Crisis Accommodation
Crisis accommodation was made available when the centre was officially opened in 1999. Refuge accommodation consists of four self-contained units and one single room. The building also includes offices, laundry, communal kitchen, sitting room, playroom, counselling room, study, a large enclosed garden and a safe play area.
In the beginning, staff could only be available to women using the accommodation during the hours 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Since 2001, volunteers were providing limited cover at weekends. Some additional funding has meant that since July, 2002, part-time workers are providing additional cover on Saturdays and Sundays and some evenings and nights. It is still not possible to provide full 24 hour cover. This fact is always made clear both to women needing the accommodation and to referring agencies.
Approach to provision of refuge accommodation
Provision of accommodation is based on a contract between the Service and women using it;
All services available through the outreach programme (e.g. accompaniment, advocacy) are also available to women using the accommodation;
When a woman’s move into refuge accommodation is planned, workers explore with her what supports she has in the local area and whether she has any plans for accommodation. Crisis accommodation is made available immediately. If the refuge accommodation is full, workers always ensure that a woman gets alternative accommodation;
When a referring agency is involved, workers in this Service stay in touch with it especially in relation to supports it may be able to provide.
Providing a service which includes accommodation entails involvement in many aspects of women’s lives and is very time-intensive. Because of the damaging effects of prolonged abuse, some women need high levels of support in dealing with day-to-day issues. When they have come from outside the county and have no supports locally, this can compound their sense of isolation. Workers have also found that they have to clarify to some referring agencies that the Service can only respond to homelessness due to domestic violence, and not to homelessness in the broad sense.
|
Homepage
