What is your role within Solace?
I have been part of Solace for twenty years in various roles including a Resettlement Worker, Case Worker and then trained in management to become the Service Manager for Enfield Refuges, which looks after twenty one families.
What do you enjoy about our role?
I enjoy being at a management level whilst also being able to continue to get stuck in and do root work and be close to service users by setting up meeting and events – our work is all about the service users.
I have pride in where I work and love seeing the women when they go out and hope we have made a real difference to their lives.
Can you tell me about one of the most memorable days/experiences you have had?
I remember a time when we had a woman come to the refuge who had been experiencing abuse. She was hysterical and didn’t want to stay and blamed the refuge for her situation but she had nowhere else safe to stay. She eventually settled in and stayed for nine months, when we provided her with a lot of support and got her back on her feet again. On the day she left the refuge, she was a changed woman and she couldn’t believe the difference the refuge had made to her life. Both herself and all the staff were sobbing and this was on of our real success stories.
Can you describe Solace in 3 words?
Effective – we are effective towards women and their lives
Supportive – we’re living their journey with them whilst they are here
Proactive – the team are always looking for what we’re going to do next and how we can make our service better and how can we get families interacting with other people.
If you had one wish for women and girls for the next 50 years, what would you ask for?
I would ask that they all have confidence in their selves. The difference in people when they come to refuge to when they leave is all about confidence and believing that they can achieve what they want. I wish that all children were given confidence when they are little and the ability to know what is right and wrong.