Category: Blog

The team at My Sister’s Place, based in Middlesbrough, wanted to use this Spotlight series to talk about the community response to domestic abuse – particularly apt during the #16DaysofActivism! The team understand that women deserve the right response to domestic abuse – the first time they tell someone what is happening.

Through the Change that Lasts programme, the Ask Me scheme empowers local people to become Community Ambassadors, through a training course which gives them the skills to talk about domestic abuse in a non-victim blaming way, to ensure women are able to access specialist support when they need it, and get the right services to meet their needs.

The Ask Me team know that local communities are often the first to know when women are subjected to abuse and so want to upskill and support community members to listen, believe and support women, working alongside a specialist domestic abuse service so that Ambassadors can also access the support they need to support people close to them.

The training to become an ambassador takes 12 hours, with some reflective activities in between sessions to help change the culture of domestic abuse. You’ll learn about how to break down barriers for women who want to access help and support, understand how to start a conversation about domestic abuse, how to respond when someone tells you what is happening to them and how to ensure you have good boundaries, self-care and how to access support for yourself. The programme offers ongoing support, opportunities to meet up, take part in activism and develop links with your peers involved in the project.

Feedback from the training has been amazing – two of the Community Ambassadors said:

“From my experience this is the best training I may have ever had. There was a variety of activities that challenged our perceptions on domestic abuse but was accessible enough to discuss our understanding with one another. It was profound, at times entertaining and offers realistic guidance on how to be more aware of such issues.”

“It really has empowered me in all aspects of my life, and I am truly grateful I was able to attend. I feel a new sense of pride for being a survivor and an ignited passion for doing all I can to support others who may have found/find themselves in an abusive situation.”

If you’d like to find out more about becoming a Community Ambassador, you can email hello@mysistersplace.co.uk for further information, check out their website, linked below, or find details of all of their social media and campaign information through this easy link!

My Sister’s Place are rightly proud of the amazing work they do with and for survivors of sexual violence across Cleveland and we’re proud of their place in our Network. You can find out more about My Sisters’ Place including how to donate to their essential services, by following THIS LINK.

Harbour Support Services are a register charity and have been supporting survivors of domestic abuse for over forty 45 years – and looks forward to a society free of violence and abuse. The work of Harbour covers not only support services for (predominantly) women and their dependent children in the Cleveland policing area, covering Teesside but also across the Tees Valley into Darlington, further west into County Durham and north into Tyneside.

The highly skilled staff working at Harbour provide support for survivors of domestic abuse including accommodation-based services (usually described as ‘refuge services’) along with outreach and support in the community for those who don’t need to leave their homes. This support is led by the woman affected; her needs and strengths are assessed, and the workers will support her to ensure her life is free from violence and abuse. They help women make choices that are right for them and accept that not everyone wants to get help right now and that’s ok! This non-judgemental attitude, grounded in equality means they’re ready to offer guidance, information, and support when it is most needed. Providing choices and options gives women in Cleveland and the surrounding areas space to make decisions that are right for them, at the right time.

In addition, Harbour supports men who want to stop being abusive by providing programmes for perpetrators of abuse and will work alongside the women in their lives to help keep them safe whilst this work of undoing the ownership, entitlement and power and control which is at the root of domestic abuse.

Harbour has an excellent volunteer programme for those living locally who want to get involved in supporting survivors of domestic abuse. This programme has a full induction and support programme, so you’re given the skills you need to provide the right support to those who have been subjected to abuse. Find out more about volunteering through the link below!

Cleveland Women’s Network are proud of the work done by Harbour Support Services and you can find out more about supporting them, giving your time as a volunteer or making a donation on their website, linked here.

We are a specialist charity committed to supporting Black and minoritised women and girls to escape domestic abuse, sexual violence and hidden harms including forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and honour-based abuse. Violence against women and girls in all its forms has no place in our society and the root causes erode our communities and destroy the prospects for us to live in a world fear free. This is exacerbated for Black and minoritised survivors, whose voices and experiences of abuse are seldom heard and for whom additional barriers can prevent from accessing support. We at Halo Project must exist for them, to ensure that protection always comes before race, religion, or identity – and that equitable provision is accessible to all.

