You searched for Rail to Refuge - Women’s Aid https://womensaid.org.uk/ Until Women and Children are Safe Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:03:01 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://womensaid.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/favicon-100x100.png You searched for Rail to Refuge - Women’s Aid https://womensaid.org.uk/ 32 32 We Mind the Gap: Women’s Aid publish The Price of Safety report exposing that it can cost £50,000 to flee domestic abuse   https://womensaid.org.uk/womens-aid-publish-price-of-safety-report-exposing-cost-of-fleeing-domestic-abuse/ Thu, 26 Sep 2024 08:20:08 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?p=46280 We Mind the Gap: Women’s Aid publish The Price of Safety report exposing that it can cost £50,000 to flee domestic abuse   New report ‘The Price of Safety: The cost of leaving an abuser and rebuilding a safe, independent life’, published by Women’s Aid today, shows that it costs around £50,000 to leave an […]

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]]> We Mind the Gap: Women’s Aid publish The Price of Safety report exposing that it can cost £50,000 to flee domestic abuse

 

New report ‘The Price of Safety: The cost of leaving an abuser and rebuilding a safe, independent life’, published by Women’s Aid today, shows that it costs around £50,000 to leave an abuser. 

While the impact of this figure can be mitigated by state support, in the best-case scenario a survivor who is receiving her full support entitlement would still face a deficit of over £10,000. This £10,000 gap is doubled for survivors who do not have recourse to public funds because of their immigration status.  

Fleeing incurs costs, which many survivors are unable to meet after suffering years of economic abuse. The immediate price of leaving and the costs associated with rebuilding a new life create a significant barrier to fleeing and staying fled.  

The biggest single cost for survivors is often legal fees for the family courts, as survivors strive to keep their children safe and protected from abusers. The second is housing. In our case study, benefits only met two thirds of the cost for this.  

The safety net of state support (including social security, legal aid and free childcare) is vital, but it is not designed with survivors of domestic abuse in mind. The eligibility and evidence criteria can rule out large groups of survivors, especially those with insecure immigration status, and stop them from accessing the essential life-saving and life-changing support they need.  

The Government has committed to halving violence against women and girls in the next 10 years, and as domestic abuse is the most common form of this type of gender-based abuse, enabling all survivors to safely flee must play a key role in this.  

For this to happen, we must see key policy changes, including the expansion of the Road/Rail to Refuge Scheme which offers free travel to those fleeing domestic abuse, reform to the Child Maintenance Service, and guaranteed funding for the Flexible Fund which provides one-off payments to survivors of domestic abuse fleeing for 2025/26 and beyond.  

A different approach to addressing the impacts of domestic abuse that survivors face, which looks at the system through the lens of survivors’ needs to ensure that economic support is accessible, sufficient and domestic abuse informed, is essential to addressing the barriers survivors faces when fleeing and to the success of this Government’s mission. 

Change needs to come alongside an investment commitment in the upcoming Spending Review of at least £516 million a year to specialist domestic abuse services. These services provide survivors with information on benefit entitlements, housing rights and local grants, as well as trauma-informed mental health support and recovery programmes which help as they rebuild their lives. Without this support to maximise their income, survivors will likely face a greater deficit – and the costs to the state will also be higher. 

It is important to remember that the costs explored in this new report are only the financial ones. The Hidden Housing Crisis report, published by Women’s Aid in 2020, showed that survivors also ‘pay the price’ through the upheaval and disruption they experience, challenging housing condition and homelessness, and ongoing abuse post-separation. 

It is not an easy choice for survivors to leave and with such significant barriers, many will feel that this is not a choice they can even make, as they cannot afford to bridge the deficit they will face when they do. Survivors need the Government to commit to removing the obstacles they are facing, so they can live free from abuse. 

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

“The staggering cost of fleeing identified in this report highlights the urgent need for long-term funding commitments from the Government, primarily towards life-saving specialist domestic abuse services. Schemes, such as the Flexible Fund, also provide an important safety net for survivors as they leave their abusers.

Fleeing takes an incredible amount of courage, so when survivors do make the decision to leave, it’s crucial they have the specialist support in place, as well as the financial means to do so. No survivor should have to stay with an abuser, living in harm and fear, because they cannot afford to flee and rebuild their life. The reality is that without funding commitments, women will pay the price with their lives.” 

Notes:

  • You can read the full report here.
  • The report is based on an illustrative case study of a survivor. Decisions about this survivor’s demographics and circumstances were decided based on data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and On Track, Women’s Aid case management system and a comprehensive dataset on survivors who interact with domestic abuse services
  • The cost estimate is over the period of a year.
  • Costs would be greater for survivors in areas like London, due to the housing prices, and for those who need a car or taxi to get around, for example due to disabilities or living in a rural area. Legal fees can also cause costs to soar, particularly in complicated family court cases which can reach hundreds of thousands of pounds.
  • Support would be lower for survivors with no recourse to public funds, who would not be eligible for most benefits, and for those with pre-settled status on the EU Settlement Scheme, who have to navigate a complex and confusing system to demonstrate their eligibility. 

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]]> Women’s Aid and National Express launch Road to Refuge https://womensaid.org.uk/launch-road-to-refuge/ Wed, 11 Oct 2023 08:56:25 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?p=36685 Women’s Aid and National Express launch Road to Refuge Women’s Aid has joined forces with the UK’s leading scheduled coach operator to support survivors of abuse by providing free National Express coach travel across the UK.   The Road to Refuge scheme provides women, men and children escaping domestic abuse with access to free National […]

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]]> Women’s Aid and National Express launch Road to Refuge


Women’s Aid has joined forces with the UK’s leading scheduled coach operator to support survivors of abuse by providing free National Express coach travel across the UK.  

The Road to Refuge scheme provides women, men and children escaping domestic abuse with access to free National Express coach travel to reach safe refuge accommodation and support.

The scheme is particularly crucial as survivors escaping domestic abuse are often advised to seek refuge services far away from their perpetrator. For many, paying for travel can be very difficult and become a barrier to seeking refuge as survivors will likely be carrying little money and belongings when fleeing abuse. This is especially true for women experiencing economic abuse, who may have little to no access to money.

The new Road to Refuge scheme is an extension of Women’s Aid’s Rail to Refuge programme whereby survivors can access free travel on the UK’s rail network. Since the launch of Rail to Refuge in April 2020, up to 1st October 2023 the scheme has supported 7,432 survivors, including 2,146 children over 5 to safety. On average, Rail to Refuge helps on average 6 survivors, including children, find safety each day. 

National Express initially supported the expansion of the Rail to Refuge scheme in summer 2022, supporting survivors during rail strikes by offering their coach services for free when survivors were unable to flee by train. 

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

“Domestic abuse isolates survivors from their finances, making it incredibly difficult to escape to safety. We are delighted to be working with National Express on the Road to Refuge scheme, removing the financial barrier to fleeing abuse and helping survivors access safe refuge at no cost to them. 

“It is a vital scheme for survivors who would otherwise be trapped and at a huge increased risk of further abuse. The Road to Refuge scheme will be truly lifesaving, giving survivors the opportunity to travel to vital, specialist support for free.”

Charlotte Masters, Customer Experience Director at National Express, said:

“We are proud to partner with Women’s Aid on the Road to Refuge scheme, offering survivors free travel to a safe place on our extensive coach network across the country. 

“Our aim is to make the process of travelling as stress free as possible for survivors, taking away the financial barrier to escaping abuse and helping them reach their destination for help and support, safely.

“Survivors can now access free coach travel in an emergency, when fleeing to refuge.”

