By Olivia Snaith-Cairns
How has COVID-19 affected women’s domestic abuse organisations?
Photo Credit: Doidam 10, Shutterstock.
Throughout the UK, there are many organisations who support women that are currently being affected by domestic abuse. However, many of these organisations have been struggling since the coronavirus pandemic started last year. These organisations have had to change the way they run things to fit into the pandemic.
Reports shows how domestic abuse has worsened during COVID-19. According to Women’s Aid, over 90% of respondents currently experiencing domestic abuse said that the pandemic had a negative impact in at least one way. Sixty-one percent of the women living with their abuser during lockdown said the abuse had worsened.
“Women’s domestic abuse support services were already facing funding crisis when this pandemic hit,” said Nick Norman, Woman’s Aid acting Chief Executive. “They had little or no financial resilience to meet the unpredicted challenges posed by Covid-19 and now vital services are experiencing a significant financial impact.”
Women’s Aid Research and Evaluation Manager, Sarah Davidge, said: “Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic did not cause domestic abuse, it has created a perfect storm of challenges for survivors and the services supporting them.
“The pandemic created challenges for the specialist domestic abuse support sector in providing life-saving support, including lost income, staff shortages and additional costs of remote working.”
Photo by: Wirral View (article on domestic abuse codework scheme)
Lisa (name kept private for confidentiality), a domestic abuse worker from Wearside Women in Need, said: “I support and empower women who are living with or have left a domestic abuse situation. Safety is one of the main things: ensuring a plan is in place for a woman to keep herself as safe as possible.
“Usually, we would see women one-to-one as part of the outreach team, which has now stopped due to COVID. The one-to-one work has been massively affected and also during the pandemic domestic abuse has increased so there is more need for our role, but it has to be remotely in a COVID-safe way. However, I would also see a woman outdoors if that was the only option to keep her safe.
“We continue to support women emotionally over the phone. We have also continued to offer practical support, regardless of COVID, if needed. We would always ensure that a woman can escape the abuse and seek a refuge place where needed.”
Lisa also explained that ‘COVID adaptions to the centre’ have been made.
“Ensuring that all of the COVID procedures are followed: wearing a mask, distancing, using hand sanitiser, and temperature taking on arrival,” she said.
“We have adapted things so we can still deliver support and changed numbers of women coming to the groups to only a few which impacts the numbers of which you can support. However, there has been positives, and the smaller groups have been well received.”
How can you help a woman in need?
There are many different ways to support woman experiencing domestic abuse. There are two known types of support: emotional support and physical support.
By giving emotional support, being a non-judgemental listener or giving advice may be of huge benefit to someone. Physical support may include giving support with banking or benefit applications, housing applications or health services.
There are many different organisations and helplines which can give support to individuals in need. A range of apps which can be used to spot the signs of abuse or giving advice are also available.
The following websites below offer support and advice:
Very well written a true incite of what’s happening behind closed doors as well as what our amazing teams are doing thank you to them all