Adult Services

• Helpline - 01343 548549. Monday- Friday 9.30am-4.30pm. Calling our helpline to speak to one of our adult support workers who will listen to you and book you in for a face-to-face or phone appointment. Our conversations are confidential, and we will only talk to another agency about your situation if you consent to share your information or if we believe there is the possibility of danger towards yourself or others.

• Email • admin@moraywomensaid.co.uk

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• Staff will complete a risk assessment, which helps us to understand the abuse you have experienced and identify the support you need to help you recover.

• Staff will work with you to put in place a safety plan, and if needed will speak to other agencies, to ensure you remain safe either in refuge accommodation or your own home.

• At your first appointment your key worker will help you go into more depth about what you experienced. They will undertake a risk assessment which helps identify the risks the abuser poses to you, and start to develop a safety plan to keep you and your family safe. At this point we will help you decide if you would like to be put forward for housing support and, if it is suitable for you, a referral to refuge accommodation. Your key worker will book you in for follow on appointments either face-to-face or by phone to keep in touch and support you through your journey.

• If you stay in your own accommodation, your key worker will continue to work with you to help with the emotional and practical support in this journey. This could be referring you to other agencies for extra support or referrals with Moray Women’s Aid for Community Outreach and Therapeutic Support or Children’s & Young Person's Service.

• If you stay in a rural location and it’s hard for you to access our service in Elgin, you can be referred to our COTS (Community Outreach and Therapeutic Service). They can travel to your home or another safe location in the community (cafe, doctors, work, etc.) In addition to this, the COTS team provide therapeutic services such as our peer support group and mindfulness sessions.

• During ongoing support your key worker will help you build confidence and self-reliance to facilitate an independent life free from abuse. This could be support in opening your own bank account, scheduling appointments with Moray Council Housing department, exploring how to put in emotional boundaries and navigate the emotional landscape of life following abuse.

• Signposting and referrals to access support from other services including legal services.

• Support to help you identify how domestic abuse has impacted your health and wellbeing.

• Help to rebuild self-esteem and confidence that may have been affected by domestic abuse.

• Guidance in ways of coping with the impact of the abuse you have experienced.

• Once you have exited the service, you are still able to get in touch should anything further come up for you. Sometimes the patterns we have experienced have yet to be fully broken and when that happens, we want you to feel like you can come back to us for support whenever you need it. We have a non-judgemental attitude and understand that domestic abuse isn’t an individual issue but a society-wide one. If you find yourself experiencing domestic abuse again, please get back in touch. We will always be here to listen, support, and guide you through the process.

• Support women to set up bank accounts and signpost to services which help with their financial wellbeing.

• Support to explore housing options including refuge accommodation, approaching the local authority and private sector.

• Support to attend appointment with Moray Council Housing department.

• Support to relocate to another region or refuge if required.

• Support to set up a new tenancy once offered permanent accommodation either through the local authority or social landlord.

Our purpose-built refuge has a mixture of 1, 2, & 3-bedroom flats that are self-contained and fully furnished.

We have 1x 2 bedroom and 2 x1 bedroom houses within the local community.

• If you do move into refuge, you will be given a date to move into your fully furnished self-contained flat within our secure accommodation. The building is secured with a door entry system and is fully fitted with security cameras.

• When moving into your flat, you will go through paperwork with an adult support worker who will explain the rules and requirements of living within refuge. You will sign an occupancy agreement, and as a resident you will be responsible for rent payment and service charges. (The service charge includes gas, electric, TV Licence and WIFI). Your support worker will assist you fill out your housing benefit application (if you require) for the council to help with the rent.

• Upon moving in, you will find a welcome pack to help you settle into your temporary accommodation.

• Your key worker will guide you through the housing process, which will involve accessing the Moray Council Housing Options Team. This will assist you in getting suitable, permanent accommodation, for you and your family. During that time, you will be safe to stay in refuge with support from Moray Women’s Aid. If you run into financial difficulties, we will be able to help with referrals to the food bank and other support agencies.

• When you have been allocated a new house from the Moray Council, or another housing provider, you will have seven days to allow for moving into your new accommodation. During this time we will help you get set up with a Community Care Grant and Fresh Start Pack.

• It can be a little scary starting out on your own and there are lots of changes happening for you at this time. You can still access us to ask questions or to chat about what you are going through and be able to attend our drop-ins and mindfulness groups.  Your children will continue to have access to support from the Children & Young Person's Service.