Refuges
Refuges provide emergency temporary housing for single women, women with children and men who are fleeing from domestic violence and abuse.
Manchester Women’s Aid has six refuges and four dispersed properties across Manchester catering for up to 38 families in crisis. We will help in any way we can to facilitate a move-on to permanent housing.
In one of the refuges, we can offer accommodation to 3 single women with No Recourse to Public Funds and unsettled immigration status.
WHO ARE OUR REFUGES FOR?
Several of our refuges offer full disabled access. Our women’s refuges are a mixture of self-contained units and communal homes.
Male survivors can live in our dispersed properties for safe accommodation.
WHAT IF ENGLISH ISN’T MY FIRST LANGUAGE?
We can provide interpreters for women who do not speak English. Several of our staff across the organisation also speak different languages including Polish, Punjabi and Urdu.
GETTING SUPPORT AT REFUGE
Our refuges are managed by experienced and trained staff who provide individual support for women and their children. While women and children are living in a refuge, staff work in partnership with them to help develop a support plan.
We value your views on our service, so residents are encouraged by staff to participate in house meetings, coffee mornings and other support groups to get the most out of their time in the refuge. Consultations are also held in refuges regarding any changes in legislation or services.
You will be assigned a support worker as soon as you enter one of our women’s refuges. Your support worker will work with you to create a safety and support plan that addresses your individual needs.
Support includes:
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Support groups, including a variety of evidenced-based group work programmes which are culturally sensitive, recognising the differing needs /experiences of BAME/LGBTQIA+/disabled women in our services.
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Access the refuge user-directed Move On Health & Wellbeing programme including: cooking, maintenance, sewing, creative classes, on-line/ face to face taster sessions on literacy, ESOL, budget management, CV preparation, etc.
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Receive signposting to partner services e.g. to family and/or immigration solicitors/BAME services/drug and alcohol agencies/specialist health centres (e.g. for FGM) and LGBTQIA+ groups (e.g. The Proud Trust and Feed your Mind groups).
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Support to access Children’s Centres/local colleges/community groups and to attend external courses linked to employment, training and education.
HOUSING AND FINANCIAL ABUSE WORKERS
You will be allocated a housing and financial abuse worker to become financially resilient and help you manage your money.
The HFA do work around tenancy agreements (the correct procedure to end tenancy) and taking names off utility bills, so that they are no longer liable for that property. the HFA team also does work on budgeting, debts and building confidence around money management.
The housing and financial abuse workers apply for grants on your behalf.
In 2022-2023 a total of 125 grant applications were made on behalf of the service users in refuge, the grants applied for were to help with furniture, flooring, blinds, paint, white goods and children’s items and we applied to 16 different grants/award bodies.
All this support is geared towards finding you a new, safe home. Nobody should live a life in fear, including you. Talk to our team to get the help you need.
ADULT INTERVENTION WORKERS
If required, you will be offered an assessment with one of our Adult Intervention workers.
The Adult Intervention Service supports people in refuge and in the community. We support those who need additional support in mental health, physical health, and drug or alcohol use. The service supports people with accessing appropriate services, including mental health teams and medical services, and advocates for people to receive the best support. We help combat isolation by helping people to build a support network and make positive connections within the community.
CHILDREN AT REFUGE
Our refuges support children as well as adults. A video, based on a child's experience of coming into our refuges, explores the feelings and hopes that children encounter as they make this important step towards a new life free from the fear of violence and abuse. See the video here.
