You do not have to, and indeed should not, suffer in silence if you find yourself in a toxic, violent or unhealthy relationship.
There are plenty of local resources for residents to reach out to and we have listed some of them below, with the help of experts.
If you are unsure about where to turn, your local GP will be a good point of first contact, and they can refer you to the necessary service.
Athena service, run by Refuge: provides confidential, non-judgemental support to those living in Lewisham who are experiencing gender-based violence.
Athena define gender-based violence as violence that is directed against a person on the basis of gender. It is mostly inflicted by men on women and girls. Types of gender-based violence can include:
- Domestic violence (physical, sexual, financial, emotional or psychological abuse)
- Rape and sexual assault
- Stalking
- Prostitution
- Sexual exploitation
- Human trafficking and modern slavery (for example, sexual exploitation; forced labour; domestic servitude)
- Female genital mutilation (FGM)
- Forced marriage
- So-called ‘honour’-based violence
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust specialist care for women with additional healthcare needs, including specialist care for additional healthcare and other support, like alcohol and substance misuse, domestic violence.
Lewisham Health Visitors – registered nurses or midwives with a specialist qualification in public health, working with families that have children between the ages of 0 and five.
The Family Nurse Partnership provides a home visiting service to support young first time mothers aged 22 years and under. It aims to improve maternal mental health during pregnancy, to achieve the best outcomes for mother and baby, and enhance the child’s health and development by helping parents provide the best possible care. The FNP works in partnership with parents and helps them to make the changes in their life that will help them and their child achieve their goals and dreams.
Lewisham Children and Family Centres – supporting families to improve their lives and life chances.
Lewisham Building Bridges – professional, home-based family support service by Family Action. Designed to meet the needs of families with multiple complex needs and to make families stronger, safer and more fulfilling for children and parents.
Compass also provide health and wellbeing services for children, young people, adults, families and communities. They respond to a wide range of people’s physical and mental health needs, and lifestyle behaviours such as smoking, drugs and alcohol, sexual health, emotional health, healthy eating and healthy relationships.