Contact the Women’s Aid press office at press@womensaid.org.uk, 020 7566 2511 / 07517 132 943 

Notes to editors 

  • Women’s Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. Since 1974 we have been at the forefront of shaping and coordinating responses to domestic abuse, with survivors at the heart of our work. We are a federation of over 170 organisations which provide just under 300 local lifesaving services to women and children across the country. 
  • Women’s Aid provides expert training, qualifications and consultancy to a range of agencies and professionals working with survivors or commissioning domestic abuse services. Our campaigns achieve change in policy, practice and awareness, encouraging healthy relationships and helping to build a future where domestic abuse is no longer tolerated. An estimated 1.6 million women in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2020 with young women aged 16-24 years continuing to be the age group at most risk (ONS 2020). 
  • If you are worried that your partner, or that of a friend or family member, is controlling and abusive, go to www.womensaid.org.uk for support and information, including Live Chat, the Survivors’ Forum, The Survivor’s Handbook and the Domestic Abuse Directory. Live Chat is open from 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday and 10 am – 6 pm on weekends for confidential expert support from specialised support workers. 
  • National Express – National Express is the UK’s largest coach operator, running high-frequency scheduled coach services linking more than 550 destinations across the country. We also deliver coach travel to major airports, festivals, and events and are the official transport provider for Wembley Stadium. We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with over 1,800 services every day.  Our modern coaches offer comfortable seats with plenty of legroom, free Wi-Fi and USB charging points.  

How does the scheme work?

 

  • A survivor reaches out for support from a domestic abuse service which is a member of Women’s Aid Federation of England, Imkaan, Scottish Women’s Aid or Welsh Women’s Aid (including Respect’s Men’s Advice Line). 
  • If appropriate, the survivor will be referred to a refuge and will be informed once a refuge vacancy has been confirmed. 
  • The refuge books a free train or coach ticket for the survivor. 
  • The refuge can send the ticket and collection details to the survivor via a mobile phone. The survivor can then either use an e-ticket or text sent to their mobile phone, pick the ticket up from the station using any debit or credit card, or the refuge can request the ticket via post and provide it to the survivor in person. They can travel like normal, without having to declare the ticket was free or that they are fleeing from domestic abuse. 

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]]> Travel to refuge https://womensaid.org.uk/what-we-do/supporting-our-members/travel-to-refuge/ Wed, 11 Oct 2023 08:51:40 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?page_id=38125 Travel to refuge   Free travel for those fleeing domestic abuse.  Travel to refuge is an umbrella scheme in which travel companies cover the cost of train or coach tickets for women, men and children escaping domestic abuse travelling to refuge accommodation. It’s made up of two schemes: Rail to refuge, a joint initiative between Women’s […]

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An illustration of someone in a railway station with a sign that says 'way out' which points to stairs

Travel to refuge  

Free travel for those fleeing domestic abuse. 

Travel to refuge is an umbrella scheme in which travel companies cover the cost of train or coach tickets for women, men and children escaping domestic abuse travelling to refuge accommodation. It’s made up of two schemes:

  • Rail to refuge, a joint initiative between Women’s Aid and the Rail Delivery Group, set up in April 2020, providing free rail travel for survivors of abuse.

  • Road to refuge, a joint initiative between Women’s Aid and National Express, set up in 2023, providing free coach travel for survivors of abuse.  

Donate today to help survivors access the lifesaving support they need and help them reach refuge.

Help raise awareness of this life-saving scheme.

How does the scheme work?

A survivor reaches out for support from a domestic abuse service which is a member of Women’s Aid Federation of England, Imkaan, Scottish Women’s Aid, Welsh Women’s Aid or Respect Men’s Advice Line.

If appropriate, the survivor will be referred to a refuge and will be informed once a refuge vacancy has been confirmed. 

The refuge books a free train or coach ticket for the survivor. 

The refuge can send the ticket and collection details to the survivor via a mobile phone. The survivor can then either use an e-ticket or text sent to their mobile phone, pick the ticket up from the station using any debit or credit card or the refuge can request the ticket via post and provide to the survivor in person. They can travel like normal, without having to declare the ticket was free or that they are fleeing from domestic abuse. 

If you are experiencing abuse, we are here for you

We know asking for help isn’t easy. But if you think you’re in an abusive relationship, reaching out for support can be an important first step. Services are fully trained and can give you a confidential space to explore your options and make safe decisions. You may be referred to a refuge and Rail to refuge could help you get there.

The following organisations are part of Travel to refuge:

Women's Aid logo

Women’s Aid

Reach out to one of our support services, including our Survivor’s Forum.

imkaan

Imkaan

Imkaan address violence against Black and minoritised women and girls.
Respect Men's advice line

Men’s Advice Line

The Helpline for male victims of domestic abuse run by Respect.
Scottish Women's Aid logo

Scottish Women’s Aid

Scottish Women’s Aid is the lead organisation in Scotland working towards the prevention of domestic abuse.
Welsh Women's Aid

Welsh Women’s Aid

Welsh Women’s Aid is the national charity in Wales working to end domestic abuse and all forms of violence against women.
Women's Aid services
Imkaan services
Men's Advice Line
Scottish Women's Aid services
Welsh Women's Aid services

About Rail to refuge 

First introduced by train operators Southeastern and Great Western Railway, the Rail to refuge scheme became a nationwide initiative in April 2020, run centrally through the Rail Delivery Group, when a raise in domestic abuse was reported due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Since the scheme’s launch in April 2020, to 17th March 2024, the scheme has helped 8630 survivors, including 2423 children over five to safety.

The scheme genuinely does save lives. Survivors escaping domestic abuse are usually advised to seek refuge services far away from their perpetrator, but for many, raising the cash to pay for a train ticket can be very difficult and become a barrier to seeking refuge. This is especially true for women experiencing economic abuse, who may have no access to cash.

“When I needed help but couldn’t afford a train ticket, I was told about the Rail to refuge programme. At that point, I realised I could leave, and I wasn’t trapped anymore.”

Download resources

About Road to refuge 

In summer 2022, National Express supported the expansion of the scheme by supporting survivors during rail strikes, offering their coach services for free when survivors were unable to flee by train. Road to refuge is now a permanent scheme enabling survivors to travel to refuge by coach for free at any time.

Travel to Refuge FAQs 

Survivor FAQs

Unfortunately, it is not possible for you to book your own ticket. To obtain a ticket, you need to have a confirmed refuge space. The refuge will then book your ticket for you. 

If you are experiencing abuse and need support, please contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit this page.

To ensure that survivors of domestic abuse are the online beneficiaries of the scheme and that all claims for free tickets are valid, the ticker holder must have a confirmed refuge space in a domestic abuse service known by the participating rail companies or National Express.   

No, the refuge will book your ticket so they will provide their details on the booking. You do not need to provide any details apart from your starting station and your arrival station. Only this information will be recorded and it will not be linked to you or your name. 

Yes, if they are travelling with you. When speaking with a support worker, please ask for tickets for your children too.  

  • A mobile phone which can receive an e-ticket. This is so the refuge can share the collection code with you via text or Whatsapp or email. 
  • Or any debit or credit card. You will need to use this to collect the ticket, alongside a collection code the refuge will share with you. It does not have to be the same card which was used to book the ticket and your card will not be charged. 

We know that this is not perfect, and we are working on ways where the ticket can be collected without the need for a card or smartphone. 

  • If travelling by coach, the service organising your ticket can also receive the ticket by post and pass to you directly. 

Press FAQs

Since launching in April 2020, up to March 2024, Rail to refuge has helped 8630 survivors including 2423 children over five reach safety. 

Yes. Rail to refuge launched with Southeastern and then Great Western Railway in March 2020. When the country went into lockdown, the Rail Delivery Group were quick to respond to women’s needs and launched a nationwide scheme in April 2020. National Express operate Road to refuge across the UK and Ireland, travelling to over 550 locations. For details of all destinations, please visit National Express’ Route Map. 

The Rail Delivery Group only operate in England, Scotland and Wales. Women in Northern Ireland can get support from Women’s Aid Northern Ireland, where there is a similar rail scheme in place. 

National Express has coach stops at Belfast City Centre and Belfast Port. 

Depending on the mode of transport, the Rail Delivery Group or National Express cover the cost of nationwide travel. 

33 Women’s Aid member services provide refuge places for men. If a man has a confirmed refuge place in one of them, they can book the ticket for him and any children. Additionally, Respect, who run the Men’s Advice Line, can book tickets. 

  • Share information on our services: Survivors’ Forum and the Survivor’s Handbook and The Friends & Family Handbook can all be found here.
  • Donate to Women’s Aid so we can support more survivors. 

Domestic Abuse Service FAQs 

Please visit the Member’s section of the website for information on how to book free tickets for survivors. 

