You can speak in confidence to your Union rep to find out more about how the Union can help.
You can also contact the free, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline (run by Refuge) on 0808 2000 247 or visit: www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
You may want to make a personal safety plan - this could help you to stay safe if further violence or abuse occurs.
Your personal safety plan may include some of the following:
Tell someone you can trust what is happening.
Think about setting up a password with either a friend, neighbour or family member that you can use to explain there is an emergency and you need help quickly.
Think about how you will leave home safely in an emergency.
Arrange to have a safe place to go to should you need to leave quickly.
Prepare a bag of clothes, medication and other essentials for yourself and any children. You may need important documents such as driving licence, birth certificates, passports, financial/insurance information, bank statements, benefit letters, etc. Hide the bag where you can get to it in a hurry, or leave the bag with family or a friend.
Rehearse your escape plan so you (and your children) can get away safely in an emergency.
Keep with you any important and emergency telephone numbers such as:
Your local domestic abuse service
Police domestic violence unit
GP
Social worker
Children's school
Solicitor
If you have a car, make an extra set of keys. Always keep the keys where you can get to them.
Teach your children to call 999 in an emergency and practise what they need to say (e.g. full name, address and telephone number). You could also teach them the Silent Solution, where a caller can press 55 to tell the 999 operator that they are in an emergency and can't speak out loud.
Try to keep a small amount of money and your credit and/or debit cards on you at all times - including change for the phone and for bus fares.
Know where the nearest phone is and if you have a mobile, try to keep it with you at all times, fully charged. If you use Pay As You Go make sure it's topped up with credit.
If you think your partner is about to attack you, try to get to a safer place, such as rooms that have a way out and access to a telephone. Try to avoid rooms that have potential weapons in them, such as the kitchen or garage and rooms like the bathroom where it is easier for them to trap you.
Consider your safety options around tech. It's important not to do these steps before leaving, as they could result in an escalation of the abuse, but it's good to familiarise yourself with the steps. Soon after leaving, change your passwords to something the perpetrator will not be able to guess, particularly your banking and email accounts. If you want to, you can talk to your bank in confidence to let them know about your situation, they may be able to help protect your account. You can also add two-factor authentication to online banking, email and social media accounts to add an additional layer of security. Two-factor authentication requires an additional login credential to access your account. You should turn your phone's location services off so the perpetrator cannot track you. This can be done in your phone's settings.
Keep any abusive letters, emails and text messages as evidence of abuse.
If your partner injures you, go to a doctor or hospital for treatment so there is a record of the abuse.
If you are thinking of leaving your partner:
If you are planning to leave your partner, think about how you can do this as safely as possible. Sometimes this can be the most dangerous time for you.
If your partner knows you are planning to leave, they may become more violent and abusive. Your leaving plan may include some of the following:
Plan to leave at a time you know your partner will not be around.
If you have legal custody of children, take them with you as there may be further complications if you do not.
Prepare a bag of clothes, medication and other essentials for yourself and children. You may need important documents such as driving licence, birth certificate, passports, financial/insurance information, bank statements, benefit letters, etc.
Ensure you have somewhere safe to go, for example, friends or family.
If you have already left the relationship and are still being harassed:
Try to keep detailed records of each incident, including the date and time it occurred, what was said or done, and - if possible - take photographs of damage to your property or injuries to yourself or others.
Tell someone you can trust what is going on.
If you have an injunction with a power of arrest, or there is a restraining order in place, you should ask the police to enforce this; and if the perpetrator is in breach of any court order, you could also tell your solicitor if you have one.
Try not to isolate yourself. Work out the safest routes to and from home and work and use them. If you cannot do this, try to travel with someone else.
Make sure your home is safe. Think about getting your locks changed and make sure that all doors and windows are locked.
In an emergency, always call the police on 999. Remember, if you can't speak out loud, you can press 55 so that the operator knows you need help.
If you or your family are in immediate danger, call the police on 999.
The Women's Aid Domestic Abuse Directory contains details of local, regional and national services specialising in violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, sexual violence, forced marriage and stalking/harassment.
To see some of the help available in your area you can use the search on this page: https://www.womensaid.org.uk/womens-aid-directory/
Usdaw Contacts
Listed below are the contact names and addresses of the officials who co-ordinate the Union's equality work in our area.
South Wales and Western Region: Cardiff Office
Tel: 029 2073 1131 email: [email protected]
Eastern Region: Waltham Cross Office
Tel: 01992 709 280 email: [email protected]
Midlands Region: Redditch Office
Tel: 01527 406 290 email: [email protected]
North Eastern Region: Newcastle Office
Tel: 0191 296 5333 email: [email protected]
Scottish Region: Glasgow Office
Tel: 0141 427 6561 email: [email protected]
Southern Region: Andover Office
Tel: 01264 321 460 email: [email protected]
North West Region: Warrington Office
Tel: 01925 578 050 email: [email protected]
Equalities Section: Usdaw
Tel: 0161 224 2804 website: www.usdaw.org.uk