COVID-19 and support
Here you will find blogs and information on support available during the pandemic, updates about our services, changes to the justice system and more.
COVID-19: Support available for women experiencing abuse
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We know that the coronavirus outbreak paired with current social distancing and self-isolation measures can be particularly stressful and challenging for women experiencing abuse.
If you are in this situation, we want to reassure you that you are not alone.
Many organisations, centres and groups are adjusting their services to offer helplines and remote support for those in need.
Domestic abuse during COVID-19/coronavirus: what can I do?
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The current government guidance has asked us to stay at home in order to mitigate the spread of Coronavirus. However, we know that for some women and children home is not a safe or comfortable place, and for some, the new measures could increase the risk of experiencing abuse.
In this fast changing situation, we understand you might have questions about what to do if you are experiencing domestic abuse. In this blog, we answer some common questions about this including reporting to the police, where to get support, finding alternative accommodation and protections offered by the law.
Child contact and coronavirus: answers to common questions
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Over the past weeks, the measures against coronavirus have led us to make dramatic changes to our routines. Under these unprecedented circumstances, it is understandable that you may feel anxious about child contact arrangements and what this might mean for you and your children.
In this blog you will find general information about contact between your children and your ex-partner during the pandemic, as well as answers to common questions we’ve heard from women contacting us.
We also know that things are rapidly changing, so we will keep reviewing and updating this information as we hear more.
Making a safety plan when you are in an abusive situation
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When you are experiencing any form of abuse —whether it’s stalking, sexual violence, online abuse, domestic abuse, among others— a safety plan can help you improve your safety.
In this blog we introduce you to the basics of safety planning, we describe how it can help, we give some examples of things to consider when creating a safety plan and explain where to get specialist support to make one or to get more information about safety planning.
Exclusion orders: what are they and how can they help if I’m experiencing abuse at home?
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Home is not always a safe place for women experiencing abuse. However, there are legal options that can be requested from the court to protect women and children from the abuse. One option is an exclusion order.
We have published a guide with information on what an exclusion order is, who can apply for one and what the court process is, which you can read here. Below we give a brief introduction to this legal protection.