If you refer a survivor to a Women’s Aid member service and a refuge space is confirmed, the refuge can then book tickets for the survivor. Women’s Aid member services can be found through our domestic abuse directory. 

To ensure survivors of domestic abuse benefit from the scheme, National Rail Enquiries, Great Western Railway, Southeastern or National Express will check the domain name of the requester’s email against our list of member services. 

During the first trial, free rail travel requests were received from non-domestic abuse organisations. To relieve the burden of checking if a claim is valid, the train companies requested that we share our members’ domain names with them. We are only able to share the information of our actual members, not organisations we do not have a relationship with. 

We are working on ways that the scheme could include non-members. Please contact railtorefuge@womensaid.org.uk for more information. 

Help us raise awareness of this lifesaving scheme

We need domestic abuse survivors to be aware of the Travel to refuge scheme to help them reach safety. You can play a vital part by simply helping raise awareness.

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]]> Cover your tracks online https://womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/cover-your-tracks-online/ Fri, 03 Mar 2023 15:27:52 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?page_id=25594 Cover your tracks online   Warning: if you are worried about someone knowing you have visited this website please read the following safety information. General security – be aware This guide contains technical advice about what is possible to protect your devices (including your children’s devices, if you have children), but different parts of this may […]

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Cover your tracks online

 

Warning: if you are worried about someone knowing you have visited this website please read the following safety information.

General security – be aware

This guide contains technical advice about what is possible to protect your devices (including your children’s devices, if you have children), but different parts of this may need to happen at different times. This will depend on your individual circumstances. For example, if you change your password, someone may realise this has happened when they attempt to log in and this could lead to them escalating their behaviours. Your safety is the most important thing and some of this might be for you to consider at a later stage, for instance, when no longer in immediate danger or you have left the situation. It is completely normal to want to get rid of a device or remove their access, but before you do this, you can be strategic about how to plan for your safety. If it would be helpful to talk this through with someone, please use a safe device to contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline. The National Helpline is available for free, 24-7 on 0808 2000 247. You can talk to their team online Monday to Friday 10am-10pm and 10am-6pm on weekends.

If you do not use a password to log on to your computer, someone else may be able to access your email (if your email password is saved on the device or you don’t log out after checking your email) and track your internet usage. Make sure to log out after checking your email by pressing File then Log out, rather than pressing the X to close the email window.

The following information may not completely hide your tracks. Many browser types have features that display recently visited sites. There is also spyware that can be used more secretly to track your activity. The safest way to find information on the internet, would be at a local library, a friend’s house, or at work.

These safety planning tips are focused on technology. If you want to leave your relationship and you’re looking for more information on how to do this safely, visit our Safety Planning page in The Survivors’ Handbook. 

If you’re 14-17, visit the Love Respect Staying safe online section and if you’re 18-24, visit our Online and digital abuse hub. 

How can an abuser discover your internet activities?

Please take a few minutes to read the warning below and to take steps to increase your safety when visiting this website. 

As a rule, internet browsers will save certain information as you surf the internet. This includes images from websites visited, information entered into search engines and a trail (‘history’) that reveals the sites you have visited. Please follow the instructions below to minimize the chances of someone finding out that you have visited this website. 

If you know what browser you are using, then skip to the relevant instructions below. If you do not know the type of browser you are using, you can find the Help menu by clicking on the button with the ellipsis/three dots at the top right hand corner of the browser screen. A drop down menu will appear, and if you choose the option starting with “Help”, another dropdown will appear and there will be an entry saying About Google Chrome, About Microsoft Edge, About Safari or something similar. The entry refers to which browser type you are using – you should then refer to the relevant instructions below. Alternatively, go to “What’s My Browser”, a website that will let you know which browser type you are using. 

More on your browser: 

Please note that even if you delete your history from your browser, the search engine you use may also keep a separate record of your searches. You can change the settings on your search engine, here’s how to do this on:

  • Google: view your activity, delete past searches, set up extra verification steps to view your full history or stop your activity from being saved
  • Bing: clear your search history
  • Yahoo: view your history page to delete or turn off search history
Exit site button

The green Exit Site button on the right of the Women’s Aid website will quickly hide the page but you will still need to delete your history. 

Private browsing

All leading web browsers have a “private browsing” mode that, once enabled, stores nothing about your activity on your computer in that browsing window. This won’t stop online services from seeing what you get up to, but it won’t leave any traces of your activity on your computer (no history, web cache or anything else) and so it’s always a useful first step to take. Be mindful that if someone is tracking your history and they know you were online at a certain time, it is worth leaving a public browser history of non-sensitive content available to them.

Internet Explorer: Go to Tools (the gear icon at the top right) – Safety – “InPrivate Browsing” or click Ctrl + Shift + P

If you’re using Internet Explorer, we strongly recommend using an alternative browser if possible, as this is now legacy software.

Firefox: Click the Menu button with three horizontal lines – “New Private Window” or click Ctrl + Shift + P

Chrome: Click the Menu button with three dots in a vertical line and select “New Incognito Window”.

Microsoft Edge: Click the Menu button with three dots in a row and select “New InPrivate Window” or Ctrl + Shift + N.

Safari (Apple devices): Click the icon with one square behind another at the bottom right hand corner of your screen, this will take you to your tabs. Then click the number of tabs you have open with a + next to them which will take you to tab groups. Here you can select “Private” so nothing will be stored but you’ll need to remember to exit the tabs individually or they will stay open in your private tab group. Once you’ve finished browsing privately, you can go back to standard searching by clicking where it says “Private” at the bottom and going back to your usual number of tabs. 

Similar options can be found in Opera and Firefox. It is also best to double check that nothing has been stored by following the steps below.

Deleting your browsing history

Internet browsers keep a record of all the web pages you visit. This is known as a ‘history’. To delete the full history, follow the instructions from your browser: 

To delete history for Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard, then press the H key (Ctrl, Alt and H for Opera). Find any entries that say www.womensaid.org.uk or survivorsforum.womensaid.org.uk, right click and choose Delete. 

If there are other searches or sites you would be concerned about someone else seeing, you can delete these individually as well or use the following steps to delete your history for a particular period or for all time. 

Please note that even if you delete your history from your browser, the search engine you use may also keep a record of your searches. You can change the settings on your search engine, here’s how to do this on:

  • Google: view your activity, delete past searches, set up extra verification steps to view your full history or stop your activity from being saved
  • Bing: clear your search history
  • Yahoo: view your history page to delete or turn off search history
Toolbars

Toolbars such as Google and Yahoo keep a record of the search words you have typed into the toolbar search box. In order to erase all the search words you have typed in, you will need to check the individual instructions for each type of toolbar. For example, for the Google toolbar all you need to do is click on the Google icon, and choose “Clear Search History”. 

Admin accounts

If your abuser has an administration account on the home computer, they have more control over the device and can monitor what is happening. This is the user with the highest level of account permissions. If someone else purchases, sets up or maintains the device, they could potentially have an admin account. If you’re concerned about someone else having an admin account, it’s important that you don’t do safety planning or use accounts you do not want them to have access to on this computer.  

If you want to check this on Windows, go to Settings > Accounts and on the Your Info tab, check if it says “Administrator” under your account name. If not, then there is another account on the system that is the admin account.  

If you want to check this on a Mac, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Users & Groups and on the left side of the window, locate your account name on the list. If the word Admin is not directly below your account name, then there is another account on the system that is the admin account. 

Online accounts

Email

Take particular care with your email password as your email can provide access to all other account passwords and private information like banking details and calendars. Your email password should be different to any other password and use a strong password. It could be helpful to use a password manager and two-step verification. 

You can check if your emails are being automatically forwarded, here’s how to do this on: 

If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing email messages, they may be printed/saved as evidence of this abuse. You could also screenshot emails if it is safe to do so. Read more about digital evidence here. Any email you have previously sent will be stored in Sent Items. If you started an email but didn’t finish it, it might be in your Drafts folder. If you reply to any email, the original message will probably be in the body of the message – print and delete the email if you don’t want anyone to see your original message, and store this safely. 

