We can support you to make a safety plan for you and your family. This will factor in your individual needs, whether you plan to stay or leave your current home.
If you need to leave your home to protect yourself and others, it helps to make a safety plan in advance.
Thinking about different situations can help you to plan. If you need to leave, when will be the best time? Maybe your partner travels to work, goes to the gym or to the pub. Knowing patterns in how they spend their time can help with your planning.
- Make sure you have the important documents and telephone numbers you need close to hand. This includes things like bank cards, passports and your driving licence.
- Do your children know how to ring 999 in an emergency? If not, teach them what they would need to say (full name, address and phone number).
- Are you close to your neighbours? If you are it might be good to tell them what's happening and ask them to call the police if they hear that you or your children are at risk of harm.
- Pack an emergency bag and hide it somewhere safe (such as with a neighbour or at a friend's house). Make sure that you have some form of identification, some money including change, medication, clothing, important documents and any sentimental items you want to keep safe.
Thinking about leaving and making the decision to go can be difficult. If leaving isn’t an option for you right now, think about how you can stay safe in your home.
If you suspect that your partner is about to attack you, try to stay away from the kitchen or the garage (where there are likely to be things that could be used as weapons). Try to stay close to a door in case you need to leave a room quickly.
Visit the Women’s Aid website for more information on making a safety plan.