We offer expert information, advice and guidance to professionals and survivors via our national Specialist Support Hub, provide local outreach to those in  Cleveland, Durham, Darlington, Teesside and North Yorkshire, and run a refuge for Black and minoritised survivors at our Halo Homes site, where women and their children can seek safety, get culturally appropriate support and advice from our expert caseworkers based on their individual needs, and gain the tools and knowledge needed to start a new life free from fear and harm. These tools include educational trauma-informed sessions for service-users via our Halo Exhale and Halo Hope programmes which aid in understanding, healing, and recovery; as well as peer-to-peer support groups such as Circle of Friends and our Survivors’ Forum, where survivors can meet those with similar experiences to their own and can build friendships and strong support networks.

Halo Project, alongside our staff, trustees and partners continue to address the barriers Black and minoritised women and girls face and how many more attitudes need to be changed for more lives to be saved, along with those of the 2500 and counting women from over 49 different ethnicities who have already accessed Halo and our services. One of the main aims of Halo has been, and will continue to be, focus on the power of education in many forms, not least in raising awareness of the needs of the people we support and the scale of the issues which prevail within society for the most vulnerable. We have an incredible team who are achieving tremendous progress which cannot be understated, however, to make a more significant impact, we must – and will – continue to highlight the challenges faced by so many in Cleveland and farther afield and harness the power of professionals, students and communities, to bring about necessary change.

One of our clients said: “I am alive because of Halo. I am here today because of Halo and the support I have received from the lovely case workers over the years since 2013. There were times when I wanted to die but Halo made me confident and the woman I am today. Thank you.”

Halo are rightly proud of the amazing work they do with and for survivors of sexual violence across Cleveland and we’re proud of their place in our Network. You can find out more about Halo including how to donate to their essential services, by following THIS LINK.

Foundation provides life-changing domestic abuse support across Redcar & Cleveland, working with adults, families, children, and young people who are, or have, experienced domestic abuse. Our Community Domestic Abuse Service provides outreach support to people aged 16yrs and over, and we also deliver a Kaleidoscope Project which offers emotional wellbeing support to young people aged 5yrs-18yrs. Our service adopts a proactive approach to tackling domestic abuse, focusing on awareness raising, early intervention and prevention, particularly within rural communities, those with protected characteristics and from marginalised groups. Our “Reach-In” approach aims to help victims overcome barriers, creating safer, stronger, and empowered communities. Our aim is to equip individuals with the knowledge, options, and opportunities to protect and safeguard themselves and their families.

We place co-production and client voice at the very centre of our approach to ensure we deliver a service that meets the needs of victims. We are in the process of supporting several clients to become volunteers within the service to be part of our Community Champion initiative. This will involve connecting with people and communities, drawing on the clients’ own domestic abuse experience to engage with the public through campaigns, events, and conversations.

Recently, one of our clients moved into being a volunteer Foundation Community Champion! She supported our IDVA to distribute some information about our project across Marske and Redcar and she said:

‘it is the first time I have ever said I am really proud of myself, today was brilliant, we had such a good response’.

For more information contact the Redcar Team:

07718707505 (Community Support) 07581297008 (Kaleidoscope Project)

Email: redcardv@foundationuk.org

Foundation Redcar are rightly proud of the amazing work they do with and for survivors of sexual violence across Redcar and we’re proud of their place in our Network. You can find out more about Foundation including how to donate to their essential services, by following THIS LINK.

EVA Women’s Aid is an award-winning small Charity with BIG ideas! We provide a range of specialist services to survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, whether current, recent or historic.  EVA offers support to women, and children/young people of all genders.  We are proud of how we support the women we work with, and we take what they say to us very seriously because it helps us to improve and shape our service to ensure we give the best possible support.  At EVA, we know that the trauma of abuse can affect every part of your life.  We understand.  We believe you.  We will support you towards independence in a way that’s right for you, at  a pace that’s right for you. Here’s what some of our service users told us;

Janet, aged 36 – “Just thank you from the bottom of my heart!! The whole of EVA have been amazing and I don’t know where I would be without you all. EVA are life savers!! I feel so fortunate and grateful to have been supported by yourselves when I was in my time of need. I am doing so well now and I love myself and my life again. Everything has just fallen in to place and I know it is because I had EVA in my corner, helping me to understand the abuse and its impacts, helping me with court and giving me a place in the groups, and because of this I am able to go at it alone and get back to living the life I am lucky to be living!”

