ANNUAL REPORT 2005-2006

Story ofsupported One Womanby Women's Aid... I was not allowed to visit family or friends from very early on in my marriage.“ I was not allowed to work.At home at his beck and call. Nothing was ever right. Found fault with everything ” This document was produced with kind sponsorship from Unity Trust Bank, Unison,Amicus, PCS and the T&GWU 38-48 Crwys Road, , CF24 4NN T: (02920) 390 874 F: (02920) 390 878 www.welshwomensaid.org Welsh Women’s Aid is the national umbrella organisation representing local Women’s Aid groups in . Our 34 member groups provide direct women-centred support in the community and in refuge to thousands of women and children who have or who are experiencing domestic abuse.Welsh Women’s Aid provides specialist training support to member groups on housing, legal and children’s issues and lobbies and campaigns on their behalf at a national level. Welsh Women’s Aid also manages the Wales Domestic Abuse helpline.The helpline is a gender-neutral information and support service for people and children experiencing abuse and individuals and organisations who want to know more about domestic abuse support services in Wales.The gender-neutral service reflects the gender-neutral definition of domestic abuse adopted by the Welsh Assembly Government in the All Wales National Strategy on Tackling Domestic Abuse - although 93% of calls to the helpline last year were from women.

Llinell Gymorth Camdriniaeth yn y Cartref Cymru Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline Yn ddyddiol, 8am i 2pm a 8pm i 2am, daily www.wdah.org

Story ofsupported One Womanby Women's Aid... One daughter. I would never have brought a child into the world if I had known“ what she had to be put through. She was terrified of him ” Chair’s Report

his year has been another of continuing change for Welsh Women’s Aid - a year of bedding down of the new Thierarchical structure and building on the developments of the previous two years.We have also welcomed a new Director and Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline Manager to the organisation. Our policies and procedures have been updated in line with legislation – in particular the development of policies reflecting the provisions of the National Service Framework for Children,Young People and Maternity Services in Wales.We are also commencing the process of seeking accreditation for our domestic abuse awareness training and exploring the potential for our becoming an Accredited Service Provider for some of our member groups. In a sad move our Rhyl office was closed and our office in Aberystwyth will also be closing in 2006.This will enable Lynne Sanders us to build up resources in the Cardiff office.We remain firmly committed to our Wales-wide remit but the closures were necessary as we had to reduce our overhead costs. Papers from the Rhyl and Aberystwyth offices have been Chair, deposited with the National Library through the Women’s Archive of Wales. In terms of partnership working we have aligned ourselves with other key organisations on issues of concern to Welsh Women’s Aid member groups – proposed legislation space standards in refuges and changes to supporting people tariffs being the most prominent examples. It has also been a year of change in the work environment of Women’s Aid with the increased emphasis on multi- agency information sharing through local community safety partnership domestic abuse forums.The forums are at the heart of the Welsh Assembly Government’s strategic vision of domestic abuse services in Wales, and it is important that our member groups are represented on them. I’d like to thank our member groups for supporting Welsh Women’s Aid through this period and for their continued commitment to provide vital support services to women and children. Our member groups are the best placed and most experienced providers of services to the women and children we support and empower.After nearly thirty years,Women’s Aid’s name in Wales continues to be trusted and valued and we now look forward to the national team supporting the strategic changes which will ensure the name is linked with quality and high standards in what remains a high risk environment. Director’s Report “2005 got off to an exciting start with the launch by the Welsh Assembly Government’s first ever All Wales National Strategy on Tackling Domestic Abuse in March.As the national umbrella organisation for Women’s Aid groups, the strategy is to be our guide and will provide the direction for our work in the field of support services for women and children experiencing domestic abuse in Wales. We welcome the provisions of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, most of which are still to be implemented but which, symbolically, are a recognition by Parliament of the prevalence of domestic violence and the fact that 41% of all female homicide victims are killed by a partner or ex partner. Welsh Women’s Aid member groups are also glad to be represented on the multi-agency information sharing conferences on high risk domestic violence cases (MARACs) in the area of Wales where they have them. The MARACs increase the accountability of statutory agencies and have a proven track record of preventing women who are known to be experiencing severe physical violence from being murdered by their partners or ex-partners. As the devastating effects of domestic violence and abuse on families and wider society is taken increasingly seriously by statutory agencies, the role of Women’s Aid member groups continues to be central in the field of support services for women and children. With support from the Welsh Assembly Government, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund, last year we were able to further develop our role by opening the first dedicated national Domestic Abuse Helpline for Wales which has since taken nearly 15,000 calls with around one in four callers wanting information on refuge accommodation from Elen Pierce Women’s Aid.We foresee that the Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline will be vital in underpinning the strategies of all other domestic abuse support services in Wales, especially if it is extended to provide a 24 hour service. Director, As ever,Welsh Women’s Aid’s representation on the Welsh Assembly Government’s Working Group on Domestic Violence is informed by the experiences of our member groups and the women and children they support, and Welsh Women’s Aid internal communication with our member groups has been given a boost this year with the allocation of funding to develop a member’s area to our website. We have also been able to roll out a service statistics package to our member groups which will allow us to collate data on the women and children using the services of our member groups - data which will inform policy development. The statutory sector is increasingly targeting perpetrators of domestic abuse and emphasising the safety of women and children experiencing abuse at the hands of someone close to them, and with nearly 30 years’ experience in providing women-centred support and empowerment,Women’s Aid continues to be at the forefront of refuge and outreach service provision for women and children. I would like to thank the Welsh Assembly Government for its continued support at this very important time for Welsh Women’s Aid’s.We start this next financial year, our second as a hierarchy, with new challenges and a very committed team.”

