the nia project: working for the safety of women and children

Plan Ahead

If you are thinking of getting away from a violent situation it could be very useful to plan ahead. This may enable you to gain quicker access to support services such as safe housing and welfare benefits.

The following checklist is a guide to some of the things you can do: Remember the most important thing is the safety of you and your children.

• Keep a note of useful numbers in a safe place; for example the nia project, your local police community safety unit, a close friend, local refuges and support services. You can find some useful contact details on our ‘links’ page.
• If possible get important documents such as passports, bank statements, birth/marriage certificates copied and see if you can leave them with a trusted family member, friend or even think of getting a safety deposit box in a bank. If you can take original documents all the better. Do this before you plane to leave.
• Take some cash with you, some change for emergency telephone calls or a train or bus fare. It may be useful to buy a phone card too.
• If possible leave a change of clothes, a set of spare house and car keys with a trusted friend or member of your family.
• Talk to someone you can trust about your plan. If you don’t know anyone ring a support service. They may be able to help you think things through and will provide you with practical and emotional support.
• Situations change, you may not be sure of what you want to do. Seek help as many times as you need to and make sure you review your safety plan i.e. are the telephone numbers you have up to date?