24 Hour Domestic Violence Help-line

Offering choices…Improving lives

Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid Ltd formally Bassetlaw Women’s Aid Ltd was formed in 1984. It is a charitable company limited by guarantee governed by a Board of Trustees. Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid Ltd has achieved the Community Legal Services Quality Mark at general help level and quality standards of Supporting People Partnership.

Current Service Provision

The Refuge - with eight bedrooms, offering an immediate and temporary place of safety for women and their children escaping abuse.  Our open-door policy ensures no woman will be turned away without receiving assistance. The refuge offers an extended service to women and children with 24-hour access. We aim to empower women and enable them to make informed choices taking back control, and effect changes in their lives without prejudice or persuasion.

Children & young peoples Services refuge - provide practical and emotional support to children & young people and their families who are residing in our refuge around the impact of living with and leaving domestic abuse. Child support workers provide individual, family and group support aimed at reducing the impact of domestic abuse on the emotional health of children and young people. Support is also provided to mothers enabling them to recognise and respond to their children’s needs. The service also provides a variety of play and leisure activities responding to the emotional and social needs of children and young people living in the refuge.

Supported Housing Scheme with 12 Tenancies, run in partnership with Nottingham Community Housing Association, enabling women who are or have experienced domestic violence to sustain Assured Short hold tenancies through ongoing support and resettlement work up to the time the women determine this is no longer necessary. To recognise the varied and individual needs of each woman and reflecting this in the personal support plan. 2 properties are solely for women with issues of domestic violence and substance misuse /alcohol issues and are managed on temporary tenancies.

Domestic Violence Floating Support & Outreach service ensures that women experiencing domestic violence that wish to remain in their own properties or have recently left abusive relationships can access support to explore feelings and concerns around the abuse, address any related issues and look at interventions and strategies to promote their safety and well-being. Women who may wish to leave violent relationships are given practical and emotional support to access refuge or other suitable accommodation, information on interventions and options. These may be planned moves or crisis interventions. Women are supported in making and following through their own informed decisions to determine their own futures. The Floating Support service covers across Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood district.

Sanctuary Floating Support Service The Sanctuary Scheme is a multi agency partnership offering a package of security measures fitted within the home, linked with emotional and practical support. This enables survivors of domestic abuse to remain in their own home where safety can be ensured and the violent partner no longer lives in the home.

We deliver the support element of this scheme to women across North Notts, developing individual safety plans and providing information and ongoing support on a range of issues including legal options, housing, and benefits and budgeting.

Domestic abuse Link worker This role was established in 2006 as a joint initiative between Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid and Bassetlaw Children & Young Peoples Dept (CYPD).  The link worker is based with in the Reception and Assessment team, making contact with victims of abuse who are referred to CYPD.  The worker provides a vital link to women enabling at an early stage intervention, offering information on support services, practical help and assistance.  She will also work with social workers to offer expertise around issues relating to domestic abuse and to attempt to engage family members around issues of safeguarding.

Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA) A new service to Nottinghamshire Women's Aid Limited. Workers have attended accredited CAADA advocacy training and are delivering the role of the IDVA through the Multi agency risk assessment process (MARAC) covering Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood districts. The IDVA role responds to and provides practical & emotional support, safety planning, early intervention and ongoing support through the court process or where child contact issues have been identified. This service is for women where it has been determined there is high risk or very high risk through the Cardiff risk assessment process.

Along side this service a joint initiative between Nottinghamshire Women's Aid Limited and Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood B division Police is being piloted. 2 part time IDVA’s will be based within the Public Protection Unit at Ollerton police station and will respond to women that have been the victim of domestic abuse including medium & high risk and where early intervention and support can be offered.

The Farr Centre a safe women, young people and children only space that provides support, information, advice, guidance, training both educational and vocational to all women in the community especially those who are experiencing domestic violence, abuse, poverty, unemployment and other changes to their lives. We enable women to develop skills through involvement in social activities to become confident, self aware and assertive in order that they may take control of their lives through self-determination. In 2006 the Farr centre playroom successfully achieved Ofsted registration to run crèche provision for women wishing to access.

Children & young peoples Outreach Service provide individual support packages to children and young people in the community who have experienced living with domestic abuse. Support is provided through individual sessions and by the facilitation of a range of children’s and young peoples groups. The service also provides support and information to women aimed at raising awareness of their children’s experiences of domestic abuse and enabling them to respond to their children’s resulting needs.  Workers are trained to deliver group parenting sessions to offer women with children new tools, coping strategies and support in   addressing  identified   parenting issues .In 2006 we successfully secured funding for a young peoples group facilitator and development worker to develop and expand on the already demanding work with young people. This includes running and facilitating group work sessions and delivering Stay Abuse Free Education (SAFE) a program that covers domestic abuse awareness and healthy/positive relationships within secondary schools across Bassetlaw.

Telephone    Farr Centre 01909 533610

                     Refuge        01909 478065

Email            enquires@nottswa.org

Website        www.nottswa.org