Celebrating pan London specialist services. Tackling Domestic and sexual violence

1. Priority 2 Relaunch
Celebrating Pan-London Specialist Services
Tackling Domestic and Sexual Violence
5 September 2017

2. Registration

3. Welcome
Yasmin Rehman

4. Keynote:
The Value of Pan-London
Specialist Services
Cllr Lib Peck

5. Funded by
London Councils
A project of the
London VAWG Consortium

6. Ascent is a project within the London Violence Against Women
and Girls (VAWG) Consortium, delivering a range of services for
survivors of domestic and sexual violence, under six themes,
funded by London Councils.
The aim of Ascent is to improve service provision for those
affected by sexual and domestic violence in London through the
provision of front-line services as well as support to voluntary
and statutory organisations.
Ascent also works to prevent and reduce further violence.
What is Ascent?

7. The London VAWG Consortium is an exciting and innovative
partnership made up of 29 organisations all working to end
violence against women and girls.
This partnership has been recognised nationally as one of the
largest VAWG consortiums but also as an exemplary model of
good practice that will help ensure the delivery of
comprehensive, cost effective and high quality services to all
communities across London.
The partnership is also helping to strengthen referral pathways
and identify trends and emerging needs. For example, the
increase in women presenting with complex mental health
difficulties.
What is the London VAWG Consortium?

8. - Prevention
- Advice, Counselling, and Access to Support Services
- Domestic and Sexual Violence Helplines
- Specialist Refuge
- Ending Harmful Practices
- Support Services to Organisations
The six themes of Ascent

9. • Successful partnership funded by London Councils for last 4
years and now a further 4 years, part of London VAWG
Consortium
• Advice and counselling services to women and girls affected by
all forms of violence across London (age 16+).
• Delivered via a Hub and Spoke model – over 40,000 SUs over
the 4 years, achieving excellent outcomes across the whole of
London.
• A Pan-London partnership, designed to plug gaps and increase
access to services
• A unique partnership of 14 specialist orgs, over 50% BME orgs.
Lead partner: Solace Women’s Aid. g.herd@solacewomensaid.org
• .
Advice, Counselling and Support to Access
Services

10. Partners
Social Impact Report: Ascent Advice & Counselling – Background
Ashiana Network
(Ashiana)
Asian Women’s
Resource Centre
(AWRC)
Chinese
Information and
Advice Centre
(CIAC)
EACH Counselling
and Support
Iranian and Kurdish
Women’s Rights
Organisation
(IKWRO)
IMECE Women’s
Centre (IMECE)
Jewish Women’s
Aid (JWA)
Latin American
Women’s Rights
Service (LAWRS)
The Nia Project
(Nia)
Rape and Sexual
Abuse Support
Centre (RASASC)
Rights of Women
(ROW)
Solace Women’s
Aid (Lead partner)
Southall Black Sisters
(SBS)
Women and Girls
Network (WGN)
Advice, Counselling and Support to Access
Services

11. • Advice (all standard/ Medium Risk)
- Entry via Hub or Spokes and via self referral or organisation referral
- Advice Hub
- Telephone advice through East (Solace) and West (WGN) – support to SUs and
professionals
- Advice Spokes (up to 12 weeks)
- specialist BME casework across regions (culturally specific & different
languages)
- 3 Pan-London caseworkers:
- 1 working with sexually exploited/ problematic substance use SUs (Nia)
- 1 Young Women’s Caseworker(incl gang involved)
- 1 Housing Caseworker worker (Solace)
- Legal Advice: via ROW London Legal line (also downloadable legal guides)
Advice, Counselling and Support to Access
Services

12. • Counselling and Groups
- In-Borough (all boroughs)
- Ascent Moving Forward Group: 8 sessions, 3 times per year (incl. post
IDVA support).
- 1-1 Counselling (BACP Accredited) – Up to 20 sessions
Specialist (regional)
- BME groups (i.e. 9 organisations) based regionally and SV group in
south east.
- 1-1 culturally specific counselling (BACP accredited) - up to 20
sessions available in different languages
Advice, Counselling and Support to Access
Services

13. Legal training: on Tri-Borough basis (ROW);
accredited training for volunteers (Solace) and
accredited training around therapeutic
interventions (WGN)
No Recourse to Public Funds: emergency fund
(SBS) – support to women who are destitute for
living costs and accommodation.
Advice, Counselling and Support to Access
Services

