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Solace Women's Aid

Working to end violence towards women and children

For information, advice and emergency accommodation
please call the 24 hour domestic violence freephone
helpline on 0808 2000 247

SWA Advice Line telephone numbers available
Monday to Friday:
020 8269 2121 (10am – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm)
020 7428 9962 (10am – 12 noon)
020 7428 7656

Services

• Introduction

• Mission Statement

• Our History

• Policies and precedures

• Supporters

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Introduction

We offer safe housing in our refuges across London and also offer community based support for women living in their own homes.

We offer safe housing in our refuges across London including specialist support for Irish,
including Travelling women and children and women and children affected by substance
misuse. We also offer a range of community based services: advice, support, legal services, counselling, parenting services, children's services including individual and group counselling. We also run domestic violence workshops and life skills training.

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Mission Statement

Our mission is to support and protect women, children and men affected by domestic violence by providing a wide range of sustainable services of the highest possible standard and working to prevent domestic violence by influencing the policy and practice of others.

SWA Vision

We aim to provide ‘excellent’ services, placing those who use our residential and community based services at the heart of the organisation. Our approach is integrated and holistic.

We value our staff and provide excellent support and avenues for personal and professional development as well as a training programme for all staff. Our staff underpin everything we strive for.

We will continue to develop a range of strategic partnerships to enhance our service provision and ensure the long term viability of our organisation

SWA Values and Principles

SWA works to a set of values, adhered to by our staff and board of trustees. These values underpin our work and guide us in the way we work with the women and children using our services, each other and agencies we work in partnership with.Solace Women’s Aid employees are expected to respect and encourage our values and principles at work.
When we are working with women and children:

• We believe women when they tell us what has happened to them. We don’t ask for proof or evidence

• We respect whatever decision a woman makes for herself. This might include a decision to stay in an abusive relationship or return to her abusive partner

• We are committed to challenging discrimination wherever we come across it and to providing services that are accessible to all women and children

• We aim to provide services that are led by the women and children who use them

• We support women to feel empowered by making sure they have all the information they need to make decisions. Once a woman has made a decision, we will help her make her decision a reality

• We prioritise the safety of women and children at all times

As an organization:

We have a commitment to achieving excellence across all our services

We insist on the highest integrity and personal standards

We aim to promote teamwork, individual responsibility, mutual support and the strength that comes from diversity

We aim to ensure equality of opportunity in all our employment practices, policies and procedures

We make sure we consult with staff, volunteers and service users to find out how we can improve our services. This helps create joint ownership of Solace Women’s Aid

We aim to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to grow and a responsibility to help others develop

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Our History

Solace Women’s Aid formed in June 2007 following the merger of Camden, Enfield and Islington Women’s Aid. Each organisation had over 30 years experience of delivering domestic violence services and were well established as domestic violence services.
In 2005, Solas Anois (Irish and Traveller Women’s Domestic Violence Service) successfully joined Camden Women’s Aid and is now a vibrant part of Solace Women’s Aid. Our successful Irish Traveller outreach service ensures that this community has good supported access to all our refuges including our specialist refuge. Islington Women’s Aid was established in 1975. Work towards a merge began in 2005. They publicised their desire to find a merge partner and chose Camden Women’s Aid, reflecting the strength of both organisations and the similarity in vision and ethos. Enfield Women’s Aid was established in 1984. In 2006, Enfield Women’s Aid approached CWA to assist with the management of their refuge and outreach services. The success of the partnership is reflected in their agreement to join up with the merger. The rationale for the merger was that by combining the resources, experience and expertise of Camden, Enfield and Islington Women’s Aids, Solace Women’s Aid will increase the long term sustainability of women-focused/governed domestic violence services in London, and will be better able to support survivors through:

offering a wider range of support through provision of specialist services across locationsretaining and nurturing the best staff through improved development and career opportunities
ensuring highest quality service provision through increased capacity for effective management, monitoring and delivery
The organisation will have greater influence on policy and practice by
increasing negotiation strength as a bigger service provider
increasing the organisation’s experience and knowledge pool
Together the management committees of the three organisations form the new Board of Trustees working within an agreed constitutional framework. The detailed work of the Board takes place in the sub groups: finance, human resources, women and children service users and PR & Development.
Solace Women’s Aid has a new staff structure, similar to our previous structures but with increased management support. The Director leads the organisation, working with two Assistant Directors, responsible for the community services team and the refuge services team. We employ over 80 staff delivering refuge and community services across London. We continue to value our community base and partnership work with a wide range of community, voluntary and statutory services to enable us to deliver effective support to women and children.

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Policies and precedures

Solace Women’s Aid is an independent charity providing a comprehensive range of services for women and children affected by domestic violence.

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Supporters

Key Partners

With very many thanks to these and all other partners and agencies:

ASHA project;
Camden, Enfield, Islington and Lambeth Borough's amd Supporting People Teams;
Camden Safety Net;
Chase Farm Hospital;
Christian Action Housing Association;
Circle Anglia Housing Association;
Citigroup Women's External Relations Committee;
Family Mosaic Housing Association;
Homestart, Enfield;
Hopscotch Asian Women's Centre;
Imeje Turkish Women's Centre;
Lambeth Women's Aid;
Latin American Women's Aid;
Legal Services Commission;
Metropolitan Police;
Safer Islington Partnership;
Surestart Kentish Town;
Victim Support.

Funders
With very many thanks to these and all our funders and supporters:
BBC Children in Need;
Besom Project;
City Bridge Trust;
City Parochial Fund;
Comic Relief;
Cripplegate;
Dion Committee;
Garfield Weston;
Henry Smith Foundation;
Irish Youth Foundation;
Kings Fund;
Lambeth CYPS;
Legal Services Commission;
London Boroughs of Camden,Enfield, Islington and Lambeth;
London Councils;
Royal Bank of Scotland;
St Andrews;
Stop the Hiding;
Sure Start, Kentish Town;
Tudor Trust;
Volunteering England.

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