Your Voice Counts: the experiences of women living in Sheffield's domestic abuse refuges
At Healthwatch Sheffield we speak to a wide range of people living in the city about their experiences of accessing health and social care, and what would help to improve their health and wellbeing.
Sheffield Women's Aid invited us to visit their refuges and speak to women living there about the specific challenges they face. They felt there were limited opportunities for women who have experienced and survived domestic and sexual abuse and violence to share their stories and draw attention to their needs.
What did women tell us?
Many women described facing complex physical and mental health challenges, some of which stemmed directly from the abuse they've experienced. Some have young children with additional needs too.
Most had fled domestic abuse with no or little money and other resources, and have moved to a new area away from their home and social networks.
All of these factors make navigating care and support more difficult for a variety of reasons. Women told us about challenges involving:
- Understanding what support is available
- Waiting lists
- Caring responsibilities
- Finance
- Travel
- Interpreters
- Housing
- Stigma
Your voice counts
The feedback people share with us makes a difference to care.
We are taking a proactive approach to share this feedback with key decision makers and providers of health and social care in Sheffield. We are also ensuring it feeds into strategies and plans relating to women's health and women's services in the city and across South Yorkshire.
Read the briefing to find out more about the experiences of women living in refuges in Sheffield, and how we work to amplify the voices of those who are not always heard by services, and those who face poorer health outcomes than others.
Downloads
If you need this briefing in a different format, please contact us by phone 0114 253 6688 or email info@healthwatchsheffield.co.uk
