Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Information about Coronavirus (COVID-19)

What we are doing

As per Government and Public Health England advice for Coronavirus (COVID-19), we are still operating and will continue to provide services and support to those who need our services whilst taking the necessary precautions.

We want to reassure our clients, teams and partners that we are working hard to keep our services open, and make sure that the people who need support will continue to receive it during these challenging and unprecedented times. In order to do this, we are changing how we deliver our services.

We are reducing our face to face contact within our accommodation sites and all community support will be delivered by video calls, telephone or an alternative method chosen our clients.

All group activities, programmes and training are now moving onto our online platforms.

To refer into our services, please call us on 03301 025 811 or make a referral

We are actively working with local authorities to ensure that appropriate and safe accommodation is obtained as far as is possible for those who are high risk and vulnerable to the virus in order to shield them and protect our clients from the spread of the virus. We will of course use our own accommodation where safe to do so, where we do not have accommodation available, any other accommodation sought, as always is out of our control in many cases. Our extended accommodation licence sets out reasonable behaviour for our clients – we uphold these expectations to further protect our clients living in our safe accommodation, including breaches around anti-social or racist behaviour which will include being reckless and not abiding by the latest government guidance in regards to COVID 19.

As the situation with COVID-19 is developing quickly, we are following Government and public health guidance to continue delivering our front-line services whilst minimising the risk to our staff and clients.

Further information and advice will be shared through our website and social media channels as it becomes available.

For information detailing the government response please see the latest government advice

For the latest health advice please refer to the NHS guidance

Advice and guidance from the NHS is also available in a number of languages through the use of an interpreter.

Staying Safe during the pandemic

We know that this time will be a frightening one for many, but especially for those experiencing abuse. We have put together a number of resources for survivors and the community with advice on how to increase safety and manage health and well-being.

Coronavirus (COVID 19) Safety Advice

Coronavirus - The Community Response

COVID 19 - Coping Techniques

Latest

Are you in a trauma bond?

A blog post about trauma bonds from Lexie - Safer Places' Children and Families Worker
Level 3 Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA)

Each year more than 100,000 people in the UK are at imminent risk of being murdered or seriously injured as a result of domestic abuse (Safe Lives, 2015). The IDVA course designed for professionals working with families affected by domestic abuse. This qualification will enhance professionals’ practical knowledge, improving the response and ensuring the safety of victims and their families.
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.
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
Level 3 Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA)

The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) 2022 estimate that 2.3% of adults aged 16 years and over were victims of sexual assault (including attempts) in the previous year. This course will build your skills, knowledge, and confidence when supporting victims of sexual abuse including victims from reporting through to the court system.
About our Training

At Safer Places we have a range of training courses and qualifications available, from short 3 hour sessions to Level 2, 3 and 4 accredited qualifications.
Contact Us
Accommodation

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. A refuge is a temporary safe home where survivors of domestic abuse and their children can stay. It is staffed by experienced and dedicated support workers who provide individual client led support and help survivors find new safe accommodation. Our accommodation includes a combination of self-contained f
Mission and Values

Vision Safer Places vision is a society where everyone lives a life free from fear and abuse
Help in a Crisis

If you or your children are in immediate danger, call the police on 999. If you are not in immediate danger and would like to talk to us about your options, call our helpline on 03301 025811. We will provide you with the support and information you need to consider your options and decide what to do to improve your safety and that of your children.