Sarah, aged 27 – I was listened to, understood and not judged, it didn’t matter what I said I was supported. I don’t recognise the person I was.  Eva are brilliant.

Veronica, aged 42 – “I was homeless living in a tent and I was beat up by my boyfriend when council staff put me in touch with EVA Women’s aid and I went to a Safe House.  They do loads of courses, I have done the Freedom programme which has made me more confident and I have done the art and craft one as well which was really good. I met new people there!  The staff have been brilliant with me they helped me get back in touch with my mum and children after a break down in relationships and I don’t know where my life would be without them.”

Anonymous follower on Facebook – “Dear Eva team, I am a survivor of domestic abuse and I have only just begun to have the courage to acknowledge that to myself and a few trusted others. Although this gradual realisation is painful but necessary. I am so very grateful to you comms team for the excellent content I see on Facebook. Thank you EVA. I am a woman in Edinburgh, please know your working impactful in a far away living room, helping me understand my life, see patterns in my choices and be more assertive with my ex about the rights of my children and I.”

EVA Women’s Aid are rightly proud of the amazing work they do with and for survivors of domestic and sexual violence across Redcar and Cleveland, and we’re proud of their place in our Network. You can find out more about EVA Women’s Aid, including how to donate to their essential services, by following THIS LINK.

ARCH Teesside is a specialist sexual violence service offering free and confidential support, help and advocacy to people in the Teesside area who have experienced rape and sexual abuse, at any point in their lives. Based in Middlesbrough, Arch have over 20 years-experience of delivering services within the communities they serve.

Arch originally evolved from a women’s domestic abuse project, to specialise in providing trauma-informed rape and sexual abuse support. In 2007, they incorporated the then ‘Jigsaw’ project into the service, which extended the services, including providing support to men and boys who had been subjected to sexual violence.

Today, Arch are the largest provider of sexual violence support in Teesside and are committed to ensuring that victims/survivors have the support they need, when they need it, and to support them to move forward from their experiences.

Arch pride themselves on delivering quality services that meet the needs of sexual violence victims/survivors, and their work is continually informed by survivor experiences and their feedback about the services we provide. Arch are part of the Rape Crisis England and Wales (RCEW) network, and services are accredited under the RCEW National Service Standards. Arch Counselling provision is BACP registered and accredited.

If your life has been affected by rape or sexual violence, finding the right words may be impossible. ARCH Teesside offers free and confidential support to help you on the road to recovery. Every member of the team is specially trained around the impact of sexual violence and understands the difficulty and challenges faced by those who have been subjected to sexual violence and abuse.

Arch Teesside’s mission is strengthened by a belief in people and in their capacity not just to survive, but to thrive following an experience of sexual violence. Arch believe it is important for every victim/survivor to have the space they need to make sense of their experiences.

Arch operate a woman only space once a week and ensure a woman-only pathway to support which involves survivors being able to make choices about the support worker who is right for them.

Arch Teesside are rightly proud of the amazing work they do with and for survivors of sexual violence across Teesside and we’re proud of their place in our Network. You can find out more about Arch Teesside, including how to donate to their essential services, by following THIS LINK.

We are an outreach and prevention charity which aims to engage, empower and equip vulnerable and excluded women, families and young people to live lives free from harm, abuse and exploitation and to reduce life limiting choices and behaviour.

Alongside our four main services, we offer psychotherapy support, with an inhouse therapy team which includes volunteers. Our volunteers support across all of our services and are essential to the work we do.

We are unique in our approach to engagement in that we offer both trauma informed and responsive engagement, which includes assertive outreach and advocacy. Meeting people where they are, recognising their strengths and understanding the context in which they are living. This includes engaging with wider family and significant others and contributes to our lifecycle approach illustrated below.

Lifecycle approach:

Youth project:

This project works with boys and girls ages 8-16, in the schools and supporting the families. Our sessions deliver training on healthy relationships, boundaries, and age-appropriate sexual education. They are taught about wellbeing, self-esteem, and have a safe space with trusted adults to learn and grow in these areas.

‘The intervention responds to the wider determinants of poverty and disadvantage whilst targeting support on those with the most need’.

Blossom Project:

Blossom was directly informed by our work with older women who identified having someone to support, hope and offer unconditional positive regard sooner may have prevented some of the hurt that they endured.

