid is calling on the government to commit to a minimum funding settlement of £516m per annum in England for specialist domestic abuse services, including a ring-fenced fund for ‘by and for’ services, in the upcoming multi-year spending review. As part of this we are urging the government to introduce a Children and Young People Support Fund of £46 million to ensure that all specialist domestic abuse services, as a minimum, have a dedicated Child Support Worker.  

Prior to the Domestic Abuse Act passing, the Ministry of Justice commissioned the Harm Panel Review, investigating issues within the family courts when it came to cases with domestic abuse. The Act was the first opportunity the previous government had to implement the recommendations of the Panel, and it is unacceptable that years on so many of the identified problems have been left unaddressed. These systemic issues, including the archaic presumption of parental contact, which is allowing dangerous perpetrators access to children, are continuing to put lives at risk.  

The current government have made a commitment to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade, but without the implementation of all the Harm Panel’s recommendations and proper funding, this target will be unreachable. Changes needed as a matter of urgency so that women and children can provide the support they need to not only heal, but to also seek the justice they so desperately deserve.”  

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]]> Services and resources https://womensaid.org.uk/information-support/friends-and-family/services-and-resources/ Fri, 04 Apr 2025 12:48:05 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?page_id=47461 Services and resources On this page: Information and support for survivors “As friends and family, we don’t have to have all the answers, we don’t have to fix it, we don’t have to sort it all out there and then. And it can be hard for us to say to our friend or our family member; […]

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Services and resources

On this page:

"As friends and family, we don’t have to have all the answers, we don’t have to fix it, we don’t have to sort it all out there and then. And it can be hard for us to say to our friend or our family member; “Do you know what, I’m not the best person to do all of this with you. And I can be with you while we find that right person, and I can be by your side, if you want me to be, when you're talking about this, or after you’ve had a support session or a counselling session, but I’m not the right person to be continuing all this with you. I don’t have the skills, I don’t have all the knowledge, but we can find the right person together.”

Family member of a survivor Tweet

Remember in an emergency situation you should always call 999 for the Police. If you cannot talk, you will be asked to press 55 to be put through.

Use 999 BSL for a British Sign Language interpreter to connect you to emergency services.

There are many organisations in the UK which offer services and support to people experiencing domestic abuse. As a friend, family member, neighbour, or colleague of a survivor, it can be useful to know about these organisations, so that you can give the details to the person, when they are ready to reach out for help.

Some of the organisations also offer support directly to friends, family members, neighbours, and colleagues. You can contact these organisations yourself to ask for support, information, and advice.

The Findaway service for families, friends and communities offers a phoneline (0300 140 0061) and webchat for you to reach out if you’re worried about someone else. The project also offers workshops and toolkits to explore how to support someone and keep yourself safe.

Sometimes you’ll have your own experiences of abuse and supporting someone in this situation can trigger you to relive these or to need some additional support.

You can contact most of these organisations anonymously, in other words, you can ask for advice about the situation without needing to tell them who you are, or who the survivor is.

It can be challenging to work out who to contact in different situations, or for particular types of support, so we have collected information about some of the national organisations, across the UK, that you can contact, as a friend, family member, neighbour, or colleague. We also provide a brief description of the types of help they can offer.

Understandably, many survivors are nervous about contacting professionals. If the person you know indicates that they are ready to take this step, you can support them by creating opportunities to get in touch safely, for example by letting them use your computer or telephone. You could also telephone the organisations yourself, with the survivor sitting beside you, and hand over the phone to her when she is ready to speak. To help her to access face-to-face support, you could offer to drive her to appointments, accompany her (if this is what she wants), or offer childcare whilst she attends.

Information and support for survivors

Our domestic abuse services provide a wide range of information and support to survivors of abuse from fully trained, expert female support workers. Many are for survivors only, but it’s useful to know what we provide so you can share them with your loved ones experiencing abuse.

Women’s Aid is not an emergency service. If you think you might be in danger, call the police on 999.

If you are a professional, currently working with a survivor of abuse, Women’s Aid runs the dedicated service for professionals to support you.

Our Women’s Aid services include:

Useful Links

We've gathered useful links to websites and organisations who can provide you with information and support. This includes legal advice, support for children and young people, emotional support, and more.

Domestic Abuse Directory

Our directory contains up to date information about domestic abuse support services across the UK. It is regularly updated by the services listed so you’ll be able to find the right local support, when you need it most.

Survivor’s Handbook

This handbook provides practical support and information for women experiencing domestic abuse, with guidance on seeking support and reaching safety.

Survivors’ Forum

Survivors of abuse can speak with other women in our supportive community of domestic abuse survivors on our Survivors’ Forum. It’s a safe, anonymous, space for women (over 18) who have been affected by domestic abuse to share their experiences and support one another.

No Woman Turned Away

The No Woman Turned Away project provides dedicated support and telephone advocacy to women experiencing domestic abuse who face barriers in accessing a refuge space or safe accommodation. Survivors can find out more about the No Woman Turned Away project by getting in touch with our expert support workers through Live Chat.

People providing support to a friend, family member, neighbour, or colleague have asked us, in particular, for more information about the Police. Often people are unsure when to contact them, what will happen if they do, what the responsibilities of the Police are in situations of domestic abuse, and how to make sure that the Police meet their responsibilities. It may be helpful to look at the Police and the Criminal Prosecution Process section of The Survivor’s Handbook.

For some women, their GP is the person they are most likely to tell. This is because doctors are seen as trusted individuals, who can help survivors to manage any health and wellbeing symptoms they experience as a result of abuse. GPs also have a role in referring people who have experienced domestic abuse for specialist support, and for recording details of abuse in the person’s medical record. This recorded information may be helpful at a later date if the abuse, or the relationship separation, results in a court case. It’s important to be clear with the GP the need for confidentiality – a survivor can use the “104” code to prevent automated online access to a medical record, and can ask the GP to remove specific records from online visibility so anything relating to abuse can’t be seen. If you’re concerned about an abuser having online access to medical records, you can find out more information on how to prevent this in our Cover Your Tracks Online guide.

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