Women & Children Refuge Service
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What
is the women & children refuge service?
What are the aims of the Women & Children Refuge
Service?
What support will you
reveive?
Our accommodation
Who is eligible
to access the service?
How can you
make a referral to the service?
Click here to download service leaflet
What is the Women & Children Refuge Service?
Elizabeth House and Tolkien House provide accommodation and services for abused, vulnerable women and their children, where they can regain control over their lives by making considered choices for their future, including re-establishing themselves in the community.
What are the aims of the Women & Children Refuge Service?
The aim of Elizabeth and Tolkien House
accommodation is to offer a safe and secure environment for women
and children escaping Domestic Violence enabling them to reflect,
receive support and make informed decisions about their
future.
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What support will you receive?
Each resident in our accommodation is allocated a named key worker who will work with them through our support plan tool the Empowerment Star, to develop the necessary life skills that will enable them to move to more appropriate independent accommodation.
In partnership with the customer we assess your their needs are by carrying out a thorough assessment as part of the Support plan process. Areas of need can be very practical such as:
Budgeting, Children and Parenting skills and legal issues. However, there can also be other less visible needs as a consequence of Domestic Violence, for example, a lack of confidence, loss of self-esteem and safety issues. All support meetings, such as one to one meetings with a key worker, or house meetings, are compulsory and therefore everyone is required to attend. Staff will also liase with other agencies, where this is appropriate, to ensure that our clients receive the optimum support to meet their needs.
We do not provide financial support; however we can provide clothing, food and personal care items for women who arrive at the Project in crisis situations. We will assist them to apply for any grants or benefit entitlements but we don't provide meals or domiciliary care. We are unable to provide a removal and cleaning service for customers securing their own tenancy but again we will assist women to access services that can provide this facility. We can also refer on to external floating support providers, who will support the move into independent living.
Crèche
Elizabeth House provides, as part of its children's services, an Ofsted registered crèche, offering pre and post school support. It offers a bright, welcoming environment for children staying in the refuge and is staffed by qualified children's workers.
Our Accommodation
We have 21 bed spaces in Newcastle-under-Lyme in two different refuges:
Elizabeth House
Elizabeth House is a 15 room, self catering, 24-hour access refuge, that offers each customer/family, a lockable bedroom with some kitchenette facilities and an en-suite bathroom.
Included in the 15 rooms, is a self-contained unit for a woman whose family includes teenage male and/or female children and a further unit providing access for a woman or child wheelchair user,or, with other mobility needs.
A communal kitchen, dining area and lounge, second lounge, and activities room are also provided.
Tolkien House
Tolkien House is a 6 bed, unstaffed unit for single women only. A lockable bedroom is provided and the kitchens, lounge and bathroom facilities are shared. Residents of Tolkien House are provided with a Key Worker and all appropriate support in the same format as Elizabeth House.
We expect the residents to treat the projects as their own homes. However there are restrictions regarding visitors. Residents are allowed visitors as prescribed by the Licence Agreement and Health and Safety rules of the refuge.
We expect our residents and their visitors to display consideration to other residents and neighbours and as such, we do not tolerate any form of anti-social behaviour. In addition, Arch operates an Equal Opportunity Policy and residents are expected to behave in a way that reflects the meaning and nature of this.
Who is eligible to access the service?
Elizabeth House provides 24 hour support 7 days a week for women with high support needs.
Tolkein House provides support for women without children who do not need 24 hour support. However, the women at Tolkein House can engage in weekly key work support meetings, house meetings and participate in all the general activities provided at Elizabeth House.
Who is eligible for the service?
- Women either with, or without, Children
- Women aged 18-65
- Women aged 16-17 who are pregnant and/or who have children
- Women who are in housing need because of Domestic Violence
- Women who are willing to accept support in relation to their housing needs
- Women who are willing to engage with additional support services, if this is appropriate
Who is not eligible for the service?
- We do not operate any exclusions criteria as such, however, we are not able to accommodate women who require a more heavily supervised, or staffed environment, than Arch provides
- Male children over the age of 15
- Women with pets
We expect our residents:
- To engage fully with their support worker in order to assess their individual needs and to look at what action plans can be put in place that will best address those needs
- To use our accommodation as their main home and to adhere to the terms and conditions of the accommodation as set out in the Licence Agreement
- To behave with courtesy and respect to other residents, neighbours, Arch staff and external workers
Our residents can expect of us:
- The provision of a service that is accessible and meets their needs and wishes
- That the views of each resident will be respected and taking into consideration at all times
- We will provide accommodation that is of an acceptable standard that we will abide by the policies and procedures of the organisation
If a customer is in receipt of welfare benefits their rent will usually be covered by Housing Benefit. However if they are employed they may be able to claim some Housing Benefit but will need to pay the short fall themselves.
How can you make a referral to the service?
Customers can access our accommodation through our referral system as set out in the referral and allocations procedure. Referrals are generally made by telephone to Elizabeth House on 01782 713737 and referral forms can be made available on request by contacting Elizabeth House on the same telephone number.
Any woman can self-refer and we also accept referrals from a range of other agencies, organisation and individuals.
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