• Safe house
• Resettlement and tenancy support service
• South Asian crisis response service
• Crisis response service
• Services for black and ethnic minority families
  • BME TREE service
• Children and young people’s service
• Family support worker
• DART Domestic Abuse Referral Team
• IRIS Identification and Referral to Improve Safety
• Services accessible to all

Services accessible to all

We want our services to be accessible to all women experiencing domestic abuse with as few barriers as possible.

Black and ethnic minority service users

Domestic abuse occurs in all cultures and races in similar proportions. However for some women their experience is compounded by racist attitudes and behaviour. To enable women from all cultures to feel welcome in our safehouse, we have dedicated one house to BME families. Next Link has dedicated black and ethnic minority workers in our Crisis service, our Resettlement Service and our Safehouse service. In addition we have a dedicated South Asian worker in our Resettlement service.

Women with English as a second language

All our leaflets and posters are translated into a variety of languages. We have audio tapes in 8 languages welcoming women into the safehouse and telling them about the house and local amenities. We provide interpreters for all women who need them.

Disabled service users

In our safehouse we have 2 ensuite units which are fully wheelchair accessible with aids and adaptations. Level access, lowered sinks cookers etc. All our literature is available on request in large type. A hearing loop can be provided.

Women with no recourse to public funds

There are many women who flee from a violent partner who have an uncertain immigration status and may not yet have leave to remain in this country in her own right. The partner often has the legal documents and passports and the woman is unable to access them and may not know of their existence. This means that often when they come to us they have no evidence of their own to support them to access benefits or housing. We work with them to help them get financial assistance while their situation is clarified and support them to establish a clear immigration status.