Solace Advice & Support
We offer vital on-going support to survivors, helping them to rebuild their lives through advice, advocacy & support.
Solace’s dedicated London Advice line provides a first point of call for survivors. The Advice team take calls from individuals and agencies across London who are concerned about domestic and/ or sexual abuse and provide immediate advice and short-term support on safety planning, legal rights and options, housing advice, financial concerns, immigration issues, safeguarding and mental health issues. The team are able to refer to specialist services as necessary.
Our Immigration service is an important part of our Advice Service providing support to some of the most vulnerable women in London. We work with migrant women and EEA Nationals with No Recourse to Public Funds who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence. Our Immigration Solicitor provides representation for particularly complex cases at Tribunals and the High Court and so our free service is an absolute lifeline for women in highly dangerous and vulnerable circumstances.
Our Advocacy and Support teams offer support to those affected by domestic and sexual violence in their community. Our teams supply information, advocacy and specialist services to increase service users’ safety and meet a range of needs – these can include ongoing safety concerns, emotional or housing support, reporting to the police, legal options and support through court, help around child contact, benefits and financial advice. As well as providing direct assistance, we also work to build capacity and develop expertise amongst professionals and agencies.
Women’s homelessness (and their families/children) is a deepening, ‘hidden’ national crisis that is strongly linked to Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG). Help with housing is one of the major areas of support we provide to women across all of our services and is a big concern for women fleeing violence.
Solace works with perpetrators of abuse who have a history of being violent or abusive towards a partner or family member and are willing to work to change this behaviour. The main objective of the programme is to increase safety for victims and children through reducing perpetrator’s abusive behaviours. The service is open to all perpetrators of domestic abuse, regardless of sexuality or gender.
“Solace have helped me to believe in myself again. I am now free from the abuse, I am receiving the care I need, and I can finally bond with my children. My husband didn’t allow me and my children to have a relationship. We are now free to cuddle up and say “I love you”, I feel so blessed.”
(A Survivor)