When you delete an item in any email program (Outlook Express, Outlook, etc.) it does not really delete the item – it moves the item to a folder called Deleted Items. You have to delete the items in deleted items separately. Right click on items within the Deleted Items folder to delete individual items.

BeReal 

Discord 

Facebook 

  • When you block someone on Facebook, they will no longer be able to search for your profile.
  • You can review which devices are logged in to your Facebook account and log out everywhere but the device you’re using to remove other people’s access. 
  • You can turn off location tracking. 
  • You can use Facebook’s Security Checkup to get alerts when someone tries to log in to your account, learn how to protect your password and enable two-factor authentication. 
  • You can use Privacy Checkup to check who can see your information and posts and see your settings for apps you’ve logged in to using Facebook. 
  • You can control who can comment on your public posts on Facebook. 
  • You can turn on timeline review to see posts that you’re tagged in and manually approve them before they appear on your profile. 

Instagram 

  • You can set up two-factor authentication to protect your account. This means you’ll receive a notification and be asked to enter a special login code when someone tries to login to your account. 
  • You can choose to manually approve Instagram posts you’re tagged in so they only appear on your profile after being approved. You can also choose who can tag or mention you in posts and hide posts you’ve previously been tagged in.  
  • In order to make it harder for someone you’ve already blocked from contacting you again through a new Instagram account, when you block someone you now have the option to both block their account and pre-emptively block new accounts that person may create.
  • If you don’t want to block someone or them to be notified about this, you can mute them or restrict their access.
  • You can also report posts, accounts, comments or messages.
  • You can hide comments or message requests you don’t want to see. All UK Instagram accounts now have the ability to filter private message requests containing offensive words, phrases and emojis. These can also be added to your comment filter, meaning no comment containing these terms will appear under your posts. 
  • Instagram’s new Sensitive Content Control tool allows you to decide how much sensitive content shows up in the ‘Explore’ tab. 
  • Instagram allows users to “unsend” messages so if you are keeping track of evidence, it could be useful to screenshot messages in case they are later unsent. 

Messenger 

Snapchat 

  •  

TikTok 

Threads

  • Your Threads account will be linked to your Instagram. It’s designed for people to follow the same accounts they’ve connected with on Instagram and use the same username across both platforms, so your Instagram followers will be prompted to follow your linked Threads account.
  • A private profile would mean that your threads (and the profiles you follow and that follow you) could only be seen by your followers. You’ll be able to approve or reject anyone who wants to follow you, just like on Instagram private profiles. You can find out more of the differences between a public and private profile here and find out how to change to a private profile here. Anyone under 16 will have a private profile by default when they join.
  • You can make your Threads account more secure by using a strong password and turning on two-factor authentication so your account requires a code if there’s a login attempt from a device they don’t recognise. You can also turn on login requests to receive alerts when someone tries to access your account.
  • Apps default to using “Precise Location” where it’s very specific about where you are, so turning this off will make it safer as it’s an approximate area. You can do this on Apple or Android.
  • While you can delete individual posts, you cannot delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram account. You can deactivate a Threads account. If you change your mind about deactivating, you’ll be able to re-activate your Threads profile but you’ll only be able to deactivate your profile once a week.
  • You can unfollow, block, restrict or report a profile on Threads by tapping the three-dot menu on that profile, and any accounts you’ve blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads.
  • You can add hidden words to filter out replies to your threads that contain specific words or phrases. These settings will also apply to comments and direct messages you receive on Instagram.

Twitter 

WhatsApp 

  • You can add two-step verification and lock your WhatsApp with Touch ID, Face ID or Android fingerprint lock. 
  • You can change your settings so only those you choose can see when you are online or last seen. 
  • You can block and report unwanted contacts. 
  • You can change your group privacy settings so only some contacts can add you to a group chat.  
  • WhatsApp allows users to “unsend” messages so if you are keeping track of evidence, it could be useful to screenshot messages in case they are later unsent.
  • Check your linked devices to see if you’re logged in anywhere else where someone might be able to see your messages. Go to WhatsApp Settings > Linked Devices. To remove a linked device, tap the device > Log Out.
  • If you don’t want other WhatsApp users to be able to see when you’ve read something, you can turn off “read receipts” – the little blue check marks next to your message that show something’s been seen. This will also mean that you can’t see when other people have seen messages. Go to > WhatsApp Settings > Privacy and turn off Read receipts.

  • Use their “privacy checkup” tool to find the right level of protection for you.

Location Tracking 

Mobile devices

You can turn off location tracking for your device, though this will prevent some apps from working (e.g. maps or finding stolen phones). Here are guides on how to do this on Apple or Android. Apple also has a checklist to manage location sharing which will provide further guidance. 

You can also turn off locations on your photos. If you take a photo with a mobile device, it may add a geo-tag to the photo that says where the photo was taken. You can follow the steps in the links above for your Camera app to remove location services from working with photos.  

There are various location settings you can control through your Google account. You can turn off location history, turn off location reporting and edit or delete your location history.

Here are guides on how to turn off location tracking in different social media apps: 

If you do not want to turn off location tracking, it can still be worth changing how your location is shared. Apps default to using “Precise Location” where it’s very specific about where you are, so turning this off will make it safer as it’s an approximate area. You can do this on Apple or Android. 

When using a fitness tracker or smart watch, it’s safest to make sure your routes aren’t being shared publicly because this can tell others where you’ve been. Here are guides on how to change these settings across devices: 

  • Check your car’s manual or the manufacturer website for details of how to remove the history of visited destinations from built-in satnav. 
  • If you use a separate tool like Google Maps to navigate, then deleting recent directions can stop someone with access to your account from seeing where you have been. Here’s how to do this on Google Maps or iPhone Maps. 
  • If you have a newer car, there might be a companion app which enables location tracking, remote locking/unlocking and access to certain features. The manufacturer should have further details on how to address this, for example FordPass Connect or it could be set up through an Apple Wallet.  
  • You can also speak to your car dealership or a mechanic about sweeping the car for tracking devices that someone might have attached to the car.  

Small tracking devices can be used to monitor locations. These can be concealed or disguised as other objects like chargers or children’s toys. Devices you use that have Bluetooth may have location access, and this is true of medical devices as well like insulin pumps or hearing aids. 

Online Banking

If you’re concerned about online banking, get in touch with your bank directly as they will have specific measures to help you, for instance flagging up fraud warnings. This is particularly important if your abuser has access to a joint account. For more information on contacting your bank and regaining control of your finances, check out Surviving Economic Abuse’s resources. All banks also offer two-factor authentication to add security to your online banking.  

Surviving Economic Abuse runs a helpline in partnership with Money Advice Plus, you can contact this Financial Support Line on 0808 1968845 (Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm and 2pm-5pm). Calls are free and they provide interpreters on request if English is not your first language. They can support you with problems you’re experiencing around economic abuse and banking, as well as talking you through how to safely open a new bank account if needed.  

Wifi and smart devices

Smart devices can include security systems, cameras, speakers, thermometers, voice assistants, TVs, plugs, light switches and more. While using these tools can be for the purpose of making life easier, in some hands they can become a tool for coercive control.

If someone is monitoring what you’re doing, where you’re going, who you’re talking to, this is coercive behaviour. If you’re concerned your partner might be monitoring you, there is support available for you.

If your partner or family member knows your login details, they may be able to remotely access these devices. Before you make any changes to this set up, it’s important to think about whether it’s safe to do this yet or whether this might alert your partner. You can come back to this page later, whenever it’s safe to make changes and you won’t be in danger. For instance, if your partner or family member no longer lives in the home, this may be a good time to remove their access from your devices.

WiFi

If someone knows your Wi-Fi password or can access your router, this could mean they could access the network even if they are not in the property. Changing the password can prevent them from having further access, particularly if the router still uses the default password from the provider. If you need help with this, you can contact your internet service provider who can talk you through the process: 

  • BT 0800 111 4567 
  • PlusNet 0800 432 0200 
  • EE 07953 966 250 
  • Sky Broadband 03442 411 653 
  • Virgin Media 0345 454 1111 
  • Talk Talk 0345 172 0088 
  • Vodafone UK 08080 034 515 
  • Shell Energy 0330 094 5801 
  • Glide Student 0333 123 0115 
  • Zen Internet 01706 902001 
  • Ask4 0114 303 3200 
  • KCOM 01482 602 555 

You can secure your smart devices by changing the username, using a strong password and multi-factor authentication. It can be worth resetting all the smart devices in your home, as well as the router’s Wi-Fi password so devices linked to the router cannot be accessed without the new password. Before resetting, consider whether you may need this digital evidence of the abuse for reporting, or if someone may notice that they no longer have access and escalate their behaviour.  

