Refuge

Our refuge is safe accommodation for women and children escaping domestic abuse. It is temporary crisis accommodation so whilst you can stay for as long as you need to, we will help you to find a home of your own as soon as you are ready.

The refuge provides safety for up to four families, each family having their own bedroom and bathroom facilities whilst sharing a kitchen, living room, dining room, garden and playrooms. We have one room suitable for a wheelchair user or for someone who has difficulty with the stairs.

Our refuge Co-ordinators are there to respond to your needs and to support you in deciding your own future. We can provide you with information on legal, welfare and housing issues, we can accompany you to legal or medical appointments, or we can offer emotional support when you just need to talk.

The location of the refuge is not made public so that you can live there without the fear that you may be found by the abuser, and there are CCTV cameras and panic alarms for added safety. If there is no space available in our refuge, or if we feel you would not be safe there (if, for example, your partner is from the area) then we will find you a space in another refuge where you will be safe.

Outreach

If you are a woman living in Monmouthshire or Blaenau Gwent and you are experiencing domestic abuse the Outreach project of Women’s Aid Monmouthshire can help. We can offer you outreach support if you are unable or unwilling to go into refuge. The service is also available to you even if you are not yet ready to leave your abuser. The Outreach project is also available to you as refuge aftercare if you have left refuge but still feel that you need support.

The help offered is the same as that given to women in refuge: practical and emotional support and information. Our Outreach Co-ordinators can visit you in your own home, at a friend or family member’s house, or in a public place of your choice, as long as it is safe. Information can be provided on housing, legal issues, injunctions, child contact and so on. We can accompany you to appointments, ensure that you are fully aware of your choices, and give emotional and practical support when you need it.

The Outreach team can also provide information and training to other agencies and to volunteers with a view to improving awareness of domestic abuse and understanding of the effects of domestic abuse on women and children. Please call us on 01873 859011 during office hours to discuss your training needs, and see the training section on this site.

Child Work

Our dedicated Child Co-ordinator is there to provide support to children who come to stay in our refuge. Living in a refuge can be unsettling for children but it can also be a positive experience. Like adults, children have a voice and a right to be heard. Once they have been removed from the environment of fear and abuse, opportunities can be given to children to offload their worries and express their confusion and fears through therapeutic play. A range of play, craft and social activities are organised for children with their mothers to enhance the bond between mother and child and to help children to move on from their experiences.

The effects of domestic abuse on children can be many and varied, even if they are not experiencing abuse directly. 90% of children whose mothers experience domestic abuse witness it by either seeing or hearing it. Many try to intervene.

Sleep: They might experience bed-wetting or nightmares because of what they have witnessed. They may keep themselves awake because they are afraid of what is happening to mummy.

Education: They might feel unable to concentrate at school or they may play truant because they are worried about what is happening at home.

Health: Sleep deprivation and physical neglect may result from an abusive relationship. An abused woman might be less able to give attention to their child(ren). An abuser is likely to disrupt meal times, teaching children to associate food with fear.

Social Isolation: Children may be afraid or embarrassed to bring friends home from school because of what might happen. The abuser may have isolated the woman and her children from other friends and family.

Beliefs: Children might learn to believe that women are stupid, subservient, worthless, and that violence is normal or that violence means love.

These are by no means the only effects that domestic abuse can have on children; the list goes on. However, with the right support and care children can recover from the harm they might suffer in an abusive home and develop in to very happy and healthy people.

Youth Work

In conjunction with the Refuge Co-ordinators and Child Co-ordinator, our Youth Co-ordinator provides direct support to young people between the ages of 11 and 18 who have experienced domestic abuse. Through offering support, information and education, we aim to encourage an understanding of domestic abuse amongst young people, helping to prevent the occurrence of violence in future relationships and to challenge the attitudes that lead to an acceptance of violent behaviour.

The education pack, 'Hands Off!' is delivered in schools throughout Monmouthshire by our Youth Co-ordinator and it explores issues surrounding domestic abuse, stereotyping, equal opportunities human rights and responsibilities, attitudes, and assertiveness. If you are interested in this course being taught at your school, please call our Youth Co-ordinator during office hours on 01873 859011.

The Freedom Programme

As part of our Outreach service we run a weekly session called The Freedom Programme. This is a programme of 12 sessions that identifies the tactics abusers use, the beliefs held by abusers, and the effects that domestic abuse can have on women and children.

The Freedom Programme is for women who have experience of domestic abuse, be it in their personal or professional lives. You can start the programme at any time, and you can attend as many or as few sessions as you choose. Each session is entirely confidential, and you can contribute as much, or as little, of your own thoughts and experiences as you like.

For more information on the Freedom Programme call us on 01873 859011. You can also visit the Freedom programme web site at www.freedomprogramme.co.uk

Training

As well as facilitating in-house training for Co-ordinators and volunteers we are also able to offer training to other agencies and organisations to enhance understanding of domestic abuse issues. Previous training sessions have included:

• Basic Domestic Abuse Awareness
• Why Women Stay In Abusive Relationships
• The Effects of Domestic Abuse On Children

Training can be tailored to the specific needs of your organisation or group, so if there are particular areas of significance, or if there are aspects of domestic abuse that you need or would like a greater understanding of, please contact us to discuss your training needs. We can come to your place of work to provide training, or for groups of no more than 10, we can offer training at our Abergavenny office should that be more suitable.

We can also offer general presentations that cover the history of Women’s Aid Monmouthshire and the services that we provide today. These can be as long or as short as you like and can include question and answer sessions, so if you feel that yourself and your colleagues might benefit from a greater understanding of Women’s Aid Monmouthshire and the services that we can offer, please call us.
If you would like to publicise the work of Women’s Aid Monmouthshire to your staff or service users then we can also provide leaflets, posters and information packs.