Domestic abuse refuge "no longer fit for purpose" as demand soars

Wednesday 02 June 2021

Safer witnessed "frightening" increases in domestic abuse last year, with more and more children living in refuge accommodation and Guernsey's housing crisis making it harder for victims to find a permanent, safe place to call their home.

It is estimated that around 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men suffer domestic abuse in their lifetime.

Safer has been on the front-line supporting those in need, as Covid-enforced lockdowns left an increasing number of victims fleeing unsafe and abusive living environments. 

Some of the individual stories are truly distressing, said Safer Chair Fiona Naftel, and they tell a story that is backed up by worrying statistics. 

"At the mid-point of the first lockdown we saw our referrals into our outreach service increase by 177% compared to the previous year - quite a dramatic rise - as was the need for emergency accommodation," said Mrs Naftel.

"So much so that we ran out of space in the refuge and had to find a number of beds to accommodate those that were at high risk.

"The stats are fairly frightening, with the volume of children in refuge accommodation between March and May 2020 going up by 300% compared to the same period in 2019 and up 83% for adults.

"It was a period of intense activity and support not helped by the fact that we went into isolation and were not able to meet people face to face."

Pictured: Safer introduced a live web chat last year as another way for victims to make contact. 

Mrs Naftel said the charity had to think outside the box to support those victims at high risk without compromising their safety. An example of this was working with other charities such as the Youth Commission to get safety messages out there to children, which Mrs Naftel described as "invaluable".

Her own involvement with the charity has proved to be an eye-opening experience.

"It is distressing to hear about some of the trauma that they have suffered and yet alongside this, it shows that humans are incredibly brave and resilient. With the right support they can learn to feel safe and secure in their own environment again.

"Safer’s staff spend a huge amount of time with our clients. It can take a long time to see them through that first call where they are so fearful of the future, to getting them to a place where they feel in control of their own life.

"That is testament to the trust that they have built up with us, which by the nature of the abuse they have suffered, takes time to reach and is down to the hard work of the team."

That vital work is facing new threats, perhaps no more so than the charity needing to find new accommodation itself.

"Our refuge has served us very well but is no longer fit for purpose," said Mrs Naftel. "We are looking at securing a new refuge which will in itself cost a significant sum of money.

"Whilst we have secured some funding, there is a long way to go. The refuge and all of our services have been extremely busy since the first lockdown so we are constantly trying to move clients on into permanent accommodation to meet the demand for refuge spaces."

Pictured: Mrs Naftel said the charity receives some funding from Government, however, this does not fund all of their core services. Safer relies on public donations for around 30-35% of its running costs.

With Home Affairs currently updating its Domestic Abuse Strategy, Mrs Naftel says there is a lot of evidence that the States could actually save money and lives through early intervention and proactive investment. 

"The [Home] Committee understands the impact of domestic abuse and the harm it does to our community and the need to tackle it early before it escalates.

"If we can support these vulnerable members of society from the moment they make contact be it for advice, education or refuge provision the sooner they can move forward with their lives.

"This ultimately will cost the States less in terms of services such as Accident and Emergency Services, mental health services, children’s services, the criminal justice systems and social welfare benefits/support, so it is worth delivering this support as early as possible."

It is an inescapable truth she says, that the domestic abuse charity plays an essential role in the community. For the sake of islanders, who can be abused for months or even years before they first receive help, that demand for Safer's services must be met. 

"We fully accept that domestic abuse is an uncomfortable topic for many to discuss. But it is a real issue in our islands and we are committed to supporting those in need."

"We are always hugely grateful for those that support us and of course we would love to hear from anyone wishing to help."

In the event of a domestic abuse emergency, call the police on 999. To contact Safer, call 01481 721999. The charity's helplines are open all day, every day. 

Pictured top: A full transcript of our interview with Safer Chair Fiona Naftel can be read HERE.