Story ofsupported One Womanby Women's Aid... If we didn’t do what he wished we would be punished.We were made to sit“ for hours and hours and hours in a chair.We were not allowed to move or speak.We would look at each other my daughter and I and we couldn’t do anything or help each other ” 3 What is Domestic Abuse

he terms ‘domestic abuse’ and ‘domestic violence’ are used interchangeably and describe Tthe actual or threatened physical, emotional, sexual and/or financial abuse of a woman by a partner, family member or someone with whom there is or has been a close relationship. The terms also relate to an abuser allowing or causing a child to witness, or be at risk of witnessing, domestic abuse and/or violence. Candles and exhibition at the Welsh Assembly Abusers do not abuse in response to stress or anger and an incident of abuse is rarely a one to mark White Ribbon off event. It describes an ongoing pattern of behaviour adopted by one partner, usually male, Day in an attempt to exert power and control over another partner, usually female.The abusive behaviour often involves isolating the woman from her friends and family. Domestic abuse is very common, with research showing that one in four women – regardless of age, social class, race, disability or lifestyle - will be affected during their lifetime. It can occur in heterosexual and same sex relationships. In Wales and England 41% of all female homicide victims were killed by a former or current partner between 2000 and 2001. Even though less than half of all incidents of domestic abuse are reported to the police, in the UK police still receive one call every minute about domestic abuse. Domestic Abuse and the Media

omestic abuse is not caused by hot weather, losing a football match, pressure on family Dfinances, unemployment, drugs or alcohol – although all of these examples (and countless others) can ‘trigger’ an abusive incident. By blaming external factors for abuse – as in these headlines – the media can, inadvertently, excuse violence and perpetuate myths about the nature of domestic abuse. The role of the media in raising awareness of the nature and effects of domestic abuse and the support services available to people experiencing abuse is vital. With 1 in 4 women experiencing abuse at some point in their lives, the audience / readership / colleagues will undoubtedly include thousands who are or who have experienced abuse or who are concerned about someone they know. But social isolation being a big factor in the dynamics of an abusive relationship, people and children experiencing abuse can feel that they are alone and that they are to blame for the abuse.The media describing what is clearly – for anyone working in the field - an abusive relationship as a ‘troubled marriage’ or a ‘stormy relationship’ inaccurately conveys a degree of equality within a relationship which, in fact, involves one partner, usually male, exerting power and control over another, usually female. In failing to describe an abusive relationship as such and in failing to locate a story involving domestic abuse within the wider context of domestic abuse, the media may prevent a woman in identifying her own relationship as abusive and consequently delay her contact with support services. Welsh Women’s Aid has prepared a Media Briefing for journalists in Wales working on domestic abuse related stories. Story ofsupported One Womanby Women's Aid... His temper was unbearable. My daughter learnt to wet herself as she sat in“ the chair rather than ask to go to the toilet as she realised we would have to sit for longer ” 4 Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline

his was the Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline’s second operational year, and calls rates Thave continued to rise, with nearly 15,000 calls taken by the end of March 2006. Over 1300 women have contacted the helpline wanting emergency refuge accommodation from Welsh Women’s Aid member groups. Due to the helpline’s continued membership of the UK-wide database of refuge services, we are able to identify where there is appropriate space for a woman, and her children if she has any, while on the phone. Data collected from the helpline is informing policy development. Financial support from BT and Adastra Education enabled to develop a website for the helpline which we hope will help us raise further awareness of the free and confidential support and information service. The website can be visited by going to www.wdah.org . Below left, Elen Pierce, Director of Welsh Women’s Aid and Tracey Jones, Manager of the Caller details (1) Callers experiencing with Children Wales Domestic Abuse 1% 0% Helpline holding an 26% advert which appeared on buses across Wales.

44% 48% Below, Juile Crumpton, mother of Melanie Experiencing 74% Concerned other Elsbury who was Other Agency YES murdered by her violent Survivor NO husband, with Edwina 7% Perpetrator Hart and Sian James at the national launch of the Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline in 2004.

