Domestic abuse

Through our Visible Women Project and Silver Project we provide specialist support and services to older survivors, gathering knowledge about their experiences and the professionals, agencies and communities they have contact with as we develop a targeted approach to working with older survivors. This toolkit is to share what we have learned, and an invitation to you as professionals to join us in our journey towards improving outcomes for older survivors across the UK.

The Safe as Houses report reaffirms our long-term commitment to putting housing at the top of the agenda for women fleeing VAWG and builds on our report published in 2016, ‘The Price of Safety’.It evidences the need for radical change but also offers solutions to improve the situation for women fleeing abuse in London.

Between 2011 and 2014 Solace conducted a 3 year research project examining how women and children rebuild their lives after domestic violence. This was the first longitudinal study of it’s kind in Europe and the crucial findings were launched in Finding The Costs Of Freedom in June 2014.

The Social Impact Report 2015 shows that Ascent Advice and Counselling (A&C) has generated real social value for the people of London in the first 2 years of its operation, providing valuable services to over 24,000 women and girls affected by violence across every London borough. It also provides a platform for further learning to ensure all women and girls have the best possible support and clear choices and pathways to aid their safety, well-being and recovery.

Solace Women’s Aid has conducted research into the housing pathways of women and children survivors of domestic abuse who have come through Solace refuges. This research highlights systemic unfairness and discrimination against women and children fleeing domestic abuse in London.

The Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) at London Metropolitan University were commissioned by Trust for London to evaluate our partnership work with Shpresa Programme. The focus of this report is on the lessons that can be learned from this model of provision, to inform the development of sustainable services for women from newly arrived communities in London. The final report in based on two years of delivery of the project from October 2013 – September 2015.
 

This report provides an evaluation of the Silver Project, which aims to minimise the risk of violence and abuse for older survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

The Silver project worked with over 120 older women affected by domestic and sexual violence between Oct 2013 and Jan 2016. The evaluation has demonstrated that the project’s beneficiaries are safer, healthier, less isolated and more confident as a result of their engagement with the project.
 

As a response to the increasing number of women coming into refuges with mental health and drug and alcohol issues, Solace looked at how we could provide a more inclusive response to women’s needs and recovery from the trauma they had experienced. The Refuge Access for All project was established to improve our response. At the heart of this was the creation of a Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) across Solace Refuges.