Support Options

Anyone can make a referral to us, either yourself, a friend, a family member or another agency. Please ensure that you have the woman’s consent before making a referral on her behalf. We support women who have experienced domestic abuse whether recently or in the past. The initial support meetings are generally in our office base but we can arrange to meet you in a safe place if you are unable to attend.

At North Ayrshire Women’s Aid we can also make referrals to other services which could include: Rape Crisis, Money Matters or The Home Security Project.

What happens once we receive a referral?

Referrals to us are taken by a member of our dedicated staff team who will then support you through your journey with us. We respond to all referrals within 48 hours. We will offer you an initial appointment to discuss support options. During this assessment, we also undertake the CAADA DASH risk assessment which is also used by Police Scotland and other agencies.

Following on from this, we have a semi-structured program of support which your worker will support you throughout. They will also help you to build a support plan around your individual needs. This could include seeking refuge, finding a lawyer, or going through options if you are planning to leave, as well as dealing with the emotional effects of having experienced domestic abuse.

Once you are reaching the end of your program of support your worker will have monthly check-ins if required. There will also be volunteering opportunities and you can join the peer support group.

Support Group Work

We have a number of support groups that are available to all women in the service. Due to Covid-19, all groups have temporarily stopped with the exception of the Peer Support Group.

• Peer Support Group – run by the volunteers, a chance to come along for a cuppa and a chat. Women supporting women.
• Emotions Group – working through emotions, coping techniques, building strength, self-esteem and confidence.
• Domestic Abuse Recovery Group – moving on from and understanding the different types of abuse, recognising warning signs and red flags, and breaking the cycle of abuse.
• Friday Drop-in – a social group that do cooking, arts & crafts, there for a chat and a cup of tea.
• IT Group – learning new skills, increasing digital skills and knowledge and support with applying for benefits, jobs, etc.

Refuge Support

We provide refuge accommodation for those in need with properties throughout North Ayrshire. The refuge workers are based in the main office and will meet with you weekly to provide emotional and practical support with things such as housing, benefits, lawyers appointments, etc.

Once you move on from refuge accommodation, your worker will help you to settle into your new home and will provide on going support for the remainder of your journey.

There is an out of hours on-call service for all women within refuge. This is to provide emergency support for the hours when staff are not available. Click here to learn more about refuge.

Advocacy Service

Our advocacy worker provides 1-to-1 emotional and practical support to women who are at highest risk of harm, working from the point of crisis. They can provide support with attending court, lawyers appointments, social work, etc.