Help in Ashford

Kent Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (KIDAS)

The Kent Integrated Domestic Abuse Service (KIDAS) offer a person centred, holistic range of support services to victims and their families in Kent, with support available including;

• Safe refuge accommodation
• Specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA) support
• Community Outreach Services
• Therapeutic and group programmes (e.g. Freedom Programme)
• Sanctuarys provision (adaptations to make the home safer)
• Assistance with legal issues including seeking court orders and access to legal advice.
• Emergency welfare assistance for clients in crisis (food, energy, travel)

Support can be accessed by contacting Victim Support for assessment and referral to your local service via the phone number below or the Live Chat facility.

You can also create a free account on My Support Space, an online resource containing interactive guides to help you manage the impact that crime has had on you.

One Stop Shop (via Telephone) – Ashford

Domestic Abuse One Stop Shops offer FREE advice, information and support from a range of agencies under one roof. Domestic Abuse can affect anyone and therefore, if you would like to discuss your issues, no matter who you are, you are welcome to attend.

No appointment is required, just turn up.

Due to covid-19, we are currently operating a telephone service only at this time.

Clarion Domestic Abuse Service

Clarion’s Domestic Abuse service offers support to help people experiencing domestic abuse stay safe. We work with our clients to provide and encourage choice and independence to help them build the life they want to lead free from abuse.

For women who are at risk and not able to remain living at home our 11 refuges offer secure accommodation for up to 80 women and their children across Kent and Medway.  Clarion has a specialist officer who can provide dedicated support for clients in refuge with complex support needs.

Our community outreach service provides free and confidential advice, over the phone or in a mutually agreed safe public place or if assessed as safe at the client’s home. Support is available to men, women and transgender people over the age of 16 affected by domestic abuse.  This can include forced marriage, honour based violence, coercive control, stalking and harassment.

Support in the above services includes:

• safeguarding, risk management and safety planning
• assistance with legal issues including seeking court orders and access to professional legal advice
• support with child / parenting issues and access to children’s education
• signposting to counselling and therapeutic services
• providing housing support and advice and support to manage a tenancy
• signposting to  debt and money management advice
• assistance to maximise welfare benefits and help with budgeting
• facilitating access to primary healthcare
• access to Freedom Programme / Recovery Toolkit / Phoenix Programme
• support and advice with adult education, volunteering and employment opportunities

Clarion’s Independent Domestic Advisor (IDVA) service is a confidential crisis- led intervention service for high risk victims of domestic abuse.  Our IDVA’s work with clients from the point of crisis and support them to access services to keep themselves and their children safe. Support includes:

• safeguarding, risk management and safety planning
• assistance with legal issues including seeking court orders and access to professional legal advice
• providing a single point of contact when more than one support agency is involved
• signposting to other specialist support services
• facilitating access to counselling, Freedom Programme / Recovery Toolkit / Phoenix Programme

Clarion’s Hospital IDVA project is delivered by our partners Rising Sun Domestic Abuse Project at the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust  (William Harvey Hospital) and at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (Darent Valley Hospital). Based in the emergency department of each hospital this project provides emergency domestic abuse support to victims arriving at the hospital. And support to emergency department staff and health practitioners to increase understanding and awareness of DA and its impact.

• risk management, support, advice, safety planning and onward referral to other services.
• working closely with key departments in each hospital including A&E / Emergency staff, Safeguarding teams, Maternity and Paediatric departments.
• providing training to NHS colleagues in relation to domestic abuse especially in respect of coercive control and making safe enquiry
• acting as a link between the hospital and community services ensuring those accessing the service in a clinical environment have the onward support they need when they leave the hospital.

Victim Support

We’re here to help anyone affected by crime, not only those who experience it directly, but also their friends, family and any other people involved. It doesn’t matter when the crime took place – you can get our support at any time, and for however long you need us.

We provide free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for people affected by crime and traumatic events – regardless of whether you have reported the crime to the police.

The support services we offer are tailored to the needs of each person. These include:

• Information and advice
• Safety advice
• Emotional and practical help
• Advocacy
• Personal safety services
• Help in navigating the criminal justice system
• Referral and signposting to partner agencies

Victim Support also provides the assessment and triage element for the Kent Integrated Domestic Abuse Services (KIDAS).

You can also use Live Chat facility to access support.

You can create a free account on My Support Space – an online resource containing interactive guides to help you manage the impact that crime has had on you.

Domestic Abuse Victim Empowerment (DAVE)

Providing confidential advice, impartial support and advocacy for male victims of domestic abuse in Kent and Medway.

The Domestic Abuse Empowerment service (DAVE) for Kent and Medway is a bespoke support service for male victims of domestic abuse and violence including psychological, physical, sexual, financial, emotional abuse and also coercive and controlling behaviour.

Beech House – Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)

Beech House offers free support and practical help to anyone in Kent and Medway who has experienced sexual violence and/or sexual abuse.

Our clients can access Beech House via the Police and other professionals, as well as via the self referral pathway (booking an appointment at the SARC, without the Police).

At our SARC, individuals will be offered spport and guidance, a medical assessment/treatment, a forensic examination, and the opportunity of aftercare referrals for support services.

Clients will be offered these services based on their individual needs and can choose to use as much or as little of our service as they wish.

We will usually be able to offer you support, healthcare and aftercare advice if you are in Kent (including Medway) and if you have experienced sexual violence or sexual abuse.

We should also be able to offer you a forensic medical examination if the incident(s) occurred in the past 7 days.

Even if you dont know if we are the right service for you, please feel free to get in touch and we can either offer you an appointment or point you in the right direction of the appropriate service.

Respect Mens Advice Line

Our friendly Men’s Advice Line Advisors will believe you, offer you non-judgmental emotional support, practical advice and information.

Phoenix Groups

Phoenix is a ten week psycho-educational programme that runs across Kent. It explores how to stay safe in and out of abusive relationships. The programme has been designed to be interactive, inclusive and educational.

We cover safety planning, the tactics used in an abusive relationships, the warning signs as well as personal boundaries and building healthy relationships in a way that is engaging and promotes self-care.

It is an emotional, but positive, empowering and social experience that helps people move past abuse to live healthier happier lives.

Freedom/Phoenix Programme – Ashford

Free 12 week programme for any woman who has experience of living with domestic abuse now and in the past.

Support group for women to break the cycle of domestic abuse.

Groups run at venues across Ashford District, with free creche facilities available (creche places must be booked).

Freedom Programme

The Freedom Programme examines the roles played by attitudes and beliefs on the actions of abusive people and the responses of victims and survivors. The aim is to help them to make sense of and understand what has happened to them, instead of the whole experience just feeling like a horrible mess.

The Freedom Programme also describes in detail how children are affected by being exposed to this kind of abuse and very importantly how their lives are improved when the abuse is removed.

The programme usually lasts for 11 or 12 weeks and is FREE. It provided by hundreds of agencies across the UK. Some of them are rolling so you can join at any time but this varies according to local needs, etc.