Topic: Domestic violence services

Specialist domestic and sexual violence services are provided across the UK by voluntary sector organisations, many of which are within the Women's Aid national network.  These organisations provide a variety of services for women and children, including:

Refuge-based services. Refuge houses provide emergency and temporary accommodation, together with a package of support, information and advocacy.

Non-refuge-based services provide outreach, floating support and other services for women and chidren.  These may include:

• Resettlement services - enabling women and their children to make new lives in the community after leaving refuge. 
• Drop-in centres and survivors’ support groups. 
• Telephone help lines.
• Counselling services.
• Specialist court advocacy services (provided through IDVAs - Independent Domestic Violence Advisers)
• ‘Floating support’ schemes providing advocacy and support to families living in the community.

Specialist services, both within refuge accommodation and in the community, are also available for children and young people who have been traumatised by domestic violence.

However, a third of local authority areas in the UK have no specialised support services at all. Less than one in ten local authorities have specialist services for women from minority ethnic communities; and most women in the UK have no access to a rape crisis centre. (statistics taken from Map of Gaps report).


The Women's Aid website has a Domestic Abuse Directory, listing the contact details for local domestic violence services across the country.

Survivors of domestic violence can also phone the National Domestic Violence Helpline (run in partnership between Women's Aid and Refuge) for ongoing support.