Domestic violence
Are you afraid of someone you know or live with?
Domestic abuse is any kind of violence or other abuse between
family members. This can be violent or controlling behaviour
by a husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, ex-partner,
father, mother, son or daughter who lives with you or lives
elsewhere. It may include physical, sexual, emotional or financial
abuse. It can also affect the health and wellbeing of children in
the family. It also includes issues relating to forced
marriage and honour based violence.
No one should have to put up with any kind of violence or abuse.
Everyone has the right to personal safety - so it you are worried
then ask for help. If it has happened once it is likely to happen
again. Even if it has been happening for years it is never too late
to seek help.
How to get help
Below are the contact details of where you can get help, advice
and support if you, or someone you know, is experiencing domestic
abuse.
Police - if you are in fear of being
assaulted
- Emergencies 999
- Public Protection Unit 01254 353511
- General Enquiries 01254 51212
Blackburn & Darwen District Without Abuse (BDDWA)
BDDWA exists to assist in the relief of people who have suffered
or who are at risk of suffering domestic abuse, through the
provision of support, advice and accommodation.
Our aim is to secure the safety of those affected by domestic
abuse and support their development so that each individual is
helped to grow and fulfil their potential into the future.
We are against all forms of abuse whether the abuse is:
physical, verbal, psychological, emotional, sexual or
financial.
Services provided:
- Support for victims of abuse including honour based abuse and
forced marriage via our Independent Domestic Violence
Advocates.
- Support for victims of sexual abuse via our Independent Sexual
Violence Advocate.
- Refuge accommodation providing safety and security to those
affected by domestic abuse. We offer a range of provision
from individual houses to flats and support is provided to aid and
empower independent living.
- Outreach support to victims living in the community offering
them practical and emotional support.
- A range of therapeutic programmes for victims, perpetrators and
children and young people to enable them to move on from abusive
situations.
- Free legal surgery to offer legal advice and options to
victims.
- Educational programmes delivered in schools colleges and young
people's organisations to educate about nonviolent strategies to
conflict and about healthy relationships.
Blackburn & Darwen District Without Abuse
Address: The WISH Centre, 43 King St Blackburn BB2 2DH
Phone: 01254 260465 (7 days a week, 9am - 5pm), outside of these hours 0808 2000 247
Web: www.bddwa.org.uk
Email: info@womens-aid-blackburn.co.uk
Changing Lives
Changing Lives provides help to men, women or children
experiencing domestic abuse in Blackburn with Darwen. They
offer:
- direct support for men and women at risk through an
Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy Service
- sanctuary services and safety planning
- a 'freedom' training programme for survivors of abuse,
helping to develop recovery and resilience
- a specialist support programme for children affected by
abuse
- a voluntary perpetrator programme helping people address and
manage abusive behaviour
To find out more please contact Changing Lives.
Tel: 01254 311181 or visit www.changing-lives.org.uk
Lancashire Women's Centres
Lancashire Women's Centres provide support, information and
therapeutic services for women from crisis into education,
volunteering or employment. This includes counselling,
CBT, CCBT, group work for survivors of abuse and bereavement
support, free legal service, personal development courses, outreach
parenting courses, volunteering, and mentoring, advice with housing
and debt and library/information resources. They are a
BACP Accredited counselling service and all their interventions are
evidence based and adhere to NICE guidelines. They are a
Go Online Centre and offer support with basic IT skills to gain
accredited qualifications.
Counselling is available by appointment in the following
languages: - English, Urdu, Guajarati, and Punjabi.
Through their Vision project, they offer casework with women
with an offending history or at risk of offending and/or with
complex needs including substance misuse and services are free to
access.
Hours of opening - 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday (late
appointments available on Wednesdays). Also open in
Accrington, Burnley and Blackpool with outreach provision across
the county.
Lancashire Women’s Centres
Address: 25 Wellington St (St Johns), Blackburn, BB1 8AF
Phone: 01254 583032
Fax: 01254 447875
Web: www.womenscentre.org
Email: referrals@womenscentre.org
Lancashire Victim Services
If you have been a victim of crime, whether recently or in the
past, Lancashire Victim Services can help. They provide emotional
support, information and practical help, regardless of
whether you have reported the crime to the police. All of
their services are free and confidential. To find out more
visit the Lancashire Victim Services
website
Other local services
Humraaz - Humraaz Support
Services provides confidential specialist support to Black and
Minority Ethnic women who are experiencing domestic abuse and all
forms of harmful Traditional Practices.
SafeNet - SafeNet protects
victims and survivors of domestic abuse through the provision of
safe refuge and support services and promotes the prevention of
further harm, through various initiatives including, working to
build safe and healthy relations and promote equality.
Animations explore issues around domestic abuse
A new series of animations have been produced to raise awareness
of domestic abuse and signpost to areas of local help and
support.
The three short films have been produced by Linnell
Communications in partnership with Blackburn with Darwen Council,
Lancashire Police, local substance misuse provider CGL, domestic
abuse specialist support service Changing Lives and other local
organisations.
The characters depicted in the animations are voiced by local
people from Blackburn with Darwen who felt strongly about sharing
their experiences to urge others in a similar situation to access
the help that is available locally.
They are aimed at those in three key stages of life: the young,
the working/middle aged and older people.
Titled 'Shouting Outside Windows', 'A Big Can of Worms' and
'Getting to be Me' the three short films depict a range of
characters talking about their experiences of domestic abuse, where
alcohol or drugs are sometimes the catalyst.
You can view the animations here:
'Shouting Outside
Windows'
'A Big Can of Worms'
'Getting to be Me'
National services
National services for women
National services for men
National services for children and young people
- Childline 0800 1111
- NSPCC 0808 800 5000
- WISH Centre 01254 55111
Services for older people
- Adult Safeguarding 01254 585949 (Monday - Friday,
9am to 5pm) or 01254 587547 (evenings and
weekends)
- Elderly Abuse Response Line 0808 808
8141
Just because someone does not look like a 'typical victim' does not mean he or she is not suffering from domestic abuse. Domestic violence can happen to anyone.