Staying at home during coronavirus
Home might not be a place of safety and support for you or those you care about. There are local and national services ready to find the right way to support you.
UAVA (United Against Violence and Abuse) is our local specialist service who can support you.
Call the UAVA helpline: 0808 80 200 28
The helpline is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm.
If the line is busy you can leave a message, and someone will call you back. Do give details of how and when it might be safe to call you. If you need to, give a code word for how they can know whether it is safe for you to talk or not.
Text support: 07715 994 962 (Text only, calls to this number are not answered)
National helpline number: 0808 2000 247
If you or someone else is in immediate danger call 999
Remember - You are allowed to go out of your house to get help if you are in danger.
If you are not able to speak on the phone, dial 999 and whisper, cough or tap the handset so the call handler knows you are there, or - once prompted by the automated system - press 55. This will bring you help from the police.
Concerned about your behaviour becoming abusive or violent?
Go to the Jenkins Centre website for support to change your behaviour.
Worried about a friend, relative, neighbour or colleague?
Are you concerned that someone you know might be experiencing domestic abuse during the coronavirus lockdown?
Sometimes, friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues feel that something is wrong but are not sure what to do. It is important not to ignore these worries. Don’t wait until it is too late.
Keep in touch safely
While physical contact is limited, keeping in touch by phone, text or email is more important than ever. Ideally when that person can communicate in private. Remember that people can leave their houses if they are at risk of domestic abuse, and people can leave the house for essential work, food or exercise.
Things you might notice
- The person is struggling to stay socially connected with others
- You witness or hear the abuser saying or doing things to humiliate
- They are losing weight or looking unwell
- When you speak to the person, they are never alone, the abuser is often asking what they are doing, who they are talking to and when they will be finished
- The abuser makes lots of rules for the person to follow, which can include what they wear, how they have their hair, their access to money, what they spend money on, and how their home needs to be kept
- The person has injuries or seems fearful.
Have information about domestic abuse services to hand
The person you are worried about might use this time to gather information about their options and plan, or they might want to focus on getting through this period with as little harm as possible.