Accommodation

What is a refuge?

A refuge is safe temporary accommodation for anyone escaping domestic abuse. Safer Places has 8 refuges across Essex and Hertfordshire, including specialist therapeutic refuge spaces for women with multiple needs and women with no recourse to public funding. Safer Places have refuges suitable for all genders, although because our referrals are mostly for women and children, most of our refuge spaces are for women or women and children only.

Our accommodation includes a combination of self-contained flats; large and small communal buildings where residents have a private bedroom and share other rooms i.e. bathrooms, kitchens and lounges. In order to ensure the safety of those living in the refuge, the address of the refuge is kept confidential.

What support is available?

A refuge is much more than a 'bed for the night' or a safe space to stay. Our qualified team support each resident with their individual needs, empowering them to make choices about their future and ultimately to live a life free from abuse and fear. Our staff work alongside clients to help them recover from their experience of abuse, providing emotional and practical support.

Support often includes:

Individual Safety planning
Assessment and Support planning
Weekly support sessions with a key worker
Supported sign posting for support in accessing specialist agencies i.e. Mental health teams, Drugs/Alcohol
Free Counselling
In house legal surgeries
Information and support on applying for benefits, Debt counselling, housing
Family fun sessions, trips and activities
Domestic Abuse trauma informed awareness programmes
Specialist support for children

"My son and I have enjoyed our stay here. The staff have made us feel welcome and treated us with respect. We have also been on trips when kids have been on holiday planned by Safer Places. I have been on so many courses and been awarded certificates for them. I have also received counselling which has helped me a great deal. My support worker has gone out of her way to support me and my family. All the staff have been amazing. All the courses have helped boost my confidence and coming here has made me ready to go back out there to live a normal life again. Thanks to all the staff from Safer Places. Keep up the good work"

How do you access refuge?

Our Gateway team are available 24/7 to help you find a refuge place - please call them on 03301 025 811

What happens when you leave refuge?

After leaving Safer Places accommodation, survivors and families can choose to access Outreach support.

If you are in immediate danger or in the event of an emergency always dial 999

Latest

CSSA Women's Group Donations
Domestic Abuse Bill gains Royal Assent

The Domestic Abuse Bill gains Royal Assent, becoming the Domestic Abuse Act.
Donation Page for Greater Anglia Employees

Donation page for Greater Anglia employees.
I'M GOING DRY FOR THE MONTH OF MAY TO Help Safer Places Provide Sanctuary for People Who Need to Escape Abuse Today!

Having been close to someone who needed to escape abuse, I learned first hand about the devastating impact the abuser has on the lives of innocent, loving people who become trapped by coercive control.

Stalking Advocacy Service

The Safer Places Stalking Advocacy team is made up of professional staff offering short to medium term support to women and men affected by stalking in the community.
Children's Services

With the support of Children in Need funding we deliver a therapeutic Children's Service to families living in our refuges in Hertfordshire this includes play, drama, art and craft, talking. We work with the survivor and their child to rebuild and attune relationships, to support the child to make sense of their world, to help parents to be better equipped with supporting their child’s difficulties and offer a safe and contained space where the child can express their thoughts and feelings.

J9 Initiative

The J9 Domestic Abuse Initiative aims to raise awareness of domestic abuse and assist survivors to access support safely by training professionals and members of the community to recognise domestic abuse and respond to survivors. Once J9 trained, the J9 logo is displayed, letting survivors know that they have a safe place to access information and use a telephone to contact support services.
Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA)

The IDVA qualification is a Level 3 OCNLR Qualification in Domestic Abuse: Prevention and Early Intervention. The course is designed for adult professionals working with families affected by domestic abuse.
Contact Us
Independent sexual violence advisors course (ISVA)

This is a specialists level course designed to increase the knowledge of a qualified IDVA and someone who has been supporting victims/survivors of domestic abuse and sexual abuse for over a year.
About our Training

At Safer Places we have a range of training courses and qualifications available, from short 3 hour sessions to Level 3 and 4 accredited qualifications.
Work With Us

At Safer Places, our team are our most important resource and a real asset to us. Having a highly competent, survivor focused, experienced and resourceful team is key to delivering a high quality service. We are proud of our team and our organisational culture is really important to us. Working for Safer Places is no ordinary job. Every role in our organisation plays a part in delivering on our Mission. We work hard to create an environment that inspires and empowers staff to give their bes
About Us
Therapeutic Programmes

Triple R is Safer Places' main trauma informed Domestic Abuse Programme which has three aims: To enable victims/survivors to recognise the abuse and its impacts on them and their children. To enable them to recover from the abuse and support their children to do so. To develop resilience by building on their strengths and addressing challenges in order to build a better sustainable safe future for themselves and their families We also run a Money support programme
J9 Disclosure Scheme

J9 is named in memory of Janine Mundy, a mother of two, killed by her estranged husband in June 2003 whilst on police bail. This awareness raising course will give you the skills to recognise abuse and the confidence to respond to survivors, opening the door to safety and support. At the end of the course you can display the J9 logo so survivors know they have a safe space to get help.
Browse Safely

If you are worried about someone knowing that you have visited our website, there are a number of steps you can take to minimise your risk online.