Our refuges offer an immediate safe place for women and children who have suffered from the different levels of domestic abuse. A refuge is a safe space for people who are experiencing domestic abuse. Refuges provide somewhere safe for survivors and their children to stay and think about what to do next.

The refuge offers support to recover, to work through distress, and to develop strategies for personal safety. Our housing support consists of temporary accommodation; both short and long-term support living, as well as immediate temporary accommodation provided under the homeless legislation.

We promote an approach that concentrates on improving the life for the adults concerned by raising public awareness so that communities play their part in preventing, identifying, and responding to abuse and neglect. This increases public knowledge, so they are better able to help survivors of abuse.

We carry out lobbying and advocacy activities and disseminate information between communities and the council to help people understand different types of abuse and how to stay safe and what to do to raise a concern.

By training our staff and volunteers they gain better understanding of the needs of Survivors of Domestic Abuse, and their Children. With gained better understanding of the needs, they are more confident in providing guidance to our service users and in their own communities they come from; be it emotional or practical support such as claiming benefits and solicitors to use.

The additional knowledge also empowers them to suggest other activities that better serve the survivors of domestic abuse thereby promote self-sufficiency. Project volunteers gain confidence and new skills that will increase their ability to take up new training, educational or employment opportunities.

Most of our target users need to put a safe distance between themselves and their abuser. We are aware that not all local authorities have a refuge in their district, therefore, Contento Social Homes works together with neighbouring authorities, taking into account the needs and preferences of survivors and their families, to ensure that any increased pressure on social housing does not fall disproportionately on those authorities with refuge provision.

We ensure that those who need to move between local authority districts in order to escape domestic abuse are not disadvantaged by a residency or local connection requirements. We advocate a consistent approach across local authorities to the way they consider applications from survivors of domestic abuse in refuges for housing. Our Aim is ensuring that their cases are considered favourably due to their plight. This will help survivors to have the confidence they need to leave an abusive situation and reduce the potential for anxiety and distress.

Contento Social Homes reduce the incentive for survivors of abuse to seek homelessness assistance and thereby reduce the pressure on homelessness services. We ensure that any increased pressure on social housing does not fall disproportionately on those authorities with refuge provision.

As a result of our services, survivors have the confidence they need to leave an abusive situation and reduce the potential for anxiety and distress. Those who have fled from their homes or a refuge in another local authority area are not disadvantaged by any residency or local connection requirements. This will help local areas ensure that no survivor fleeing abuse is turned away from the support they need.

Ensuring that survivors of abuse can more easily access settled accommodation when they are ready to do so will also free up valuable refuge spaces for others who need the same services.