Story ofsupported One Womanby Women's Aid... If the house was not at the right temperature when he got up to go “to work he would stay in bed. All his clothes had to be laid on the bed, freshly ironed. If I put the wrong tie or socks out he would probably go back to bed for the day ” 5 Children

hildren and young people make up more than half the service users of our member Cgroups. The profile of young people’s needs within the organisation has become increasingly prominent since the launch of the Children Matter! campaign.This year we have built on the work of putting Welsh Women’s Aid’s commitment to children’s rights in to action. The role of Children’s Workers in listening to the vulnerable children they support and responding to their needs is essential. Funding for these posts is unfortunately piecemeal and tenuous allowing limited possibilities for developing long-term strategies for work with children in refuge and those living in the community.. This gives obvious cause for concern, especially as many of the children and young people supported by our member groups are subject to child protection concerns, and all are regarded as ‘children in need’.The funding for supporting children and young people needs to reflect the high risk environment in which our member groups work. On a more positive note, this year a Memorandum of Understanding between Welsh Women’s Aid and CAFCASS Cymru was agreed – the main purpose of which is to encourage Elen Pierce and Claire better communication between both organisations, and to improve the protection of Sharp of Welsh Women’s children through a shared understanding of the specific safety issues involved in making Aid with with Dafydd contact arrangements for children where there has been domestic abuse. Ifans and Teresa Hallett of CAFCASS (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) Cymru. CAFCASS Cymru provides specialist advice to Family Proceedings Courts, County Courts and the High Court.

Young people supported by Welsh Women’s

Aid member groups attending a Children’s

Commissioner for Wales consultation event

at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff

Story ofsupported One Womanby Women's Aid... Everything had to be perfect for him, but nothing was ever perfect. I had to“ keep my daughter very quiet. If she disrupted anything or caught his attention, that would be an offence – we would have to be punished ” 6 Welsh Women’s Aid Executive Board 2005 - 2006 Lynne Sanders, Women's Aid Chair Dwysan Edwards, Glyndwr Women's Aid North Wales Delegate Tracy Tanner, Delyn Women's Aid North Wales Delegate Elwen Roberts, Cymorth i Ferched De North Wales Deputy Kathryn Horton, Cardigan Women's Aid Mid Wales Delegate Evelyn Mannion,Aberystwyth Women's Aid (retired) Mid Wales Delegate Gitta Schmidt, Llanelli Women's Aid Mid Wales Delegate Denise Fenlon, Neath Women's Aid South West Wales Delegate Jackie Turner, Pontypridd Women's Aid South West Wales Delegate Paula Hardy, Lliw Valley Women's Aid South West Wales Deputy Pat Griffiths, Rhymney Valley Women's Aid (retired) South East Wales Delegate Angela Ribbeck, Women's Aid South East Wales Delegate Abbreviated Accounts for year end 31st March 2006 Prominent Welsh- 2005 ££££ language author Eigra Assets Lewis Roberts, who has Fixed Assets: written about domestic Tangible assets 13,465 16,067 Current Assets: abuse, at Welsh Debtors and prepayments 55,853 5,267 Women’s Aid’s stall at Bank and cash balances 246,316 227,448 the National Eisteddfod 302,169 232,715 in Bangor Current liabilities: Creditors and accruals 44,534 40,018 Net Current Assets/Liabilities 257,635 192,697 Total Assets £271,100 £208,764 Annual Operation Income: Welsh Assembly Government 589,799 566,772 The Big Lottery – Community 141,575 91,487 Comic Relief 0 47,160 Membership fees 13,293 11,715 Welsh Women’s Aid Other income 16,356 17,265 would like to thank Mr 761,023 734,399 YC Lim, our landlord at Expenditure: Salaries & overheads the Cardiff office, and Management & volunteers BT for their kind Expenses and capital donation which allowed Purchases us to buy a server and -703,963 -748,145 update our IT systems. Surplus/Deficit for the Year 57,060 -13,746 Microsoft also kindly Transfers donated software to the From/to Special Reserves 55,900 -13,746 organisation. Net Surplus/Deficit for the year £1,160 £0

A full set of accounts is available for inspection at Welsh Women's Aid's Cardiff Office,Tel: 029 2038 0874 Story ofsupported One Womanby Women's Aid... My daughter and I left when she was eleven. Reason. My daughter said she“ could not live like this any more. She was going to run away. We would be better off dead than staying, and she was right” National campaign by the Home Office

National campaign by the Home Office - marking the launch of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts - targeting friends and family of women experiencing domestic abuse.The posters, which appeared on billboards and bus stops around the country, carried the number of the Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline.

Story ofsupported One Womanby Women's Aid... Tea would have to be on the table at six o clock.Ten minutes late not his “ fault, I should have known. He would throw the plate across the room. I was punished ” 8 7