Victim and Survivors Help and Support
Help and Support / links for victims and survivors
If you are looking through this page it might be because something has happened to you, you are struggling and looking for help, or because you want to support someone close to you.
Seeking help when you are struggling or thinking about speaking out about any kind of abuse, can often raise all kinds of emotions. There may be many reasons why you have not spoken out before. It can feel overwhelming and frightening, but it can also be the first step towards support, healing and recovery. You are not to blame for what happened to you.
You will be heard, be supported, and have your concerns taken seriously. It is your choice who you share your experience with. You can contact Clare McKenzie, Safeguarding Co-ordinator, on 0115 9539850 or 07825648310 or clare.mckenzie@dioceseofnottingham.uk for a confidential conversation, or you can contact one of the organisations below.
| Safe Spaces
Safe Spaces is a free and independent support service, providing a confidential, personal and safe space for anyone who has been abused through their relationship with either the Church of England or the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Telephone, Live Chat, Email and Website A telephone helpline and live chat facility is available from Monday – Saturday from 10am – 6pm, apart from Thursdays when the service is open 12 – 8pm. Telephone Email LiveChat/Website Safeguarding Bishop Bishop Paul Mason, Lead Bishop on Safeguarding, welcomes the launch: “I am very pleased to announce the launch of a new service dedicated to the support and accompaniment of those who have suffered abuse within the Church, which will complement the existing support services within the Catholic Church in England and Wales. “Safe Spaces, a joint Catholic/Anglican initiative, is the fruit of an ongoing collaboration between the churches who wish to reach out to and support those who have experienced such abuse. “The charity Victim Support (VS) will independently manage the project with the aim of offering help to anyone who may have experienced trauma in the context of church activity. Their experience in offering support to victims of abuse, support which not only puts victims first but which is also informed by their experience, is a great step in helping us to hear and respond in a more concrete way to their needs.” Independent Although the churches have funded the service, it is run independently by the charity Victim Support, who are one of the leading charities providing specialist support to survivors of abuse in England and Wales. Safe Spaces comprises a team of trained support advocates who have undergone specialist training in supporting survivors of sexual violence. The team has received additional specific training in how the churches respond to abuse cases, the way in which faith and church-related settings have been used to carry out abuse, and the particular issues affecting people who have had, or still have, a relationship with the church. The service is for those who may have experienced any form of abuse, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse, psychological abuse (including spiritual abuse), domestic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour. The team are based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire,
but it is a national service providing remote support through the helpline,
live chat service and website. Remote support is provided for as long as the
survivor needs. This support can be advocating for the survivor, giving them
support, providing information (including information on church and police
procedures), understanding individual needs and jointly working on individual
support plans. If face-to-face support is also required, contact and referrals
will be made with appropriate local organisations depending on need. |
| NSPCC | 0808 800 5000 |
| Child Line | 0800 1111 |
| Action on Elder Abuse | 0808 808 8141 |
| Age UK | 0800 169 8787 or 0800 055 6112 |
| National Domestic Violence Helpline | 0808 2000 247 |
| The Survivors Trust | 01788 550554 |
| One in Four | 020 8697 2112 |
| NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood) | 0800 085 3330 or 0808 801 0331 (Check website for opening times) |
| IICSA Truth Project | 0800 917 1000 or emailing |
| Grief to Grace | 020 7937 4297 |
| Samaritans | 116 123 |
| Notts Sexual Violence Support Services | 0115 9410440 |
| Nottinghamshire Domestic and sexual violence support | for women: 0808 800 0340 (24hr freephone) for men: 0115 960 5556 (office hours Mon-Fri) |
| SHE UK – From surviving to Thriving (Women’s Support) based in Mansfield. | 01623 622916 |
| UAVA (United Against Violence and Abuse) Coordinated domestic and sexual violence services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for males and females over the age of 13. | Helpline 0808 80 200 28 Mon-Sat 8am-8pm |
| Lincolnshire Rape Crisis | 0800 334 5500 |
| SV2 Supporting victims of sexual violence in Derbyshire | Advice line 01773 746115 |