What is domestic abuse?

What is domestic abuse?
Types of abuse
You are here: What support is available

What support is available

In Sandwell there is lots of support available for you if you are suffering domestic abuse or if you are worried about someone who is.

In an emergency

In an emergency always phone the police on 999.

Use the 101 number to call the police if it's not an emergency.

Support in Sandwell

Black Country Women's Aid provides a range of services and support to men and women experiencing domestic abuse. You can call them 24 hours a day on 0121 552 6448.

They provide a full range of services including access to emergency accommodation, access to legal advice, court support, counselling, rape and sexual violence services.

Travel to Refuge

Free travel for those fleeing domestic abuse

Travel to Refuge is an umbrella scheme in which travel companies cover the cost of train or coach tickets for women, men and children escaping domestic abuse travelling to refuge accommodation. It’s made up of two schemes:

Rail to Refuge, a joint initiative between Women’s Aid and the Rail Delivery Group, set up in April 2020, providing free rail travel for survivors of abuse.
Road to Refuge, a joint initiative between Women’s Aid and National Express, set up in 2023, providing free coach travel for survivors of abuse.

For more details on free travel for those fleeing domestic abuse please visit Travel to Refuge - Women’s Aid (womensaid.org.uk)

Housing

For advice on housing including ways to keep safe in your home, re-housing or obtaining a place in a refuge you can call our Housing Options service on 021 368 1166.

For help to find emergency accommodation outside normal office hours call 0121 569 6883 or visit the housing section of this website.

West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police take all report of domestic abuse very seriously.

Remember - in an emergency call the police by dialling 999 or in a non-emergency dial 101.

Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (Clare’s Law)

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (also known as Clare's Law) aims to give individuals the opportunity to make enquires about their partner if they are worried they may have been abusive in the past. For more details including how to make a request please visit the West Midlands Police website.

Domestic Violence Protection Notice and Orders (DVPN/DVPO’s)

DVPN’ and DVPO’s are orders which enable the police and magistrates additional powers to protect a victim from further harm in the immediate aftermath of a domestic violence incident. For more details of DVPN’s and DVPO’s can be found on the West Midlands Police website.

Bright Sky App

Bright Sky is a free to download mobile app, providing support and information for anyone experiencing domestic abuse, or someone concerned about a friend or family member. In addition, the app is available for use by employers and service providers.

It includes

A unique UK-wide directory of specialist domestic abuse support services with contact details.
A secure My Journal tool to record incidents of abuse via text, audio, video or photo form, without any of the content being saved on the device itself.
Questionnaires to assess the safety of a relationship, plus a section on dispelling myths around domestic and sexual abuse.
Links to further resources and information on topics around domestic abuse.

You can download Bright Sky for free on the Google Play Store and App Store, where it is available in English, Polish, Punjabi and Urdu.