If you’re experiencing domestic abuse, you may feel very alone and have no idea who to turn to. We are available to help you get the advice and support you need to protect yourself.
Remember that:
- You are not alone
- Assault is a criminal offence – no one has the right to beat, verbally, or sexually abuse you or your children
- You are not responsible for the abuse and you are not to blame – it is your abuser who must take responsibility for their actions
- Violence is never the way to solve a conflict in the home
- You can survive and move on from an abusive relationship
- You shouldn't be afraid to ask for help
- We are here to help
What to do
If you're in immediate danger
Always call 999 in an emergency, if you are at risk or you are worried about someone’s safety.
- If you are in danger and unable to speak, you can call 999, followed by 55 which will alert the police to an emergency without you needing to speak.
- If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, you can call the 999 textphone on 18000. You can also text 999 if you’ve pre-registered for the emergency SMS service.
If you are not in immediate danger
We know it can be difficult to ask for help. Domestic abuse can undermine your confidence and make you feel unable to act. Remember there are lots of people who want to help you, and we will put you in touch with them.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, or know of someone who is, contact your housing officer right away. If you are not a resident, you can still report a concern to us via the chat function bottom right of this page.
The housing officer or property management officer will arrange an interview with you in a safe place and will put you in touch with support services.
Individuals who are unsure if they are experiencing domestic abuse can use the Women's Aid Questionnaire: Am I in an abusive relationship?
More support
These organisations offer specialist advice and support for people experiencing domestic abuse:
- 24-hour National Domestic Violence Helpline - call 0808 2000 247
- When telephone support is not safe, Women’s Aid offers an online service, this includes an instant messaging service (available weekdays 10am - 12pm), email support (response within 5 days) and a survivor’s handbook to get help on housing, safety planning, dealing with police and more.
- Refuge domestic abuse services
If you are concerned about the safety of a child or children, you should contact your local authority’s children and families service immediately.
You can also contact the NSPCC anonymously on 0800 800 5000 (Mon-Fri 8am-10pm and 9am-6pm at the weekend) or email help@nspcc.org.uk.
Remember, if a child is in immediate danger please call 999
If you are causing a family member to be harmed or afraid, and need support about your own abusive behaviour, you can talk to a helpline adviser in confidence, without judgement, on freephone 0808 802 4040 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) or visit https://respectphoneline.org.uk.
You can submit a concern anonymously and it will still be acted on. Use the chat function at the bottom right of this page to report your concern.
Private browsing
All leading web browsers have a “private browsing” mode that, once enabled, stores nothing about your activity on your computer in that browsing window. This won’t stop online services from seeing what you get up to, but it won’t leave any traces of your activity on your computer (no history, web cache or anything else) and so it’s always a useful first step to take.
Internet Explorer: Click Tools on the top right corner and select “InPrivate Browsing” or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + P (⌘+Shift+N for Mac).
Firefox: Click the Menu button with three horizontal lines (top right) and click “New Private Window” or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + P (⌘+Shift+P for Mac).
Chrome: Click the three vertical dots at the top right and select “New Incognito Window” or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + N (⌘+Shift+N for Mac).
Edge: Click the three horizontal dots top right and select ‘New InPrivate Window’ or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + N (⌘+Shift+N for Mac).
Similar options can be found in Opera and Safari.
For a more detailed guide on how to clear your tracks online, please see https://www.womensaid.org.uk/cover-your-tracks-online/