No two days are ever the same – this is an insight into a day’s work helping domestic abuse victim-survivors in the Three Rivers area of Hertfordshire ….
Firstly, I check for new referrals. At Hertfordshire Mind Network, we call each new client referred within 48 hours. Safety is our central priority, so our first task with new clients is to talk to them about what is happening and complete an in-depth risk assessment. We use a format widely recognised by police and other domestic abuse services.
Today, my first visit is to someone who I started working with fairly recently. We have agreed to start work on an Empowerment Star. This is a tool to help clients plan their pathway from feelings of being overwhelmed towards those of freedom and empowerment. Each individual’s journey has a unique starting and end point.
My next appointment is to attend a Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting. This is a meeting where different key professionals involved in supporting a family meet with them to produce a plan to help them achieve their goals. Today, I am accompanying a mother with her children. My role is to be supportive and help the woman to be heard. I also act as a second pair of ears as sometimes there is a lot to take in and process.
In my job, a crisis can occur at any time. I pick up a message that a client’s property has been vandalised by her ex-partner. I visit to offer emotional support and assess what practical help can be arranged. We discuss safety planning and arrange a Herts Home Safety Service visit (a county service to provide advice and secure property). With the woman’s agreement, I make a referral to the National Centre for Domestic Violence who contact her the same day to arrange a Non-Molestation Order.
It’s not only women that we support. Next, I have arranged to offer telephone support to a male victim-survivor of domestic abuse, who is now going through the process of a court action to decide on child contact.
I can also act as a bridge between services. I help one of my clients who feels unsafe in her home to make an application to a local authority to move to a safe area.
My last visit is to an elderly person who has been living with low level abuse for many years, but has noticed over recent times it is becoming worse and more difficult to bear. Listening with empathy is the key to building a supportive relationship to help her manage her circumstances.
How can we help you?
If any of the situations mentioned above sound familiar, and you are 18 years or over, male or female, living in the Three Rivers area and experiencing domestic abuse, then please contact us directly on 01923 727141 or dac@hertfordshiremind.org to talk about how we can help. We also work with individuals who are living in a Watford Community Housing Trust tenancy.
We can support you in the following areas:
· Emotional and practical help
· Advice, information and support planning tailored to your needs
· Ensuring your views and concerns are heard by service providers and other agencies
· Safety planning, including practical steps to help reduce the risk of harm and enable you to feel safer
· Support and advice about the Criminal Justice System
· Providing guidance and support on civil orders and injunctions
· Signposting to other support agencies
· Providing support at meetings with relevant agencies.
We will work around your needs, to support you with the goals that are most important to you.