If you don’t know the password or can’t access the account, you can check to see if there’s an option to ‘reset’ the device on the support area of the manufacturer’s website. Here are some resources for the most common smart devices: 

Smart home security systems, including doorbells and locks, can mean that your partner has the ability to monitor entrances and exits. If you’re concerned your partner might be monitoring you, there is support available for you.

Online access to medical records 

From November 2022, patients over the age of 16 in England can access more detailed information from their medical records through online apps. This access will become automated so all patients can access this service unless restricted by their GP. GPs can hide online visibility or block online access so your records can be safer. There are verification processes for setting up online access but if you feel you may be pressured to do so, then the measures below might help. 

It’s important that your GP is still documenting any reference to domestic abuse because you may need this evidence later, but they can do this and remove online visibility. Here are some steps you can consider for your records if you think your partner may be accessing them, or might pressure you to access them: 

Steps to consider
  • Ask your GP to use the “104” code on your records. This code says “Enhanced review indicated before granting access to own health record” and will mean that no-one can pressure you to access your medical records if you don’t want to. You would then need to go to your GP and go through extra verification to set up online access if you wanted this later.
  • Talk to your GP about removing specific records from online visibility, so anything related to domestic abuse would not be seen if someone else were to access your records. Also consider if there are other records that your abuser could monitor like injuries, mental health treatment, contraception, or sexual health records. It’s important to note that these may be shown on your record as not available for online access.
  • Consider that your address may be shown in your online records so if you need to ensure your abuser does not know your location, ask your GP to use the “104” code to block your records from automated access. 
  • For anyone under 16, someone will still need to go in-person to the GP practice but if you have children, then it may be worth going to your GP before they turn 16 and asking for their records to be blocked from automated access using the “104” code as well. 
  • If you think someone else has access to your online medical records, you could change your password to prevent this. This should be a strong password like three random words put together (for example, OrangeRoseKoala or LeftStitchDoor). The longer and more unusual your password is, the harder it is to crack. It’s important to log out after you’re finished.  

If you have any questions about this process or need support, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available for free, 24-7 on 0808 2000 247. You can talk to their team online Monday to Friday 10am-10pm and 10am-6pm on weekends.

How to tell if your device has been hacked 

What to look for

It can be hard to tell if a device has been hacked but here are some things to look out for: 

  • The device is running slowly 
  • The device keeps rebooting 
  • Your battery runs out quickly 
  • Excessive data use 
  • The device gets very warm 
  • Apps start automatically 
  • Emails report logins from unusual locations or devices you don’t recognise 
  • Unexpected messages from apps 
  • Someone receiving messages you haven’t sent 

If you’re concerned about this, you can review the apps you have installed to see if someone else has installed something without your consent. Here’s how to find the full list of apps on Android, Windows or Apple. You should repeat this process with any children’s devices in case there has been parental surveillance apps installed. 

You can also reset your device. This will immediately stop sharing with all people and apps, and you can change your password and emergency contacts here. People may notice if they no longer have access to your information so, please consider when it might be safe for you to do this. This will also potentially remove digital evidence of the abuse so it can be helpful to talk this through with a specialist beforehand.  

If you need to talk this through with someone, use a safe device (for example, a friend’s, work phone or library computer) and contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free, 24-7 on 0808 2000 247. You can talk to their team online Monday to Friday 10am-10pm and 10am-6pm on weekends.

Reporting cybercrime

You can submit a cybercrime report online to ActionFraud. If you register as a user, you can save and resume a partially completed report, track progress, add information and receive email updates. These reports will be sent to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and may be distributed to a local police force if there is enough information to take action. If you have any questions about reporting and what that process might look like, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available for free, 24-7 on 0808 2000 247. You can talk to their team online Monday to Friday 10am-10pm and 10am-6pm on weekends.

Digital evidence 

It is understandable to want to remove evidence so you’re not reminded of it, but collecting it helps to show abuse over time. The evidence can’t be edited or manipulated in any way and it needs to be documented systematically, in order, in a secure way. It’s important not to put yourself at risk to gather evidence, don’t take any steps that could alert someone that you’re doing this. If you are considering gather any evidence, legal advice could be really important. For help with this, you can contact Rights of Women’s criminal law advice line.  

Documenting evidence means you can accurately record abuse as it happens. This could include keeping a log of incidents, printing out emails or call records, taking screenshots of texts, social media posts or messages, voice messages. These could include admissions of abuse, threats of violence, or photos you did not consent to. It’s important to do this as soon as possible as an abuser may “unsend” messages or delete proof of the abuse

How to take screenshots and store evidence

Here is how to take screenshots on: 

Make sure any email printouts include the sender, recipient, date and time, and any text messages include the message, contact information, date, and time. With social media screenshots, it’s important to include the full URL at the top of the window, as well as taking screenshots of the abuser’s profile so you can show who this is from  

It’s important to store evidence in somewhere that your abuser isn’t able to access, for instance, creating a new email for this purpose, having a backup drive or USB to upload important images, using a password-protected journal online (with a password they do not know), hiding printed evidence somewhere they will not look, or a combination of these to protect what you’ve collected if these are discovered.  

If you keep a journal, you can use this to log incidents as they happen. Information that may be helpful to include could be: who the abuser is, what the behaviour is, when it happened (date and time), where it happened (URLs, details of online accounts), witnesses, any other relevant information.  

If you have found a hidden camera, microphone or tracker that shows you’re being monitored, it can be really tempting to get rid of it, but this can alert your abuser that you are aware of this, and it can stop you from being able to document it. It may be useful to ask the police to document the evidence before removal, or to talk to a support service about your next steps.

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available for free, 24-7 on 0808 2000 247. You can talk to their team online Monday to Friday 10am-10pm and 10am-6pm on weekends.

You can also find your local service in the Women’s Aid Directory and contact Rights of Women’s criminal law advice line for information about obtaining legal advice. 

“Revenge porn” or intimate image abuse 

Intimate image abuse includes taking an intimate image or recording without you knowing or consenting, sharing intimate images without your consent or threatening to share these. All of these behaviours are against UK law. If someone has recorded you without you knowing and/or without your consent, if they’ve shared or threatened to share intimate images or videos of you, this is never your fault and you did nothing wrong. This can happen to anyone and there is help available to you.  

If you feel ready to talk to someone about this, you can reach out to the Revenge Porn Helpline through email or by phone, or you can send them an anonymous “Whisper” report. Their site has lots of information about what to expect when you get in touch with them, which hopefully can make that first step a little bit easier. 

Their step by step guides can help you to collect evidence, find out if the images have been shared online, and if it has, reporting the content to be removed. They also have a tool called StopNCII which works with online platforms to detect your images being shared and removed them. This is how it works:

You can also Report images on social media and access free and specialist legal advice from Rights of Women.  

If you’ve been affected by this, make sure you get support. Bloom’s course ‘Image-based abuse and rebuilding ourselves‘ can support you to learn tools for processing your emotions, understanding responses, and healing from trauma. 

If you’re 14-17 and want to know more about support for you around image-sharing, visit our site for young people. If you’re 18-24, Love Respect has a page specifically for you. 

Additional steps to protect your devices 

Passwords

You can set up each of your accounts with a strong password like three random words put together (for example, OrangeRoseKoala or LeftStitchDoor). The longer and more unusual your password is, the harder it is to crack. It’s important not to use anything associated with you (e.g. names of children or pets, birthdays) and to log out whenever you’re finished.  

It is also helpful to use a password manager which will safely secure your passwords. This means you can use unique, strong passwords for each account, and you don’t have to remember all of them. It’s safer to do this than to save passwords to your browser as you can log out of your password manager (this will be the most important password to remember) and this way your abuser won’t be able to log in as easily.  

