Case study - Causeway and Mid-Ulster Women's Aid

They educate, challenge & co-operate with stakeholders & wider community with a vision to eradicate domestic & sexual violence.

Women’s Aid believe that domestic and sexual violence is a pattern of deliberate, persistent and intentional behaviour used to exercise control and power by one person over another, which may take place over a prolonged period of time. While it is recognised that domestic and sexual violence can occur between other family members, in same sex relationships, and by women against male partners, Women’s Aid focuses on domestic violence where the violence is perpetrated by men towards women with whom they have, or have had, an intimate relationship. Research suggests that 1 in 4 women experience domestic and sexual violence at some point in their lives, and it accounts for 23% of reported violent crime.

We spoke with Sharon Burnett, Chief Executive of Causeway and Mid-Ulster Women's Aid to understand how their services and programmes benefit society in Northern Ireland, and in particular how they work with women and young children experiencing homelessness.

The core purpose of our organisation is to support women and children who have experience of Domestic & Sexual Violence and abuse to address their needs and reduce barriers to accessing wide range of necessary support.

Currently employing 40 staff and 12 volunteers, our organisation supports 900 women supported on average annually as well as 200 children supported on average annually. Although women and children who are victims of domestic and sexual violence are the main beneficiaries of our organisation, our training and awareness programmes benefit all who take part. We provide positive relationship programmes to secondary school pupils, 1,200 pupils per year, as well as awareness raising sessions which we provide to professionals from a range of community and statutory agencies in order to promote better understanding of Domestic Abuse. 

Causeway and Mid-Ulster Women’s Aid provide a range of public benefits from helping to tackle poverty and disadvantage, to promoting community, campaigning and advocating on behalf of our beneficiaries and promoting rights and inclusion for all. We al also provide housing support and advice, and work towards preventing homelessness amongst those who need our help.

Specifically thinking about the work of our organisations towards alleviating homelessness and helping with housing issues, in addition to advice and support we also provide accommodation and floating support for those who need it. Causeway & Mid-Ulster Women’s Aid manage two refuges which provide emergency crisis accommodation, with 19 units available in total. Furthermore, we also deliver Floating Support services specifically targeting the housing related support needs of women who are homeless or threatened with homelessness as a result of experiencing domestic violence and abuse. Our services are delivered across historic Coleraine, Ballymoney and Moyle Council areas and full Mid-Ulster District Council area however other Women’s Aid groups deliver services ensuring that these are available regionally also.

The accommodation provided through the refuge can be accessed through self-referral and agency referral. There are processes and systems in place to ensure that any available spaces can be accessed 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The support that Causeway & Mid-Ulster Women’s Aid provide will address any needs arising in the following areas: Housing, Safety, Legal, Financial, Emotional Health, Physical Health, Dependents, Living Skills, Support Networks and personal development.

The Floating Support service can also be accessed through self-referral and agency referral. Referrals will be contacted to established support needs, complete risk assessments and address crisis issues, with similar support being available to address needs arising in Housing, Safety, Legal, Financial, Emotional Health, Physical Health, Dependents, Living Skills, Support Networks and personal development.

In order to ensure that the many aspects of a victim’s life which are impacted through domestic violence and abuse are addressed we ensure that support is available in the following areas:

Domestic Violence and Safety – Emergency crisis response to referrals, accommodation in refuge if required, risk assessment and management, referral to and from MARAC for victims identified as at risk of serious harm or homicide.  Safety planning and assistance in accessing safety equipment.

Legal Issues - Knowledge and support to access Non-Molestation Orders, Residency \Orders, occupation orders, contact issues. Promoting access to justice through Criminal and Civil courts. 

Housing – Access to emergency refuge accommodation and community-based support to support victims to gain and retain tenancies.

Physical/mental health – Supporting access to necessary support to address physical health needs and emotional health needs.

Dependents – child-centred age appropriate support programmes delivered in refuge and the community.

Personal Growth – Support to access training and education opportunities delivered internally and in the wider community.

Support Networks – promoting independence by assisting in identifying opportunities to develop individual support networks and increasing community engagement.

To find out more about the work of Women’s Aid, you can visit Causeway and Mid-Ulster Women's Aid or Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland