Guidance

Domestic abuse: specialist sources of support

Updated 18 June 2021

Specialist support services

Organisation	Contact
Galop’s National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline - support and advice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans+ people who have experienced abuse	0800 999 5428  [email protected]
Hourglass - support and information for older people and those concerned about an older person experiencing abuse or exploitation	0808 808 8141 Live chat
IKWRO Women’s Rights Organisation - support for Middle Eastern, North African and Afghan survivors	020 7920 6460 Out-of-hours emergencies Kurdish/Arabic/English: 07846 275246 Farsi/Dari/English: 07846 310157
Jewish Women’s Aid	0808 801 0500
Latin American Women’s Rights Service - support for Latin American women	0808 145 4909 Monday to Friday 11am to 1pm [email protected]
Muslim Women’s Network	0800 999 5786 0303 999 5786  [email protected]
SignHealth - support for deaf people and those with hearing loss in British Sign Language (BSL)	020 3947 2601 Text: 07970 350366 [email protected]
Stay Safe East  - support for  disabled survivors of domestic abuse	020 8519 7241  Text: 07587 134 122  [email protected]
Southall Black Sisters - support for gender-related abuse against Asian and African-Caribbean survivors	020 8571 9595  Web form
Victim Support community-based domestic abuse services	Web form Live chat My Support Space

Get help for children and young people

Experiencing domestic abuse can have a serious impact on a child’s long-term health. It is a top priority that vulnerable children and young people remain safe during this uncertain period. If you are concerned that a child is at risk of harm, you should refer this information to children’s social care, or to the police if you believe the child is in immediate danger.

If you are a teacher, or work at a school, Operation Encompass is a police and education safeguarding partnership which enables schools to offer immediate support to children experiencing domestic abuse.

For free advice from an education psychologist on how best to support children experiencing domestic abuse, call the Operation Encompass Teachers’ National Helpline on 020 4513 9990.

If you are a young person, and adults around you are affected by domestic abuse, this can also affect you. If you are a young person who is experiencing domestic abuse in your own relationship, this is called teen relationship abuse. There is support available for you on both domestic abuse and teen relationship abuse.

Organisation	Contact
NSPCC helpline - advice and support for anyone with concerns about a child	0808 800 5000 [email protected]
Childline - help and support for children and young people	0800 1111
The Children’s Society – guidance for young people on both domestic abuse and teen relationship abuse
Barnardo’s - support for families affected by domestic abuse
Family Lives - support through online forums
Rights of Women - guidance about child contact arrangements relating to coronavirus
Victim Support children and young people support and community-based services and community-based services for the whole family	Live chat

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can contact the NSPCC via SignVideo using your webcam. SignVideo, using British Sign Language, is available on PC, Mac, iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Android smartphones (4.2 or above). This service is available Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.

Adolescent to parent violence (APV)

Domestic abuse also covers abuse between family members, such as adolescent to parent violence and abuse.

If you are a kinship carer looking after a child who can no longer live with their birth parents and are experiencing domestic abuse you can get help and advice.

Organisation	Contact
Kinship - supports kinship carers raising children who aren’t able to live with their parents	0300 123 7015 [email protected]
Family Rights Group - independent specialist help and advice for parents and kinship carers involved with local authority children’s services	0808 801 0366 Monday to Friday 9:30am to 3pm
Parental Education Growth Support	Web form [email protected]
Victim Support community-based domestic abuse services for adolescent to parent violence	Web form Live chat

Special guardians of children who were previously looked after by their local authority can get also get therapeutic support from the adoption support fund. Special guardians who meet the eligibility criteria should contact their local authority for more information.

Welfare benefits and housing advice

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published up-to-date coronavirus-related welfare benefits information.

If you are concerned about your financial situation, you can contact Turn2us. They help people to access the money available to them through welfare benefits and grants. Their website has an income-related benefits checker enabling you to check that you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to.

Shelter provide free confidential housing information, support and legal advice on all housing and homelessness issues. They also have an emergency helpline and a webchat service.

The Survivor’s Handbook, created by Women’s Aid, provides information on housing, money, helping your children and your legal rights.

Support from your local jobcentre

Even if a jobcentre is closed, staff will still meet their most vulnerable customers including those fleeing domestic abuse.

Jobcentres are a safe space and the DWP supports victims of domestic abuse. This includes helping you access temporary accommodation and supporting you to make new applications for Universal Credit and putting you in touch with local experts and support networks.

Find out more about help available from the DWP for people who are victims of domestic violence and abuse.

If you don’t have settled status in the UK

Apply for settlement in your own right

If your relationship with a British citizen or someone settled in the UK has broken down because of domestic abuse you may be able to apply for settlement as a victim of domestic violence.

The destitution domestic violence concession provides help if you are in the UK on a temporary visa as a partner, your relationship has broken down because of domestic violence and you have no money to support yourself.

Apply for access to benefits

The destitution domestic violence concession offers domestic abuse victims 3 months’ leave outside the immigration rules with the ability to apply for access to public funds. This provides the opportunity to gain a temporary immigration status independent of the abuser and to fund safe accommodation, where victims of domestic abuse may consider applying for indefinite leave to remain or deciding to return to their country of origin.

Support for specific types of abuse

If you or someone you know is suffering from a specific form of abuse the organisations below might be able to help you.

Specialism	Organisation	Contact / Resource
Economic abuse	Surviving Economic Abuse’s Financial Support Line	01323 635 987
Female genital mutilation (FGM)	NSPCC FGM helpline	0808 800 5000 Web form [email protected]
Forced marriage	Forced Marriage Unit	+44 (0)20 7008 0151 [email protected]
‘Honour’-based abuse, forced marriage and domestic abuse	Karma Nirvana	0800 5999 247 Web form [email protected]
Sexual assault	Sexual assault referral centres	Call your nearest sexual assault referral centre
Stalking	National Stalking Helpline (Suzy Lamplugh Trust)	0808 802 0300 Web form
Technological abuse	Refuge	Tech Safety Tool