Turning on two-step verification helps to keep your accounts secure. When you’ve set this up, you’ll be sent a notification when someone tries to log in to that account. If it’s you, then you can use a fingerprint, face scan or code sent to you to access your account. If it’s someone else, this stops them from being able to log in so you’ll be much safer online.  

Emergency alerts

The government will soon be launching an Emergency Alerts system for warning people when lives are in danger due to events such as flooding. The Emergency Alert is a loud, siren-like sound with a screen message, so Women’s Aid is concerned that this poses potential safety risks to survivors if you’re keeping a phone hidden from a perpetrator.  

Refuge’s tech team have put together information for survivors with an iPhone or Android on how to opt-out of the system. You can also find out more at gov.uk/alerts and on the Q&A document. 

More on Emergency Alerts and how to stay safe. 

Phones

Shared mobile plans – if you have a shared mobile plan then other members of the plan may have access to your location, call or messaging activities, contact your network provider.

You can silence unknown callers, so if someone is calling you from a number that’s not saved in your contact list, it will be silenced and sent to your voicemail so you won’t receive a notification while the call is ringing. Silence unknown callers on iPhone and Android.

Apple 

You can make an Apple device more secure by setting up Touch ID, Face ID and a passcode. 

You can manage your family sharing settings. 

iPhones – Settings – Privacy & Security – Safety Check – Manage Sharing & Access 

You can manage access to your location, find out which apps have access to what data about you (e.g. microphone, camera), what devices are signed in with your Apple ID, which trusted phone numbers are set up for the verification process, your passwords and your emergency contacts. 

For further details on security and privacy, check Apple’s Personal Safety User Guide and their other resources: 

Android 

You can make an Android device more secure by setting up a screen lock. You can also manage your family sharing settings and location settings. 

You can use the privacy dashboard to see which apps have access to your camera, location and microphone and change any app permissions if needed.

You can run a device scan to see if there’s any malware (malicious software) on your device.

For further details on security and privacy, check the Android Safety Centre. 

Anti-virus software

Installing anti-virus or anti-malware software on your devices will help to keep them safe from malicious software. Find out more about using antivirus products here.

Phishing/scame messages

Scammers may try to gain your trust by pretending to be someone you know or using details about you online to make a message seem more legitimate. Find out more about how to spot scam messages or calls and how to report them. It’s best to avoid opening attachments from senders you’re not sure of, or clicking on links on suspicious messages like this.  

Keeping data safe

If you want to keep documents safe and secure away from a device you’re currently using, one of the ways of doing this would be to back up the data to the cloud or an external hard drive. This could mean that you have a safe place to store logs of what’s been happening, or you can save important documents and photos if you’re planning on leaving. It’s important to ensure that your abuser does not have access to a cloud account or that you hide the external hard drive in a place you’re sure they will not find. Find out more about backing up your data here. 

Review browser extension

It could be worth checking what browser extensions you have installed so you can see if anyone else has added anything that could track you or provide information to them. Here’s how to do this on Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. 

Review location settings

If you review your location settings across your devices and accounts, you have significantly more control over who can see where you are at any given time. 

Software/app updates

Applying updates to apps and your device software as soon as they’re available helps to keep your device secure. These updates often include protection from viruses and malware so it can be good to turn on ‘automatic updates’ in your settings if this is available.  

Emergency contacts/SOS messages

Most phones can be set up to send your latest location to emergency contacts and call local emergency numbers. This can be done on both Apple and Android, but it’s important to remember that if one of your named emergency contacts is an abuser, you may want to update (or remove) this information so they are not informed of your location or you contacting emergency services.  

Further information and support 

Chayn’s Do-It-Yourself Online Safety guide is available in multiple languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, French, Farsi, Pashto, Urdu, Russian and Italian. This provides information for survivors about how to protect yourself and the technology you’re using. 

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available for free, 24-7 on 0808 2000 247. You can talk to their team online Monday to Friday 10am-10pm and 10am-6pm on weekends.

Read more on online and digital abuse

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]]> Rail to Refuge: impact briefing https://womensaid.org.uk/rail-to-refuge-impact-briefing/ Thu, 26 Jan 2023 16:30:52 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?p=25200 Rail to Refuge: impact briefing The Rail to Refuge scheme offers free train travel to women, children and men fleeing domestic abuse, who have been given an offer of a place in refuge. This impact briefing outlines the evidence base behind the Rail to Refuge scheme, the inception of the scheme, the impact on survivors […]

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Rail to Refuge: impact briefing

The Rail to Refuge scheme offers free train travel to women, children and men fleeing domestic abuse, who have been given an offer of a place in refuge.

This impact briefing outlines the evidence base behind the Rail to Refuge scheme, the inception of the scheme, the impact on survivors so far, learnings and how the scheme can be taken forward beyond March 2022. This report covers the time from the scheme’s launch in April 2020 to 12th September 2021.

Download Rail to Refuge: impact briefing (PDF)
Download Rail to Refuge: impact briefing (Word)

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]]> Research and Reports https://womensaid.org.uk/what-we-do/research/research-and-reports/ Wed, 18 Jan 2023 10:31:53 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?page_id=25181 Research and Reports All of our work is underpinned by a solid evidence base. Throughout the year we conduct research projects, support research in universities and publish data on key issues to ensure that we are leading the way in evidence and data on domestic abuse. Below are our most recent research reports. For resources, […]

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Research and Reports

All of our work is underpinned by a solid evidence base. Throughout the year we conduct research projects, support research in universities and publish data on key issues to ensure that we are leading the way in evidence and data on domestic abuse. Below are our most recent research reports.

For resources, leaflets, posters and t-shirts, visit the resource centre.

Access to support
Annual statistics
APPG
Attitudes to domestic abuse
Barriers to accessing support
Black and minoritised survivors
Change That Lasts
Children and young people’s experiences
Coercive controlling behaviour

Community response
COVID-19
Debt
Disability
Domestic abuse
Domestic Abuse Bill
Economic abuse
Employment
Family Courts
Financial hardship

Funding
Homicide
Housing
Justice
Legal aid/fees
Mental health
Mental health impact
Mental health response
Police responses
Rail to Refuge

Sexism and misogyny
Statutory services
Support services
Survivors’ experiences
Tech facilitated abuse
Welfare

Annual Audit 2026 - cover

The Domestic Abuse Report is a series published by Women’s Aid that brings together the most comprehensive set of data on domestic abuse in the country.

2026
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2017

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

Our Nowhere to Turn series draws on findings from Women’s Aid’s No Woman Turned Away (NWTA) project. The NWTA has been funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) since 2016, and supports survivors who face barriers and structural inequalities when searching for a refuge space.

2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Nowhere to Turn for Children and Young People, 2020

Change That Lasts Reports detail the awareness raising activities and support provided by ambassadors and professionals.

View briefings

The Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm have produced this briefing paper for survivors of domestic abuse from the evaluation of the Roadmap Programme for system change. It reports key messages from the evaluation for domestic abuse services and for those who use them.

Connect Centre briefings

With the help of our dedicated supporters we have achieved so much. Find out more in our Impact Reports.

Impact Report 2023-2024 cover photo
2024-2025
2024-2025 Highlights
2023-2024
2022-2023
2021-2022
2019-2020
2018-2019
2016-2017
2015-2016
2014-2015

The Connect Centre for International Research on Interpersonal Violence and Harm have produced this briefing paper for survivors of domestic abuse from the evaluation of the Roadmap Programme for system change. It reports key messages from the evaluation for domestic abuse services and for those who use them.

Connect Centre briefings

Economic abuse is often misunderstood but it is a key tactic used by perpetrators of domestic abuse to control their partner and stop her from leaving.

From safety to stability: Access to move-on accommodation after refuge
Economics of abuse
Hidden Housing Crisis
Unequal, trapped and controlled
Financial Hardship
Economic abuse and coercive control 2022
The Price of Safety

Funding life-saving specialist domestic abuse support services, will cost £393 million per year. This investment would be a fraction of the estimated £66 billion annual cost to society. Women’s Aid examines the cost of fulfilling the commitment to delivering a Statutory Duty on local authorities to fund refuge services and sustainable funding for wider specialist domestic abuse services.

