You are not alone.
You are not to blame.
You deserve to be safe.
A trauma-informed library covering legal rights, safety planning, protective orders, children’s protections, financial abuse, helplines and professional pathways — for England and Wales, with local routes for Wrexham, Shropshire and Telford.
Help right now
You do not need to have reported to the police, and you do not need to be ready to leave, to use any of these.
What this hub covers
Everything on legal protections, support services and your rights as a victim of domestic abuse in the UK. Go straight to whichever section you need.
Legal Rights & Police
Victims’ Code, Domestic Abuse Act 2021, protective orders, police duties, ABE guidance, legal aid, court support and IDVAs.
Children & Young People
Children Act 1989, Cafcass and Cafcass Cymru, Child Arrangements Orders, safeguarding frameworks, PEGS, and children as victims in their own right.
Understanding Abuse
Types of abuse, coercive control, trauma bonding, the narcissistic abuse cycle, myths and facts, DA and neurodiversity.
Safety Planning
Digital safety, evidence and documentation, the Plan · Document · Exit · Stabilise framework, and the Freedom Programme.
Financial Abuse
Signs of economic abuse, Surviving Economic Abuse, the Banking Protocol, benefits, Universal Credit and MoneyHelper.
Helplines & Reporting
Full helplines directory, 999 and Silent Solution, anonymous reporting, housing rights, immigration, disability and elder abuse.
Therapy & Recovery
Trauma-informed therapy, support groups, online counselling, self-care, the Freedom Programme, BACP and UKCP.
For Professionals
Referral pathways, MARAC, DASH RIC, professional duties and statutory guidance for multi-agency working.
Where you live changes the route
Domestic abuse law is shared across England and Wales, but housing, safeguarding and health services are devolved. If you are near the border, which system applies depends on where you live and where your GP is registered.
Wales
0808 80 10 800Live Fear Free — the national helpline for Wales. Free, 24/7, Welsh or English. Text 07860 077333.
Housing advice: Shelter Cymru, 08000 495 495. Mental health: C.A.L.L., 0800 132 737, free and 24/7.
gov.wales/live-fear-free →England
0808 2000 247National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge. Free, 24/7.
Housing advice: Shelter. Mental health (Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin): 0808 196 4501, free and 24/7.
nationaldahelpline.org.uk →Children’s services
Single Point of Access: 01978 292039
Out of hours (Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire): 0345 053 3116
Children’s services
First Point of Contact / Compass: 0345 678 9021
Out of hours: 0345 678 9040, option 1
Children’s services
Family Connect: 01952 385385
Out of hours: 01952 676500
Am I being abused?
A private, five-minute self-assessment covering physical, emotional, financial, coercive control and digital abuse. Nothing is stored or submitted — everything stays on your device.
- Physical safety — violence, threats, and fear of harm
- Emotional and psychological — gaslighting, criticism, humiliation, isolation
- Coercive control — monitoring, restriction, and control of money and movement
- Digital abuse — surveillance, harassment, and image-based abuse
- Post-separation abuse — continuing control through children, courts and services
The scale of domestic abuse in the UK
Women experience domestic abuse in their lifetime
Men experience domestic abuse in their lifetime
Adults aged 16+ experienced domestic abuse in England & Wales in the year to March 2024
On average, a woman is killed by a current or former partner in the UK
Prevalence figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (ONS). The femicide figure is drawn from the Femicide Census and Counting Dead Women, not ONS. Figures are updated annually — check the current release before quoting.
Helplines
All free. You do not have to be in crisis, and you do not have to have decided anything.
Live Fear Free — Wales
0808 80 10 800Free, 24/7, Welsh or English. Domestic abuse, sexual violence and violence against women. Text 07860 077333.
gov.wales/live-fear-free →National DA Helpline
0808 2000 247Run by Refuge. Free, 24/7. Covers England, including refuge access.
nationaldahelpline.org.uk →Victim Support
0808 168 9111Free, 24/7. Independent support through the criminal justice system, whether or not you have reported.
victimsupport.org.uk →ManKind Initiative
0808 800 1170Male and non-binary victims of domestic abuse. Mon–Fri, 10am–4pm. Alternative line 01823 334244.
mankind.org.uk →Men’s Advice Line
0808 801 0327Run by Respect. Confidential support for men experiencing domestic abuse. Mon–Fri, 10am–5pm.
mensadviceline.org.uk →Galop — LGBT+
0800 999 5428National helpline for LGBTQIA+ victims and survivors of abuse and violence — domestic abuse, sexual violence, hate crime, conversion practices.
galop.org.uk →Karma Nirvana
0800 5999 247The national Honour Based Abuse Helpline, including forced marriage.
karmanirvana.org.uk →Hourglass — elder abuse
0808 808 8141Dedicated helpline for older people experiencing abuse.
hourglass.org.uk →NSPCC
0808 800 5000Free, 24/7, for any adult worried about a child. They can make a referral for you.
nspcc.org.uk →Childline
0800 1111Free and confidential, for children and young people. 24/7, with online chat.
childline.org.uk →Meic — Wales
0808 80 23456Free, confidential helpline for children and young people up to 25 in Wales. Welsh or English. Daily 8am–midnight.
meiccymru.org →Specialist & practical support
Somewhere safe to go
You have priority need for housing as a victim of domestic abuse, and you cannot lawfully be turned away. Housing law differs between the two nations.