14. For Ascent Advice & Counselling Services call:
• Advice Hub East (Solace) – 0808 802 5565 (Mon – Fri 10-4 and Tues 6-9pm)
• Advice Hub West (WGN) – 0808 801 0660 (Mon – Fri 10-4 and Wed 6-9)
• London Legal Advice Line - Rights of Women: Telephone: 020 7608 1137;
info@row.org.uk
• Southall Black Sisters - www.southallblacksisters.org.uk/no-recourse-fund
For any more info about Ascent services or Solace email
g.herd@solacewomensaid.org
How to refer into A&C services
Advice, Counselling and Support to Access
Services

15. • This project delivers specialist, integrated helpline services
for all survivors of domestic and sexual violence throughout
London providing immediate practical and emotional support
as well as signposting to other support services.
• This project will monitor access to refuge services to support
the future development of provision in London.
• Lead partner: Women’s Aid, helpline@womensaid.org.uk,
www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk
Domestic and sexual violence helplines

16. Integrated helpline services for all survivors of domestic
and sexual violence throughout London providing:
•immediate practical and emotional support
•advice and information on available options
•identification of and referral to an appropriate refuge space
•signposting to other support services.
2013-17: 79,135 London
callers
Domestic and Sexual Violence Helplines

17. Domestic and Sexual Violence Helplines

18. Men’s Advice Line
www.mensadivceline.or
g.uk
info@mensadviceline.or
g.uk
0808 801 0327
National Domestic
Violence Helpline
www.nationaldomesticvi
olencehelpline.org.uk
helpline@womensaid.or
g.uk
0808 2000 247
Women and Girls
Network
0808 801 0770
Rape and Sexual
Abuse Support
Centre
0808 820 999
24h
r
9am-
5pm
Sexual Violence
Helpline
Day and Evening
Helplines: Partners
Lead agency

19. • Number of services listed, how many refuge services and how many bed spaces and
vacancies they show at the end of the quarter.
• How many of each type of service operate in London with a breakdown by borough.
• A full list of the services operating refuge services in each borough.
• An analysis of referrals accepted and referrals turned away by borough and any protected
characteristics or additional support needs.
• Numbers of women who accessed refuge in London with a breakdown by borough and any
protected characteristics or additional support needs.
• Numbers of women that refuges in London were not able to provide refuge to with
breakdown by borough and any protected characteristics or additional support need
• Numbers of women moving on from a refuge in London with breakdown by borough and
any protected characteristics or additional support needs.
• The reasons women left a refuge with breakdown by borough and characteristics.
• An analysis of where women lived before entering a refuge and where they moved on to
after leaving a refuge.
Data Collection Project

20. • Available for strategic planning and support
• Current review – data subgroup
• New presentation of data in development
For more information contact:
n.norman@womensaid.org.uk
Data Collection Project

21. • This project is delivered by a partnership of specialist organisations working
across different black, Asian, minority, ethnic and refugee (BAMER)
communities in London with women experiencing female genital mutilation,
honour based violence, forced marriage and other harmful practices.
• Support includes one to one advice and information on rights, entitlements,
intensive casework and advocacy support, therapeutic support groups and
counselling. The project also works to raise awareness amongst voluntary
and statutory agencies and runs workshops and peer mentoring support for
young women.
• Partners: Ashiana Network, IMECE Women’s Centre, (IKWRO)
Women’s Centre, Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS),
Women & Girls Network (WGN), Southall Black Sisters Trust (SBST),
Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development (FORWARD)
and the Al- Aman Project
Lead agency : Asian Women’s Resource Centre,
info@asianwomencentre.org.uk
Ending harmful practices

22. EHP Delivery Model 2017-2021
Ending harmful practices
• 2.5 Pan-London Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) workers.
• 1.5 posts based at FORWARD developing work in African
comunities (adults and young women) and the other
• 0.5 post based at IKWRO Women’s Centre, delivering FGM
services in Middle east communities.
• 0.5 post based at Al-Aman (DVIP) working with Arabic
communities.
• Five part-time workers based at Southall Black Sisters Trust,
IMECE Women’s Centre, Asiam Women’s Resource Centre,
Ashiana and LAWRS focusing on HBV and forced marriage.
Counselling and therapeutic support provided by IMECE,
LAWRS, Ashiana, WGN, and IKWRO.