Blossom works with young women aged 13-25 and has provision to work with those who have additional needs and those transitioning from children to adult services.  For many who access Blossom, it is a bridge between exiting the care system, and living independently.

Our project is preventative and intervening; putting service users at the heart of everything we do and ‘being listened to’ has been identified as one of the most important measures of success by the young women.

Liberty:

Our longest standing project is Liberty, who offer a dedicated wrap around service aimed at women who were/are sex workers/sexually exploited.

Every year this project reaches out to women who experience coercive and controlling behaviour, sexual assault, rape and exploitation, offering women a safe space for counselling and engagement.

Our project is unique for its outreach support, led alongside a team of volunteers, which goes directly to where the women are and offers the initial interactions which lead to many of them becoming known to us, and then accessing our support services.

Criminal Justice:

Our newest addition is our Criminal Justice Team. Working in partnership alongside Changing Lives, this team was set up to help women within the criminal justice system and help those who are repeatedly offending break these cycles.

Our holistic approach enables our staff to support women and tackle why they are offending, whether that be due to addictions, poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, and helps them in accessing what is needed to enable them to break free from life limiting behaviours that  entangle them in this system.

A Way Out are rightly proud of the amazing work they do with and for women across Cleveland and we’re proud of their place in our Network. You can find out more about A Way Out, including how to donate to their essential services, by following THIS LINK.

Cleveland Women’s Network is a partnership of local agencies working across the unitary authorities of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton[1]. We have shared aims and values and work collaboratively to end men’s violence against women and girls and to provide support to those subjected to abuse. Cleveland Police has a significant issue with domestic and sexual violence; Home Office evidence suggests that domestic abuse per 1000 head of population is 50% higher in Cleveland than the England & Wales or North East average. The Femicide Census evidenced the Cleveland area as having one of the highest rates of femicide, per head of population[2] and our highly stretched members note increasing demand for their services, year on year. This isn’t good enough for the women and girls in our area and we are here to demand change, to hold abusive men accountable, to ensure specialist services are appropriately and sustainably funded and to help ensure that women and girls can have a life that is centred on hope and joy, not harm and fear.

The Cleveland Women’s Network brings together charitable women’s organisations who, together, have a stronger voice for women. Across the region, the CWN has a reach like no other organisation – we are unique in so many ways. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be the Vice Chair of the CWN for the last few years. – Richinda Taylor, Vice Chair of CWN and CEO of Eva Women’s Aid, Redcar and Cleveland.

Our members work to support victims and survivors’ of domestic abuse, sexual violence and sexual exploitation whenever it happened in their lives. We offer trauma-responsive, individualised support, with a sound evidence base, based on decades of research, work experience and user-led consultation with those using our services. Our services are often under-funded and funded in a way that focusses on short-term outcomes, not the long-term realities of women and girls’ lives which have been impacted by trauma. We recognise the barriers faced by those with protected characteristics and work towards providing specialisms of service that meet the individual needs of victims and survivors’ and hold them wholly central to our work.

CWN provides a collaborative approach to identifying gaps for victims and ensuring service responses are needs led. Our Network has improved access to services for diverse communities and has bought together our survivors to highlight improvements. Yasmin Khan, Chair of CWN and Director of Halo Project, Middlesbrough.

Cleveland Women’s Network believes another way is possible. We believe it is possible to end men’s violence against women and girls and that perpetrators can be held accountable for their actions. We recognise that the root of men’s violence is the issue of power, ownership and entitlement, which leads to control and violence – but that this is not inevitable. We urge the UK government to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention[3], which would create a comprehensive legal framework and approach to combating violence against women and is focused on preventing abuse, protecting victims and prosecuting accused offenders. The convention also establishes obligations in relation to the collection of data and supporting research in the field of violence against women, which would ensure we have accurate data regarding all of the experiences of women and girls in order to be able to recognise the issues they are facing as the epidemic we know it is; which is well-evidenced by the specialist led by and for women’s sector and more recently, by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service, in their recent report commissioned by the Home Secretary in response to the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police officer[4].

 

[1] http://www.clevelandwomensnetwork.co.uk/

[2] https://www.femicidecensus.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Femicide-Census-10-year-report.pdf

[3] https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/home

[4] https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/police-response-to-violence-against-women-and-girls/