Your safety and the safety of your children is paramount.

Agree a code word or action that is only known to you and a trusted friend or neighbour so you can signal when you are in danger and cannot access help yourself. Think about your safety more closely as you may not realise the danger you are in.

Find out information about local services; offer to keep spare sets of keys or important documents, such as passports, benefit books, in a safe place so that you can access them quickly in an emergency.

Keep the children safe. Remember that it isn’t the children’s responsibility to protect you. In an emergency they could call for help from the police, go to a neighbour, or a relative or someone they trust.

The family courts deal with all child contact disputes on a case by case basis. Evidence of domestic abuse will be taken into account and decisions about residence and contact made accordingly.

If you’re concerned for the welfare of any child you can contact local children’s services, ChildLine’s freephone helpline 0800 1111 or the NSPCC freephone helpline on 0808 800 5000.

LIDAS also offers a full Family Support package.

Click here for details of  referral process into family support

Click here for an explanation of what the Family Support Scheme offers

Click here for a leaflet about Domestic Abuse and its effects on parenting

Click here for KADA Club Leaflet

Click here for KADA Buddy scheme