23. EHP Services
Ending harmful practices
• 1:1 intense advice , advocacy and casework support on HBV, FM, FGM
and other harmful practices
• Therapeutic counselling provision for women (intense 20 week
contracts)
• Raising awareness of the impact of HBV, FM and FGM within
communities and other voluntary and statutory agencies (not only BME
communities) through delivering workshops, training, and presentations.
• Specific work with young women through the delivery of workshops to
support peer mentoring and youth advocacy.
• Support groups for women
• Creating referral pathways to refuge provision and FGM clinics, as part
of casework
• Services in a range of languages, including Farsi, Somali, Arabic,
English, Pashtu, Turkish, Kurdish, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujarati, Portuguese,
French and Swahili

24. EHP Headline Achievements 2016-2017
Ending harmful practices
• 1,541 women had an improved understanding of options and rights
Publicity materials distributed , printed and through web (9,161)
• Professionals receiving training (1422)
• Support groups held with 243 women
• Support provided in 17 community languages by the partnership
• Services users have been involved in the adapting and review od EHP
services.

25. The Prevention Strand works with children and young people
aged 9-24 in primary and secondary schools and in targeted youth
settings to help them develop skills for building healthy, respectful
relationships.
Prevention

26. In each Borough across London:
• 1 secondary school receives the “Champion school” programme
to establish a ‘Whole School Approach’ to ending violence
against women & girls
• 1 secondary school receives the Healthy Relationships Project
• 1 primary school receives the Healthy Relationships Project
• 1 targeted setting e.g. SEN school or pupil referral unit receives
the Healthy Relationships Project
Prevention

27. In primary schools we explore friendships, identify safe and
unsafe touch and increase awareness of harmful practices including
FGM, forced marriage and ‘honour’ based violence.
In secondary schools we enable young people to recognise the
early warning signs of unhealthy relationships and be confident to
seek support for themselves and their friends.
In targeted youth settings we work with vulnerable young
people who may be at increased risk of abusive relationships.
Theatre techniques allow young people to respond to real life
scenarios and consider the different pressures that may impact on
their options if they experience abuse. By giving realistic examples
of both positive and negative relationships, young people are better
equipped to recognise them. Practical, interactive education on how
to escape unhealthy relationships helps them to rehearse pathways
to safety.
Prevention

28. Partners:
• IMECE
• Women and Girls' Network (WGN)
• The Nia Project
• Solace Women's Aid
• Latin American Women's Rights Service (LAWRS)
• FORWARD
• Ashiana Network
• Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO)
Lead organisation: Tender Education & Arts, susie@tender.org.uk
Prevention

29. This project provides pan-London, specialist emergency accommodation and
support services to vulnerable women presenting with additional needs such as:
Specialist refuge

30. Specialist refuge
This Project offers:

31. Specialist refuge-Partnership
The Specialist Refuge Network is a partnership between four specialist women’s
organisations led by Ashiana Network.

32. Key Elements of the Specialist Refuge
The key elements of the service include, 38 Specialist 24-hour refuges & second-
stage accommodation bedspaces, specialising in supporting women with
additional needs. This includes: Problematic Substance Use, Mental Health,
Sexually Exploited & Trafficked women, No Recourse to Public Funds & Harmful
Practices.

33. Key Elements of the Specialist Refuge
The Specialist refuge service also provides a package of intensive targeted
support, providing the following:

34. Key Elements of the Specialist Refuge
The aim of providing these support services to vulnerable women is to ensure
they are supported and have access to the following:

35. Key Achievements- Specialist Refuge
The following
information below is
based on key
achievements of the
refuge strand from
2013-2017.

36. Contact Details-Lead Partner

37. Support services to organisations

38. Aim of the Support Services to Organisations strand
Support services to organisations
To support voluntary and community organisations working in the sexual and
domestic violence sector to be more sustainable and resilient
• Building capacity
• Improved practice and quality provision
• Financial sustainability and efficiency
• Increased knowledge of policy
• Partnerships and collaboration
• Effective monitoring, evaluating and adaption of services

39. Support Services:
Support services to organisations
• Accredited training
• Expert led training
• Sustainability training
• Seminars
• Special Events
• Best Practice Briefings
• One-to-one support
• Newsletters
• Sector Conversations

40. To find out more, please visit our website:
www.thelondonvawgconsortium.org.uk
Or network with representatives from the Consortium today!
Find out more

41. Relaunch event – September 2017
Specialist domestic abuse service for Deaf people
and children

42. Our Philosophy
Deaf led supporting Deaf people and children
Our Aim :
Prevention
Protection
Provision

43. Our current services
 IDVA Independent domestic violence
advocates – High risk clients
 Outreach – Medium to low risk
 Young Deaf Hope prevention workshops
 Children and Families service
 Survivor workshops (first in UK)
 Supporting Deaf women in refuges
 Training – professionals
Deaf community groups

