Association of Jersey Charities, 50@50 grant
Jersey Women’s Refuge Grant report
October to December 2021
The AJC grant awarded to Jersey Women’s Refuge (JWR) in September provided a critical contribution to our core activities during the last quarter of 2021. Key statistics from that period are provided below to help demonstrate the type of JWR support delivered and the number of women and children who benefitted as well as some feedback from our clients.
Data October to December 2021
Protection of women and children
- A total of 13 women and 8 children were provided protection at our safe house during the last quarter of 2021
- On average families stayed a total of 39 nights.
Prevention of domestic violence through outreach and education services
- 38 women were referred to outreach services for support and there was a total of 29 one off calls to the helpline.
- A total of 68 education/awareness raising sessions were delivered in schools and to professionals.
Partnerships and Safeguarding
- There was a total of 11 referrals to partner agencies for safeguarding purposes. Prior to working with an individual, JWR undertakes a risk assessment and a needs assessment to ensure client safety and that all necessary avenues of support are on offer, either via JWR or a partner agency. Some of the families we support are already engaging with safeguarding support services when they start their journey with JWR.
In addition to safeguarding referrals, JWR makes referrals to a wide range of support services, including housing, mental health services, Income support, legal aid, drug and alcohol services, parenting support services etc.
- In the last quarter of 2021, 17% of cases were assessed as high risk, 51% as medium and 32% as standard.
All agencies across the island use the same risk assessment tool.
- Where it is assessed that there are ongoing risks or support needs to the children of the women we support, we refer these families to the Children & Family Hub. The hub operates a one entry point service for all levels of support to children and families, from early help to children protection.
- JWR attends monthly MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) meetings, as well as Core Group or Team around the Child meetings, whenever required. JWR is also a member of JMAPPA, the forum which manages risk from offenders to the community.
- JWR is also involved in a number of high-level strategy forums, including the Domestic Abuse Sub Group (sub-group of the Safeguarding Partnership Board), the Homelessness Cluster, the Children Cluster, the new task force for women safety, the CAG (Community Action Group) as well as the Health & Care Partnership Group.
Examples of feedback from those who have been supported in the reporting period help show how important it is for women facing domestic abuse to have an independent refuge with a warm welcome, a safe space and professional counselling as they pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
“Feeling supported by yourselves and cared about, has improved my feeling of self-worth.”
“I was given the tools how to react in situations without reacting in a way that wouldn’t help and the tools and information that gave me more confidence in myself to be my own person and more in control of situations, I always felt very out of control.”
“The best experience I had in the house was to meet other house members and share our experience of abuse, it gave us not feeling alone in that, and also to hear other advice. Staff was always available to talk.”
Fundraising
In October 2021, despite Covid restrictions JWR launched its 21K club fundraising campaign inviting islanders to sign up and support our work. TV, radio and newspaper interviews were held with a courageous survivor of domestic abuse and former JWR client. She has been determined to share her difficult story to support other women and JWR. We have really valued her bravery in stepping forward and speaking out.
We were also lucky to have an AJC stall at the market to promote 21K, and information leaflets on JWR’s work were widely distributed.
Helping to Transform Lives: One woman’s journey to empowerment
Lisa (not her real name) first contacted JWR in 2019. She shared she was recently divorced and although she had been separated from her ex-husband for a few years already, she was seeking support to work through the trauma and severe abuse she had experienced with him. Lisa reported she suffered physical and emotional violence, including threats of further violence and she had felt isolated during her relationship. Engagement with JWR was brief at the time.
In late 2020, Lisa got in touch again specifically looking to enroll on Journey to Freedom, a JWR’s self-development course for survivors of abuse. She wished to prepare for her return to the UK with her new partner in an area where her ex-husband still resided. Before she could access the course, Lisa met with a key worker for a few sessions and together they looked at her journey and readiness to start the course. Their work focused on developing her confidence to talk to her family and her new partner about her previous experience of abuse as well as putting boundaries in place at work with some of her work colleagues. Lisa was also informed about other services who could assist her further with her mental health and with a disclosure of a sexual assault from a stranger a few years prior.
In March 2021, Lisa started the Journey to Freedom and on occasions, she also chose to access additional support available from her key worker to explore further the content of what had been covered in the group.
In her feedback she told us that:
“I am stronger than I ever thought I was. I didn’t think I could deal with the things that happened in the past, or ever thought I could talk to my family about it which I have no learnt that I can, and I have come a long way……….Applying for a job near to where my ex was, knowing that he doesn’t have that control over me, even if I don’t get it, I know just applying for it and potentially being around that area again is a massive positive step”.
We are happy to report that Lisa has met her goal and has now returned to the UK. Asked if she would recommend the course to others, she said:
“Even if they were nervous, I would encourage them to do it, even from a support network perspective. I did not do the course where we could sit down together so I’m not sure how I would have felt about that but with zoom I definitely felt safer and like there was a barrier there that I could turn off my camera if I needed too. I felt safe and looked after within the group. The content has helped me gain more knowledge about abusive relationships and has helped me try to understand why it happened to me and has relieved me of the guilt that I was feeling before. I have so much more information now going forward which I think will help with the move and any new jobs in the surrounding area”.
Jersey Women’s Refuge
February 2022