We need your help to increase access to our drop in service post lock-down for women in need with poverty, unemployment , domestic abuse & mental health issues, to provide much needed help & support.
My Sisters’House Womens Centre provides advice, information , guidance , support, practical help to women with issues such as domestic abuse, poverty & mental health. They, like all charities, have been playing a part in this battle to help meet vital and increasing needs of women and families in the community in the face of Covid19. We have adapted and extended our services during the lockdown with 3 new helplines, including the only out of hours service and Live Chat in West Sussex. My Sisters’ House needs your help to increase access to the drop in post lockdown. , and to ensure that enough specialist trained staff are available to provide advice, safety planning and risk assessments for women living with abuse or in recovery of abuse. Post lock-down, we know we will be inundated and we want to be able to keep the doors of the Women’s Centre open for longer each day,. in the evenings and weekends to meet the need. We can then provide caseworker & our wrap around support.
What we'll deliver
Employ an EXTRA Complex Needs Worker : 15hrs per week to cover drop in for 9 months post lockdown
Why it's a great idea
We mornally offer bespoke, 1:1 key working service, drop in advice and referral clinics, community outreach services and 2 weekly peer support groups, one in Bognor Regis and one in Chichester. Stronger Futures is overseen by our Safelives qualified and accredited domestic abuse Service Manager. Since Covid19 lockdown our community IDVAS provide helpline, email, social media, live chat -working on a 1:1 basis, providing bespoke support for clients that are DASH risk assessed as low to medium risk of further harm. Our community Domestic Abuse Advisers support for each client include: Risk assessments as per Safelives guidelines, Comprehensive safety planning, Identifying client’s goals and objectives via individual service plans, Referrals and signposting to inhouse and external providers of support, Court support, Emotional support, Access to free of charge virtual counselling as required, Access to specialist financial and benefits advice, Access to free of charge legal advice.
Steps to get it done
By July 2020 we will appoint 1 or 2 part-time CNW (domestic Abuse specialist)
By July 2020 we will operate appointment system 6 slots per day
By August 2020 we will open drop in 5 mornings, 3 evenings and Saturday morning morning
By April 2021 we expect to have supported 300 women
Stronger Futures is the ‘in-house’ domestic abuse service provided by My Sisters House Women’s Centre. We are the ONLY women’s centre in West Sussex. Whilst retaining our unique identity, focused on women’s centred working and trauma informed care approach, our in house team provide a range of specialist services aimed at any women experiencing low to medium risk abuse, women recovering from domestic abuse and children recovering from domestic abuse in the family home, via our NSPCC ‘Domestic abuse recovering together’ programme. The past 18 months has seen an unprecedented rise in both volume of referrals and complexity of need, resulting in greater time spent with each client. We have taken a vast number of referrals from WSCC WORTH services, Early Help services and statutory Mental Health services all who are looking for step down and recovery support for clients. We are seeing a rise in contact via, live chat and via our helplines. it will increase even more post lockdown.