- Shelter Cymru — Wales, free housing advice: 08000 495 495
- Shelter — England, domestic abuse housing advice
- Refuge spaces: Live Fear Free in Wales, National DA Helpline in England
- You cannot be evicted without a court order, even if your name is not on the tenancy
If your status depends on your partner
Insecure immigration status or no recourse to public funds does not leave you without options. Take specialist advice before making any application.
- Southall Black Sisters — 020 8571 0800
- Rights of Women — immigration advice line, 020 7490 7689
- Law Centres Network — free legal advice
- Local authorities have duties under the Children Act 1989 even where NRPF applies
If you are Deaf or disabled
Disabled people face additional barriers, and services must make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. That is a duty, not a favour.
- Stay Safe East — advocacy by and for Deaf and disabled survivors
- RNID and RNIB for sensory access support
- Ask any service for BSL interpreters, Easy Read, or extra processing time
- Neurodivergent survivors face specific barriers — see the DA and neurodiversity guidance
If children are involved
Children who see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse are victims in their own right under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
- Children & young people guidance — court forms, safeguarding, referral routes
- PEGS — support for parents experiencing child-to-parent abuse
- Operation Encompass — police notification to schools after an incident
- Cafcass Cymru covers Wales, Cafcass covers England — they are separate organisations
Police misconduct, victim blaming & your rights
When the system that should protect you fails you instead, you need to know your rights, how to report misconduct, and that what happened was not your fault. Police and CPS failures are not rare edge cases — they are a pattern experienced by thousands of survivors every year.
- Police failures — not being believed, reports not recorded, no action taken, DASH risk assessment not completed
- Victim blaming — “why didn’t you leave?”, DARVO not recognised, secondary victimisation
- Your rights — the Victims’ Code, the right to complain, IOPC referral, CPS Victims’ Right to Review
🔒 Browsing safely
If someone may check your device, take a moment before you read further.
- Use private or incognito mode — Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Cmd+Shift+N on Mac
- Clear your browsing history after visiting. Note that suddenly empty history can itself look suspicious
- Where possible use a device the other person cannot access — a library, a friend’s phone, or a work computer
- The Bright Sky app is designed to be discreet and provides support and safety information
- The Exit Now button at the top of this page takes you straight to BBC Weather. Pressing Escape does the same
- Check your phone for location sharing, shared accounts and family tracking apps — see safety planning for the full digital safety guidance
Key resources & guides
Comprehensive UK DA Protection Guide →
Legal rights, all protective orders explained, court support measures, the Victims’ Code, specialist services and children’s protections, in one place.
Police Misconduct & Victims’ Rights →
What to do when the police response fails you — how to complain, escalate, and hold the process to account.
Understanding the Narcissist’s Cycle of Abuse →
Patterns, tactics and trauma-informed guidance for recognising the cycle and its effects.
Am I Being Abused? Self-Assessment →
A private five-minute tool covering physical, emotional, financial, coercive and digital abuse. Nothing leaves your device.
Related NAAVoices hubs
Neurodiversity Hub
ADHD, autism, assessment pathways, EHCPs and IDPs — and why neurodivergent people face elevated risk of abuse.
Mental Health Hub
PTSD and C-PTSD, getting NHS support, local services across North Wales and Shropshire, and your rights.
LGBTQIA+ Hub
Minority stress, affirming care, gender incongruence, rights and law, and LGBTQIA+-specific abuse dynamics.
For Professionals
Clinical resources on neurodiversity, late diagnosis, and the neurodiversity–domestic abuse intersection.
From the founder
A year ago, a wonderful friend and colleague told me I was a phoenix. At that time, I was crumbling — moving through each day one step at a time. I wasn’t living or surviving; I was simply existing.
Twelve months on, I have risen. My journey isn’t finished, and the post-separation abuse hasn’t magically stopped. But now I’m informed, and with that knowledge I can face whatever comes next.
I have never regretted leaving. Not for a single second. My children are safe. I still carry the impact of what happened, but I am free to live, to heal, and to rebuild. I am not who I was, and maybe I never will be — but I am stronger now, louder now, and my voice is mine again.
I know too much to ever let anyone take any more of me.
Amy Royle — Founder, NAAVoices.com
Registered Nurse · DA survivor · Neurodivergent · PGCert Neuroscience & Psychology of Mental Health (Distinction, Warwick)
contact@naavoices.com
General information only. This hub does not constitute legal or clinical advice, and does not replace advice specific to your circumstances. Survivor-led · trauma-informed · evidence-informed. Last reviewed 13 August 2026.
