For the eighth consecutive year, Women’s Aid has released the latest finding of their No Woman Turned Away project. The project aims to ensure that all survivors have access to the support that they need, particularly supporting women and children to access refuge spaces or safehouses. It also highlights some of the barriers that women face when accessing support, showcasing any recurring themes or problems that survivors often face.
The project supports a group of women every year, as well as forming a report looking into the key issues faced by survivors when accessing support and making recommendations to improve their experiences.
Latest Findings
The report, which runs throughout 2023, focuses on the 204 women that engaged with the project in that time and highlights their journeys to accessing support.
Out of the 204 women that took part:
Many of the women supported by the project faced barriers to accessing support, with only 5 disabled survivors and 8 survivors with additional mental health needs able to access refuge services.
Women who faced multiple barriers to accessing support found it particularly difficult to access refuge, with only three out of 69 women with three or more barriers and neither of the two women with four barriers finding a refuge space by the end of the support period.
Whilst waiting for a refuge space, 22% of survivors experienced further abuse from the perpetrator, 15% had no money for essential items and 17% sofa surfed.
At the end of the reporting period, just under half of all women involved in the project had a new housing outcome.
Tackling Barriers To Support
It is clear that survivors of domestic abuse face multiple barriers to accessing support, particularly those with no recourse to public funds and those with additional mental health needs.
These problems are not new and have been highlighted by the No Woman Turned Away project year on year.
Women’s Aid recommends that resources are in place to ensure that those from migrant communities can access support, as well as removing the threat of deportation for anyone contacting the police for support. They have also called for increased funding for services, particularly for those with additional needs, but ensuring that the supply of safe accommodation is able to meet the demand too.
Estimates from previous Women’s Aid research indicate that for every £1 invested in domestic abuse services, around £9 will be saved. We hope that tackling domestic abuse is a priority for the new government and hope to see them invest in support measures for survivors.
Read the full No Women Turned Away report.
