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Self Help Resources

two people preparing for court

Non-Molestation Orders

Non-Molestation Orders The government website provides the most up to date information on who can apply for a Non-Molestation Order and how. Click here to read more about who can apply and how.  

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two people preparing for court

Police and the CPS

Police and the Criminal Justice Process You (or someone else on your behalf) may decide to contact the police for help. There is no specific offence of ‘domestic violence or domestic abuse’; however, the term can be applied to a number of offences committed in a domestic environment such as assault, criminal damage, threats to […]

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children working together

Child Contact

Child contact when you divorce or separate You can choose how to make contact arrangements for looking after your children if you separate from your partner. You and your ex-partner can usually avoid going to court hearings if you agree on: where the children will live how much time they’ll spend with each parent how […]

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legal aid paperwork

Legal Aid

Please be aware that Safer Futures, First Light will only provide legal aid letters, if a client has engaged with the Service and is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence. This enables the team to make an informed professional decision about the current situation. Legal aid can help meet the costs of legal advice, family […]

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women affected by domestic abuse

Stalking

What is stalking? A pattern of fixated and obsessive behaviour which is repeated, persistent, intrusive and causes fear of violence or engenders alarm and distress in the victim. Stalking is one of the most frequently experienced forms of abuse. It is insidious and terrifying and can escalate to rape and murder. We need to treat […]

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man looking into the distance

Power and Control Wheel

The Power and Control Wheel was created in the early 1980s, by female survivors of domestic abuse, in America. It is now used worldwide to help show what abuse is and how an abuser works. It is often used to show the different types of abuse that exist and it can evidence that it is […]

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self care

Bibliotherapy (Self Help)

As part of the therapeutic support on offer, we can also provide self help resources for survivors of sexual violence and/or domestic abuse.   The resources include some reading, exercises and homework to practice your learning throughout the week.  Included are also some poems and quotations for you to read. The self help programme is designed […]

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woman with anxiety

Anxiety

Anxiety is the body’s natural response to external stimuli.  Whenever a person is ‘triggered’ by events which have happened in the past,  chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters send signals to different brain structures that influence processes in your body. One of the brain structures is called the amygdala and when this senses danger, the pre-frontal […]

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two people preparing for court

Specialist Domestic Violence Court

The Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC) is for first appearances and sentencing of defendants who are charged with domestic abuse. Victims of these crimes do not need to attend court. However, if they choose to attend, they will be supported by the court Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) at court. Their safety will be a […]

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IDVA talking to a woman

Risk assessment

When someone is experiencing domestic abuse, it’s vital to make an accurate and fast assessment of the danger they’re in, so they can get the right help as quickly as possible. Our DASH risk assessment is a tried and tested way to understand a persons risk. DASH stands for domestic abuse, stalking and ‘honour’-based violence. The […]

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