Throughout the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, Knowsley Council is putting a spotlight on the work taking place across the borough to tackle domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.
Today, Knowsley Council is sharing information on the borough’s independent specialist domestic abuse service, The First Step, who have been supporting victims and survivors of abuse in the Knowsley community since 1996, they support over 1500 people each year.
The First Step offers FREE emotional and practical support for Knowsley residents. This includes immediate crisis interventions to those experiencing domestic abuse, through to the longer-term trauma informed specialised support. The First Step also support people who have been impacted by historic abuse.
Jenny Dennett, Community Domestic Abuse Manager at The First Step, explained: “You can self-refer for support and we will support you by providing choices so you can decide what works for you.
“We offer crisis intervention as well as accommodation-based support, support for children and longer-term support. We are a confidential service that is independent of the state, we won’t judge, and we won’t give you an end date for your support. We will work at your pace.
“What we offer is reviewed by those we support, what that means is we deliver interventions that matter, that make a real difference to those who have experienced abuse. Survivors of abuse have told us what we do makes a difference to their and their children’s lives.
“We only deliver domestic abuse support, it is our only priority, and we are dedicated to making sure you don’t just survive, but you thrive.”
Residents can contact the service by telephone, or via email. You can call 0151 548 3333 or email enquiries@thefirststep.org.uk. In an emergency always call 999.
What does The First Step do?
The aim of The First Step is to tackle and prevent Domestic Abuse in all its forms.
They put the victim/survivors at the centre of everything they do, are focussed on your healing after the trauma of abuse and provide support for every step of your journey to recovery.
The First Step’s specialist Domestic abuse Support Workers can help with a wide range of issues including:
- Information, advice, and support on a variety of issues, including housing, criminal justice systems, civil process, and family courts. Advice in relation to protective orders.
- Support to apply for injunctions
- Support advice through the criminal justice process
- Signpost to solicitors for legal advice
- Emotional and practical safety planning
- Referral to Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) – this is a meeting where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases between representatives to create a plan to reduce the risk of survivors of abuse and their children.
- Referral to The First Step Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates (IDVA). An IDVA is a specialist professional who works with a high-risk victim of domestic abuse to develop a trusting relationship. They can help a victim with everything they need to become safe and rebuild their life and represent their voice at a Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) as well as advocacy within the criminal justice and other statutory systems.
- Advocate for victims with a range of services, organisations, and professionals to ensure their voice is heard.
- Arrange refuge if required or support to link in with Housing to access safe accommodation.
- Advice support around child protection, child contact.
- Collaboration working to ensure the best outcome for beneficiaries
- A range of group programmes to support you with your recovery from abuse.
- An opportunity to influence local and national responses to domestic abuse within our survivor engagement forum.
The First Step’s continued specialised trauma informed support offer includes:
- One-to-one support
- Group work
- Coffee mornings covering various topics
- A facilitated victim/survivors forum, ensuring your voices are heard.
Safe accommodation and children’s services
The Safer Accommodation funding responds to the unmet needs of survivors and children impacted by trauma within a Refuge and when they are in a community setting.
- Provided follow up work in the community with children upon leaving refuge.
- Accessed specialist training to deliver direct support to children impacted by trauma.
- Purchased items that aid trauma recovery and session planning and delivery
- Specialist children’s therapeutic counselling offer.
- Offered specialty therapeutic trauma informed counselling for parent.
- Listened to the voice of children and accessed sessional trauma recovery programmes in style they require.
Staff provide intensive support to children living in refuge and continue to offer support once they leave the accommodation. Additionally, they work in the community offering support to schools who identify children impacted by domestic abuse. The Children’s Service provides a range of support carefully crafted so children can learn about how their body and brain works together, their feelings, senses and strategies they can use to help their body and brain feel safe.
Client Feedback: “Not only am I free from him, but my mental health self-esteem and confidence is better than even before I met him, the one to one and the different group sessions have really changed me, they have given me the tools to change all my negative believes and negative thinking.
“I can’t really explain how much all the support has impacted on my life and my children’s, without your support he would have killed me, or I would of took my own life, I couldn’t see a way out. I’m free now, mine and the children’s home is now safe, my debts are gone because of your support, I have learnt that I am enough, and I can do anything. I now have the tools to deal with anything, I feel like I am truly living for the first time anything is possible for me now.”
Knowsley Council part-funds The First Step to support its work in the borough.
Where else can I turn for help?
If you, your child, or anyone in the family are at immediate risk of harm, you should contact the police urgently, call 999. If you are not at immediate risk but are concerned, please contact one of the services listed below:
Knowsley Council Safer Communities Service (Specialist Domestic Abuse Service)
Tel: 0151 443 2610
Enquiries.safercommunities@knowsley.gov.uk
Knowsley Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub
Tel: 0151 443 2600
Savera UK
Helpline 0800 107 0726
www.saverauk.co.uk
Support is also available through:
- National Domestic violence Helpline 0808 2000 247
- Men’s Advice Line 0808 801 0327