Domestic Abuse
If you need urgent help and advice, you can contact:
National support lines:
Women's Aid
Freephone 24 hour domestic violence helpline (run in partnership between Refuge and Women's Aid)
Telephone: 0808 2000 247
Email: helpline@womensaid.org.uk
Respect - men's advice line
A confidential helpline offering advice and emotional support for men
Telephone: 0808 801 0327
Email: Respect - Men's advice line
Local support line:
Finding Freedom from Abuse
A registered charity, committed to helping survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence move forward with their lives
Telephone: 0333 242 2055
Email: Finding Freedom from Abuse
If you need to leave your home
If you are fleeing domestic abuse, you are entitled to apply to any local authority under homelessness legislation. You will not be referred back to your local authority of residence if you are at risk of further abuse upon your return.
You can contact our Housing Options Team to discuss your situation as soon as it is safe for you to do so.
You can request to be seen by an officer of the same gender as you, and you can request an interpreter if you do not speak English. You will be under no obligation to report any incident to the police if you seek help from us.
If you are eligible for homelessness assistance and you are the victim of domestic abuse, then you will automatically be assessed as in 'priority need'. This means that if you have no accommodation that is reasonable and safe for you to stay in, the local authority has a responsibility to find you alternative accommodation.
The accommodation offered will vary depending on your circumstances and the outcome of a risk assessment. You may be referred to a refuge, or placed in emergency accommodation while we explore longer term options with you.
If you want to stay in your home
We can prevent homelessness by enabling people experiencing domestic abuse to remain safely in their own home if they choose to and it is safe to do so. The Sanctuary Shemer can provide enhanced security measures in the home which delay or prevent a perpetrator from gaining entry into (and within) the property and allow time for the police to arrive.
If you are a tenant living in a housing association property, please discuss this further with your housing officer, who will be able to make the relevant referral.
If you are not living in a housing association property, please contact our Housing Options Team. An officer will help you with making a referral.
Enforcing your rights
There are certain legal options that individuals can consider if they are a victim of domestic abuse.
If you wish to do this, it is best to seek legal advice - you may be eligible for legal aid.
- A non-molestation order:
A non-molestation order is aimed at preventing your partner or ex-partner from using or threatening violence against you or your child, or intimidating, harassing or pestering you. It helps to ensure the health, safety and well-being of yourself and your children.
- An occupation order:
An occupation order regulates who can live in the family home, and can also restrict your abuser from entering the surrounding area. An occupation order can:
- order your abuser to move out of the home or to stay away from the home
- order your abuser to keep a certain distance away from the home
- order your abuser to stay in certain parts of the home at certain times (for example, it can order them to sleep in a different bedroom)
- order your abuser to allow you back into the home if they have locked you out
- order your abuser to continue to pay the mortgage, rent or bills
For other support services please see the links on this page.