Safety Planning
Safety Planning
What is a personal Safety Plan?
A Personal Safety Plan is a checklist which helps you to think about how to be safer when you are experiencing domestic abuse or thinking about leaving an abusive situation.
Why do I need a personal Safety Plan?
- You can’t stop someone from behaving in an abusive way, only they can choose to stop.
- You can do some things to help protect yourself and your family, you may already be doing some things that help to keep you safe.
- Being as safe as you can is about looking at the dangers (risks) and planning how to make them less dangerous, where possible.
What dangers could I try to plan against?
Many victims of domestic abuse say that they know when something is going to happen, in this case you could:
- Think about being in a safer room – not a kitchen/Bathroom/ garage etc. where there may be dangerous objects around.
- Think about being where there is a way out, for if you need to escape.
- Keep a spare key on you, or somewhere you can get to it quickly and easily.
- Make sure there are no objects blocking the way to a door out.
- Keep your mobile charged up and in a safe, easy to get to place, so you can phone for help.
- Have some emergency money for bus fares somewhere safe and easy to get hold of.
- Don’t run to where your children are as your partner may harm them as well.
- Practice ways you and your children can leave your home safely and in the dark.
- Discuss with your children what they need to do during an incident:
- Not to intervene
- To get out and get help
- Teach them how to call the police and a safe family member / friend.
Pack a bag and leave it with a safe trusted friend/family member or neighbour include in it:
- Identification for you and the children; passports, birth certificates, national insurance card/number
- Health records & NHS cards
- Medication – your doctor will prescribe extra essential medication if you explain the circumstances to them – they have to maintain your confidentiality.
- Spare keys for the house and car if possible.
- Copies of any orders you have in place.
- Some money and bank account details.
- A copy of the tenancy agreement if you have one.
- Jewellery
- Address book.
- A set of clothes for you and the children.
- Other considerations
- Leave any sentimental items photo’s etc with a trusted friend or family member – but do not remove anything that he will notice or question
- Make sure your children’s school/nursery know who is authorised to pick them up.
- If you work make sure someone at work knows your situation.
- Keep a copy of any court orders with you.
- Keep a record of incidents, including: time, date, what happened, witnesses, photos if any injuries and the names and collar numbers of any police officers if applicable. Keep this record with a trusted friend or family member.
Can someone help me with my Personal Safety Plan?
A Personal Safety Plan is something you can do yourself, however, It may not be safe for you to have a printed or written copy of the safety plan in your house but you could still take some of the ideas from the safety plan to put in place and find a safe place for you to store the phone numbers you may need in an emergency?
A worker or volunteer from LIDAS can help you to do your plan.
Any other worker that is involved with you or your family could help you to do a Personal Safety Plan.
A worker or volunteer can also carry out a risk assessment with you to highlight the risk factors in your relationship and to help you to think through your options to reduce these risks.
Below are documents on our safety planning
Information about Safety Planing