44. Where are we based?
• Administration only office in Balham, South
London
• Our services currently cover pan London
boroughs, Kent, Surrey and Sussex
• We meet clients in their own boroughs/areas
and work closely with their local dv services

45. Who we support
• Deaf (both oral deaf and Deaf who use BSL)
• Deafened
• Deaf/Blind
• Hard of hearing

46. Why specialist services are
needed ?
• No other specialist domestic abuse services for
Deaf people currently exist
• Around 80% of Deaf referrals for specialist BSL
counselling have experienced domestic abuse
• Deaf people are twice at risk of domestic abuse
and forced marriage

47. Client centred – multi agency
approach
Police
Marac
Social
services
RefugeHealth
Deaf
Hope
Housing

48. Deaf Hope 2012-2017
• London council funding enabled us to support an
estimated 120-150 Deaf women a year to leave an
abusive relationship and start new life
• 9 survivor 6 week workshop groups have been
successfully delivered
• YDH prevention programme has delivered workshops to
over 500 Deaf young people aged 11-25
* More than 5000 support visits have been provided

49. Deaf Hope
Supporting Deaf people and
children to live free from fear and
harm of domestic abuse

50. For more information
• Contact Deaf Hope :
• Referral forms on website or on request – only
for professionals and not self referrals
Telephone : 020 8772 3241
Mobile sms : 07970350366
Email : deafhope@signhealth.org.uk
Facebook www.facebook.com/deafhopeuk
Twitter@deafhopeuk

52. LGBT figures on DV
• 5.1% of Londoners identify as LGB
• 1 in 4 LGBT people experience DVA
• 0.7% high risk MARAC cases LGBT
• 0.03% MPS DVA cases flagged as LGBT

53. Why do we need a pan-
London Service?
• Almost no LGBT borough based DV services
• No refuge spaces for LGBT people fleeing DV
• Local services are not always accessible or
appropriate for LGBT people
• 58% of LGBT venues in London have
disappeared since 2006
• LGBT victims need services that understand
them and where they don’t have to explain who
they are

54. About the DAP
• The DAP is a unique pan-London
partnership providing advice, advocacy
and support to LGBT victims/survivors of
domestic abuse and other forms of
interpersonal abuse

55. LGBT DAP Partners
• 4 LGBT organisations provide a comprehensive
service to victims;
• Galop –DV advocacy and support including the
National LGBT DV helpline
• Stonewall Housing – housing advice/advocacy
• London Friend – counselling & workshops
• Switchboard – telephone support/signposting
• Working in partnership with Ascent, Deaf Hope
and London Youth Gateway (LGBT Jigsaw) as
well as local boroughs

56. DAP Services
• Service open to all LGBT Londoners
• Advice and support via telephone, email and
websites
• One to one advocacy and support including risk
assessment & safety planning and advice with
CJS matters
• Housing advice and advocacy
• Counselling and weekend workshops
• Awareness raising through community and
borough engagement

57. DAP Achievements in
previous commission
• DAP supported over 2,300 LGBT victims in
all London boroughs
• 1500 LGBT people supported via helplines
• 400 DV victims received one to one advocacy
• 400 victims of DV supported to find alternative
housing options
• 1500 counselling sessions to LGBT survivors of
DV

58. Client feedback for the last
quarter
• “Thank you very much for a supportive and listening service. You have
been patient with me and non-moralistic and non-judgemental. Excellent,
sound positive advice and excellent sign-posting and referrals.”(advocacy)
• “I am in contact with my feelings, able to observe my life and choices, feel
more confident and stronger! I feel more able to cope when things go
wrong. I am very happy and glad I found you.” (counselling)
• “I felt unsure and had low expectations but I feel a lot more confident
through the skills that I have been given to restart my life.” (workshop)

59. How to reach the DAP
• Self referral/sign-posting via helplines and online
• National LGBT Helpline: 0800 999 5428
• Referrals@galop.org.uk
• DAP will take referrals from professionals,
including MARAC
• lgbtdap.org.uk
• peter@galop.org.uk

60. Coffee Break

61. Forum Theatre
Arc Theatre

62. Close
Yasmin Rehman

63. Thank you to London Councils for your commitment to tackle domestic
and sexual violence!
Find out more about the projects:
LGBT Domestic Abuse Partnership: https://lgbtdap.org.uk/
DeafHope: https://www.signhealth.org.uk/
Ascent: www.thelondonvawgconsortium.org.uk
Or network with representatives from the projects today!