Keeping safe
A personal safety plan is a way of helping you to protect yourself and your children. It helps you plan in advance for the possibility of abuse. It also helps you to think about how you can increase your safety either within the relationship, or if you decide to leave.
You can’t stop your partner’s violence and abuse – only he can do that. But there are things you can do to increase your own and your children’s safety. You’ll already be doing things to try and manage his behaviour and protect yourself and your children.
Here are some practical things you can do to help keep you and your children safe.
Plan in advance how you might respond in different situations, including crisis situations.
Remember to always call 999 if you feel you are in danger, if you can’t speak you can dial 55 to let the police know you need help.
Keep a mobile phone charged and in credit with you. Try storing some numbers you might need in an emergency situation.
Try to memorise important numbers in case you don’t have your mobile phone with you.
Think about a safe place you can go if you need to leave in a hurry. Also think about safe escape routes from your house.
Consider telling someone about your situation. This might be a work colleague, a friend, a neighbour or even a health professional. They may be able to help you.
Keep some money aside for a taxi or a bus so are able to leave immediately.
If you have children, you may want to talk to their teachers about what is happening.
If you have children, teach them how to dial 999 and ask for help.
If you have access to important documents such as passports, National Insurance numbers, birth certificates etc. keep them in a safe place or make copies of them so that you can take them with you if you need to leave.
If your ex-partner follows you or approaches you, go to the nearest shop, supermarket or public place where you could ask for help, keep a record of any unwanted contact.
Our workers can help you to make a personalised safety plan so that your safety remains a priority. We can also arrange somewhere safe for you and your children to stay if you want to leave.
In this section
Make a donation
If you’d like to help us make a difference in women, children and young people’s lives please follow the link below.
Work for us
If you’d like to work or volunteer for us, you can see our current vacancies here.
