Help in Canterbury

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 – Canterbury

Domestic Abuse One Stop Shops offer free advice, information and support from a range of agencies under one roof to help victims of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse can affect anyone and therefore, if you are a man or a woman and would like to discuss your issues, you are welcome to attend. No appointment is required just turn up.

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.

Rising Sun

The Rising Sun is a voluntary organisation in Kent addressing domestic violence and provides a wide variety of services for adults, children and families.

Support for Adults: We have a range of services providing specialist support at points of crisis, offering impartial advice and being there every step of the way for adults who may be suffering or know someone who is suffering from domestic abuse. As well as one to one outreach we run several different group programmes for women who have experienced domestic abuse.

Cantercare House Accommodation: We provide supported housing for homeless young women who are pregnant or have a young baby. Residents can be referred anytime during their pregnancy and stay until their baby reaches eighteen months of age.

Support for Children and Young People: We provide individual support and group programmes for children and young people who have witnessed domestic abuse including early intervention and mentoring programmes. We seek to challenge attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate domestic violence and, through our work, promote healthy and non-abusive relationships.

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.

Respect Mens Advice Line

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

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.

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.

East Kent Rape Crisis Centre

Our aim is to provide a safe space for survivors of sexual violence across East Kent. We offer access to therapeutic and practical support to help people rebuild their lives.

We offer counselling for survivors of sexual violence. It does not matter when this occurred or whether you have reported it to the police or not. Family therapy can be offered to those affected by rape or sexual abuse and those who need support with understanding this and helping improve their relationship with the survivor. For those who have experienced recent sexual abuse, the can access Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, which is specifically for those survivors feeling in crisis and where traditional counselling is not appropriate at this time. These sessions help to normalise feelings and understand the brain’s reaction to trauma.

We have a confidential telephone crisis line and support line available on weekdays between 6:30-9:30pm, this is run by trained volunteers. This offers support to survivors of rape and/or sexual abuse and their partners, families and friends and also to workers in other agencies who have a disclosure of rape or sexual abuse made to them.

We also have a team of Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA’S) who provide a support service to adults and young people have who experienced recent of historical sexual abuse or coercion. The team is made up of Specialist student ISVA’s, Children’s ISVA and ISVA/domestic abuse advisor. They offer emotional and practical support (whether reported to the police or not) and can give assistance regarding the police and criminal justice system. They can also assist with accessing further community support and other support agencies if needed.

Freedom Programme – Canterbury District

A 12 week programme providing information to women about domestic violence.