The Recovery and Empowerment Partnership is a partnership between VIDA Croydon, Ashiana, Haven House, Young Women’s Housing Project and Child Safe Foundation. We are funded by the Big Lottery Women and Girls Initiative.
The Recovery and Empowerment Partnership is for women and girls affected by abuse in all its different forms, including:
- Domestic Abuse
- Sexual Violence
- Child Sexual Exploitation
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
- “Honour” Based Violence (HBV)
- Forced Marriage
- Trafficking
We work with women and girls of all ages, sexualities and from all social and cultural backgrounds.
The ultimate project goals are to:
Help women and girls from a broad range of backgrounds and abilities to recover from violence, abuse and trauma.
Build women and girls’ resilience to future harm and empower them to live the lives they want.
Empower children and young people to recognise abuse and unhealthy relationships.
Child Safe Foundation leads on Service User Involvement and participation at a strategic level within the project. We lead on the co-production of the project with women and girls – in planning, design, delivery and evaluation. Women and girls who have experienced domestic abuse can get involved in a number of ways that support their participation and range of influence:
Service User Involvement Group
The Service User Involvement Group (SUIG) is made up of two groups of women and girls (young women up to age 25, and women over age 25) who:
- Have a voice and influence in the way women’s services in Sheffield are planned, delivered and evaluated.
- Have access to high quality and appropriate services and support.
- Receive training and support in a safe and understanding environment Influence local and national strategies and decision makers.
There are a number of ways to get involved with the SUIG, including a fortnightly group, 1-1 activities and through social media.
If you are interested in hearing more about the SUIG, when we meet and how to get involved, please contact Miriam Perez at office@childsafefoundation.org.uk
Consultation We deliver creative consultation activities with women and girls engaged by the partner organisations as well as external partner services such as Together Women Project, SARAS Women’s Refuge, Croydon Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre and Croydon Women’s Counselling & Therapy Service. By consulting with a broad range of women and girls we hope to support women’s services to deliver a service which better meets the needs of the women and girls accessing them.
We are also looking to involve young women and girls from across Croydon who may be potential users of women’s services now or in the future. If you or the young women you work with are interested in getting involved in consultations, please contact Miriam Perez at office@childsafefoundation.org.uk
Parkwood Academy Girl’s Group
As part of the Recovery and Empowerment Partnership, Child Safe Foundation is delivering a 10-week programme to a group of KS3 girls at New Addington Academy. This programme delivers age-appropriate sessions and activities around: self-esteem and confidence, bullying, online safety and pornography, healthy relationships, child sexual exploitation, sexual health, mental health and emotional wellbeing.
The ultimate aims of this programme are for girls to:
- Have improved self-worth, mental health and positive coping strategies.
- Have improved safety and emotional resilience.
- Be able to recognise abuse and healthy relationships.
- Be able to make positive life choices and develop safe, healthy social networks.
- Be given a voice and skills to influence policies and services that affect them.
If you work with girls and young women within a school or youth-work setting and are interested in taking part in this programme, please contact Miriam Perez at office@childsafefoundation.org.uk
Participation Training
As part of the project, Child Safe Foundation is providing training and support to the partner organisations to develop a shared strategy and action plan. Child Safe Foundation are able to deliver Participation Training to other organisations outside of the partnership. For more details and pricing, please visit our training page.