Investing to save: the economic case for funding specialist domestic abuse support
Funding Support for Domestic Abuse Survivors
Domestic Abuse and Money Education
Fragile funding landscape
Women’s Aid data on domestic abuse provision
Funding a National Network of Refuges
Funding safer futures

Since our campaign began in 2016 we have been calling on the government, all family courts professionals, and involved agencies to make the family court process safer for women and children survivors of domestic abuse. We wanted an end to avoidable child deaths as a result of unsafe child contact with dangerous perpetrators of domestic violence, and to ensure that children are always put at the heart of contact decisions made by the family courts.

Nineteen More Child Homicides
Twenty Nine Child Homicides
Safe not sorry: Supporting the campaign for safer child contact
Nineteen Child Homicides
Two years, too long: Mapping action on the Harm Panel’s findings
“What about my right not to be abused?”
A Call to Action One Year On

Influencers and attitudes: How will the next generation understand domestic abuse?
What works to prevent violence against women and girls? – Impact report 2026
Independent evaluation of the Expect Respect programme

Women’s Aid have produced a number of short reports based on our surveys of survivors and services during the Covid-19 pandemic. These include our 2020 initial surveys looking at the impact of the first lockdown, and a series of briefings which look at the lasting impact of the pandemic.

Children experiencing domestic abuse
Seeking support for domestic abuse 2022
Economic Abuse and Coercive Control 2022
Technology and Domestic Abuse 2022
One year of the Covid-19 pandemic 2022
Community response to domestic abuse
The impact of Covid-19 on survivors
The impact of Covid-19 on domestic abuse support services
The Shadow Pandemic
A perfect Storm 2020

This campaign is calling for greater recognition of the impact that domestic abuse has on the mental health of women and their children, and the importance of providing support that meets their needs. Research was conducted with a view to understanding what domestic abuse survivors want from mental health support, and what an effective response looks like.

Campaign impact report
Domestic abuse and mental health: A guide for survivors
Are you listening?
Mental health and domestic abuse
Reframing the links: Black and minoritised women

Woman’s Aid have conducted research into UK adults’ attitudes to domestic abuse in order to better understand where and why domestic abuse is ‘tolerated’ in our society. Themes surrounding gendered experiences of justice and domestic abuse have been explored in relation to household roles, sexuality and intimate partner relationships and mental health. Our research adds to a wide body of literature on how sexism and misogyny set the scene for male violence against women.

A survey of UK attitudes to domestic abuse 2022
Gendered experiences of justice and domestic abuse

Woman’s Aid has published key findings on domestic abuse services and the women and children they support. Themes surround access to support in relation to Covid-19, travel, refuges with information drawn from Routes to Support, the UK violence against women and girls service directory, and from On Track, which is Women’s Aid’s case management and outcomes monitoring system. 

Key findings from On Track and Routes to Support 2022 – 2023
Key findings from On Track and Routes to Support 2021 – 2022
Seeking support for domestic abuse 2022
SOS: Save Refuges, Save Lives
Rail to Refuge impact briefing
Making the links: Disabled women and domestic violence
The Women’s Aid Annual Survey

The violence women experience from online abuse, stalking and harassment is completely unacceptable; the impact that this online abuse has on women’s lives has been underestimated by all statutory services. Women’s Aid believes that the responses that women victims of online abuse, harassment and stalking receive from the police, criminal justice system and social media providers are currently inadequate.

Virtual world, real fear
Technology and domestic abuse 2022

The APPG on Domestic Violence and Abuse conducts in-depth inquiries into key issues raised through APPG meetings. The inquiries include evidence submissions from survivors of domestic violence, domestic violence professionals, academics, politicians and charities.

2022
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014

As the cost of living crisis in the UK dominates political and media agendas, Women’s Aid needs to respond and influence from a position informed by the voices and experiences of survivors and members.

Cost of Living and the impact on survivors of domestic abuse
Cost of Living and the impact on domestic abuse services

Emergency fund evaluation report

Use and provision of refuge services in London

From Safety to Stability Access to move-on accommodation after refuge
Unsuccessful referrals into refuge

Resources for commissioners

This briefing is to start a conversation with policy makers and experts on the different considerations when measuring VAWG, and limitations to current metrics. We welcome the government’s commitment to halve VAWG in a decade.

We believe this is an ambitious mission which requires dedicated leadership and investment. We re-assert the VAWG sector manifesto call for a comprehensive, whole-society approach to tackling VAWG that looks beyond the criminal justice system and centres those who face the greatest barriers to support and protection. 

This briefing has been endorsed by over 80 leading organisations and experts in the VAWG sector.

Download Halving What? Measuring VAWG

Live Data

Explore service provision across England with our new live data dashboards.

Click on the links below to view our live data dashboards:

Information on referrals to local services and the challenges they faced from the Women’s Aid Annual Surveys (2017 to 2019).

Information on service types and refuge spaces from snapshots taken from Routes to Support in May each year (from 2010).

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]]> BAME IDVA https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=23872 Thu, 29 Sep 2022 14:23:58 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=23872 Changing Pathways BAME IDVA About Changing Pathways Changing Pathways is a domestic abuse support charity that has been supporting survivors and their children in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. We have recently expanded to include services in Brentwood, Epping Forest and Harlow. We provide free and confidential services for people who are […]

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BAME IDVA

About Changing Pathways

Changing Pathways is a domestic abuse support charity that has been supporting survivors and their children in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. We have recently expanded to include services in Brentwood, Epping Forest and Harlow.

We provide free and confidential services for people who are currently experiencing, or have previously experienced, domestic abuse and other forms of inter-personal violence including stalking, harassment, ‘honour-based’ abuse and forced marriage. We focus on listening to survivors; together we decide the support required to enable them to take their first step on a pathway to rebuilding their lives.

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has affected the lives of thousands of women and children in Essex.

Available positions

BAME IDVA – Full Time

37.5 hours per week, £26,818 per annum, 3 years fixed term

About the Role

The role will require you to be based at Basildon Refuge, however Changing Pathways are considering a blended working agreement which could include some time working from home.

You will be will be responsible for working in partnership to develop and deliver a Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community-based support service for individuals experiencing domestic abuse within the Basildon, Brentwood, Thurrock and Harlow areas.  The post holder will also be responsible for the delivery of specialist training on violence and abuse that occur mainly within BAME communities such as ‘so called’ honour-based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

This is a fast-paced role working with risk and as such we are seeking a dynamic individual who is skilled in crisis management and able to assess risk for survivors of domestic abuse.

This position requires you to be already working as an IDVA, either qualified or unqualified.

A Safe Lives IDVA or Women’s Aid DAPA qualification would be advantageous.

A vehicle and clean and current driving licence is required for this post.

About You

You will be empathetic, non-judgemental and committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies and practices.

You will also have an understanding of our core values:

  • Empower individuals to make their own choices in a safe environment to enable them to regain their independence.
  • Work with respect and dignity, valuing each individual’s experiences and circumstances and advocating for their unique needs.
  • Educate on the devastating impact that domestic abuse has on individuals, local communities and society.
  • Collaborate and work in partnership with other organisations to provide the best support for those impacted.

In return, we offer great employee benefits including employer pension contribution, generous holiday entitlement and a focus on learning and development.

How to Apply

For an informal discussion please contact Ranjit at welcome@changingpathways.org or 01268 729707 Option 2.

If you intend to apply you are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

Interviews may be held remotely via video.

Changing Pathways is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and is open to women only (*Exempt under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1).

Please apply directly on the Changing Pathways website.

For information in alternative formats (for example, in braille, large print or an electronic format), please email welcome@changingpathways.org

The post BAME IDVA appeared first on Women’s Aid.

