Domestic abuse and how to get help

How to get help for domestic abuse in Southwark

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If you're experiencing any kind of domestic or sexual abuse, the Southwark Advocacy and Support Services (SASS) can help. They support people aged 16 and above, who live in Southwark, at risk of domestic or sexual abuse whether they choose to report the abuse to the police or not.

They can help you by providing advice and support with:

• improving your safety
• housing and homelessness
• finances and welfare benefits
• access to legal services
• parenting and children
• emotional support.

They also provide a service for men, women and young people using violence within an intimate or family relationship.

For help contact SASS:

• 0207 593 1290
• Email the Southwark Advocacy and Support Services 

National domestic abuse support

• if you're in immediate danger, call the police on 999
• if you're calling 999 from a mobile and it isn’t safe to speak, use 55 to be transferred to the police as an emergency
• National Domestic Abuse Helpline (run by Refuge) is a 24 hour freephone helpline - 080 8 200 0247
• Women’s Aid Live Chat is available Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 12pm
• Hollie Guard is an app that turns a smartphone in to a personal safety device by notifying your chosen contact if you're in danger

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Domestic abuse support during the COVID-19 pandemic

Practical support if you're going through domestic abuse

• Safelives has guidance on coronavirus and domestic abuse plus has an enewsletter you can sign up to
• Citizen’s Advice Southwark provides support by phone and email
• Migrant Information Hub has translated COVID-19 related information and guidance for migrants in the UK, although written more for people in Yorkshire and the Humber
• Southwark Sustenance has a map of food sharing initiatives, including food banks

Emotional support for survivors of domestic abuse

• COVID-19 wellbeing tips by Solace that include activities and a directory of emotional support services and apps
• YoungMinds offers mental health support to young people, and has some specific COVID-19 related resources and tips on how parents can speak to children about COVID-19

Apps for supporting young people who self-harm

• Calm Harm is a free app that provides tasks that help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm
• Self-Heal is iOS and Android based and provides activities to do, motivational memes and advice on managing self-harm urges
• Moods for iOS asks you about your moods and provides reports on those you feel most often
• Daylio is iOS and Android based, is a private diary that captures your mood and activities and can help create useful habits like running, eating more healthily or waking up earlier
• BlueIce for iOS and Android can help you manage your emotions and to reduce urges to self-harm; it’s available on prescription only in many Children Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provider

Advice for parents or carers of children

• Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Advice on how to comply with a Family Court Child Arrangement Orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• YoungMinds have tips on how parents can speak to children about COVID-19
• Anti-baddies Resilience Toolkit is an interactive resource that parents can use with their children
• My Name is Coronavirus is an interactive resource that parents can use to help explain COVID-19 to children
• Gingerbread is a charity that offers practical advice to single parents on a range of topics including COVID-19
• The World Health Organisation have information about effect of COVID-19 on violence against women
• Our resources for parents and carers during COVID-19 including advice on talking to children about the virus, mental health, eating healthily and managing emotions

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Page last updated: 16 December 2022