About Us

staying put supporting women affected by domestic abuse

// About Us...

Staying Put was set up to give women and children experiencing domestic abuse support and direct services to offer them choices which enable them to stay in their own home, should they choose to. Staying Put was established in 2001 and the service went district-wide in the summer of 2002 covering Bradford Metropolitan District, as a result of multi-agency working partnership to tackle crisis intervention services for domestic abuse. Last year Staying Put worked with over 800 women delivering a holistic support providing immediate response, crisis intervention, emotional support, legal advice and support..

Women access Staying Put via many routes, (41% were referred by the Police), and their first contact is through one-to-one support and advice from one of the five Crisis Intervention Workers. One Crisis Intervention Worker is specifically focussed on working with Black and Ethnic Minority women and outreach visits are a large part of their role.

Our primary aim is to empower women by providing them with information to allow them to make informed decisions.

As an innovative service in the Field of Domestic abuse, we offer crisis intervention support that no-one else in the Bradford District offers to women and children experiencing domestic abuse.

The impact of crisis intervention work and Legal Assistance , increased use of solicitors, increased use of Civil and Criminal remedies, reduced repeat victimisation and the ability for the victim to stay put in own home. Thus Providing opportunities for the victim to feel safe within their home and community. It reassures the community that the violence will not be tolerated in our homes/communities. This provides the victims with increased opportunity to feel safe, supported hence; to remain safe within their own home/communities.

Through these staff women are able to work through their problems and choices. They carry out a step by step safety plan assessing her own safety needs, giving her the power to decide whether to go into a refuge or implement the personal and home safety Target Hardening service. This service offers checking and improving home security and providing mobile phones and panic alarms linked to the Police.

Staying Put is also able to offer support in using the legal system through a dedicated Legal Support Worker, funded by the Legal Services Commission. This offers initial legal assistance on the options available such as accompanying her to a Solicitor and providing support through civil and criminal court proceedings.

As well as one-to-one personal and telephone support, through partnership with other agencies, Staying Put is able to access children services for one to one work and long-term recovery groups for children and young people.

An additional vital role of the project is in raising awareness of the issues involved in domestic abuse, through agency training, community awareness raising, extensive partnership working and networking and publicity material.

Webmaster PC Support & Web designs / Staying Put | 2008