]]> Basildon Refuge Senior Domestic Abuse Practitioner https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=23368 Fri, 02 Sep 2022 15:01:24 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=23368 Changing Pathways Basildon Refuge Senior Domestic Abuse Practitioner Changing Pathways is a domestic abuse support charity that has been supporting survivors and their children in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. We have recently expanded to include services in Brentwood, Epping Forest and Harlow. We provide free and confidential services for people who […]

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]]> Changing Pathways

Basildon Refuge Senior Domestic Abuse Practitioner

Changing Pathways is a domestic abuse support charity that has been supporting survivors and their children in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. We have recently expanded to include services in Brentwood, Epping Forest and Harlow.

We provide free and confidential services for people who are currently experiencing, or have previously experienced, domestic abuse and other forms of inter-personal violence including stalking, harassment, ‘honour-based’ abuse and forced marriage. We focus on listening to survivors; together we decide the support required to enable them to take their first step on a pathway to rebuilding their lives.

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has affected the lives of thousands of women and children in Essex.

Basildon Refuge Senior Domestic Abuse Practitioner – Full Time – based in Basildon

37.5 hours per week – £28,509 per annum – fixed term until 31/3/24 with the possibility of an extension.

About the Role

You will be working with families living in a women’s refuge to provide intensive support and advocacy to address their immediate risk and safety needs, whilst setting them on a pathway to recovery from their traumatic experiences.

You will act as the first point of contact for any questions regarding service users.

You will review refuge referrals together with the Operations Manager.

You will be responsible for H&S compliance at the Basildon refuges.

You will be the key point of contact for scheduling of project work in addition to the day to day running of the refuge.

You will participate in the recruitment process and take responsibility for the weekly team rota.

Together with the Operations Manager you will take the lead in managing the high and medium risk refuge service user workload, ensuring that the team is able to manage risk and ensure the needs of service users are met.

In line with the new Domestic Abuse Act, children’s needs will be assessed as victims in their own right with referrals made to Changing Pathways’ Children’s Services where necessary.

The role will require you to be based at Basildon Refuge.

About You

You will be an enthusiastic practitioner with experience in a refuge or supported housing environment who is driven to achieve positive outcomes for survivors of domestic abuse and their children.

You will be empathetic, non-judgemental and committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies and practices.

You will also have an understanding of our core values:

  • Empower individuals to make their own choices in a safe environment to enable them to regain their independence.
  • Work with respect and dignity, valuing each individual’s experiences and circumstances and advocating for their unique needs.
  • Educate on the devastating impact that domestic abuse has on individuals, local communities and society.
  • Collaborate and work in partnership with other organisations to provide the best support for those impacted.

In return, we offer great employee benefits including employer pension contribution, generous holiday entitlement and a focus on learning and development.

How to Apply

For an informal discussion please contact Natasha at welcome@changingpathways.org or 01268 729707 Option 2.

Applications should be received no later than 5pm on Friday 30th September 2022. This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. If you intend to apply you are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

Interviews may be held remotely via video.

Changing Pathways is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and is open to women only (*Exempt under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1).

Please apply directly on the Changing Pathways website.

For information in alternative formats (for example, in braille, large print or an electronic format), please email welcome@changingpathways.org

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]]> Children and Families Senior https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=22260 Tue, 21 Jun 2022 14:49:25 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=22260 Changing Pathways Children and Families Senior Changing Pathways is a domestic abuse support charity that has been supporting survivors and their children in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. We have recently expanded to include services in Brentwood, Epping Forest and Harlow. We provide free and confidential services for people who are currently […]

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]]> Changing Pathways

Children and Families Senior

Changing Pathways is a domestic abuse support charity that has been supporting survivors and their children in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. We have recently expanded to include services in Brentwood, Epping Forest and Harlow.

We provide free and confidential services for people who are currently experiencing, or have previously experienced, domestic abuse and other forms of inter-personal violence including stalking, harassment, ‘honour-based’ abuse and forced marriage. We focus on listening to survivors; together we decide the support required to enable them to take their first step on a pathway to rebuilding their lives.

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has affected the lives of thousands of women and children in Essex.

Children and Families Senior – Full Time – based at Basildon Refuge but covering Thurrock and Harlow also

37.5 hours per week, £28,509 per annum

About the Role

The role will require you to be based at Basildon Refuge however Changing Pathways are considering a blended working agreement which could include some time working from home.

You will be responsible for providing support for children and Families.  In the senior position, the post holder will be responsible for planning, developing, and monitoring the performance of the children and families service provision, with support from the Ops Manager.

About You

You will be empathetic, non-judgemental and committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies and practices.

 You will also have an understanding of our core values:

  • Empower individuals to make their own choices in a safe environment to enable them to regain their independence.
  • Work with respect and dignity, valuing each individual’s experiences and circumstances and advocating for their unique needs.
  • Educate on the devastating impact that domestic abuse has on individuals, local communities and society.
  • Collaborate and work in partnership with other organisations to provide the best support for those impacted.

In return, we offer great employee benefits including employer pension contribution, generous holiday entitlement and a focus on learning and development.

How to Apply

For an informal discussion please contact Natasha at welcome@changingpathways.org or 01268 729707 Option 2.

Applications should be received by 31st July 2022.  This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. If you intend to apply you are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

Interviews may be held remotely via video.

Changing Pathways is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and is open to women only (*Exempt under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1).

Please apply directly on the Changing Pathways website.

For information in alternative formats (for example, in braille, large print or an electronic format), please email welcome@changingpathways.org

The post Children and Families Senior appeared first on Women’s Aid.

]]> Domestic Abuse Practitioner https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=20775 Wed, 13 Apr 2022 18:34:22 +0000 https://womensaid.org.uk/?post_type=job_listing&p=20775 Changing Pathways Domestic Abuse Practitioner About Changing Pathways Changing Pathways is a domestic abuse support charity that has been supporting survivors and their children in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. We have recently expanded to include services in Brentwood, Epping Forest and Harlow. We provide free and confidential services for people who […]

The post Domestic Abuse Practitioner appeared first on Women’s Aid.

]]> Changing Pathways

Domestic Abuse Practitioner

About Changing Pathways

Changing Pathways is a domestic abuse support charity that has been supporting survivors and their children in South Essex and Thurrock for over forty years. We have recently expanded to include services in Brentwood, Epping Forest and Harlow.

We provide free and confidential services for people who are currently experiencing, or have previously experienced, domestic abuse and other forms of inter-personal violence including stalking, harassment, ‘honour-based’ abuse and forced marriage. We focus on listening to survivors; together we decide the support required to enable them to take their first step on a pathway to rebuilding their lives.

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has affected the lives of thousands of women and children in Essex.

Available positions

Domestic Abuse Practitioner – Full Time – Basildon Refuge

37.5 hours per week, £22,851 per annum – Permanent

About the Role

The role will require you to be based at Basildon Refuge, however Changing Pathways are considering a blended working agreement which could include some time working from home.

You will be working with families living in a women’s refuge to provide intensive support and advocacy to address their immediate risk and safety needs, whilst setting them on a pathway to recovery from their traumatic experiences.

In line with the new Domestic Abuse Act, children’s needs will be assessed as victims in their own right with referrals made to Changing Pathways’ Children’s Services where necessary.

We are looking for an enthusiastic practitioner with experience in a refuge or supported housing environment and who are driven to achieve positive outcomes for survivors of domestic abuse and their children.

The role will require you to be based in Basildon.

About You

You will be empathetic, non-judgemental and committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policies and practices.

 You will also have an understanding of our core values:

  • Empower individuals to make their own choices in a safe environment to enable them to regain their independence.
  • Work with respect and dignity, valuing each individual’s experiences and circumstances and advocating for their unique needs.
  • Educate on the devastating impact that domestic abuse has on individuals, local communities and society.
  • Collaborate and work in partnership with other organisations to provide the best support for those impacted.

In return, we offer great employee benefits including employer pension contribution, generous holiday entitlement and a focus on learning and development.

How to apply

For an informal discussion please contact Natasha at welcome@changingpathways.org or 01268 729707 Option 2.

Applications should be received no later than 5pm on 31st May 2022.   This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. If you intend to apply you are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

Please apply directly on the Changing Pathways website.

Interviews may be held remotely via video.

Changing Pathways is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

The post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and is open to women only (*Exempt under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1).

For information in alternative formats (for example, in braille, large print or an electronic format), please email welcome@changingpathways.org

 

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