How we can help

At WWIN we have a range of accessible services, so you can choose the support that's right for you. We can help you explore your options and support you along the path you choose, at a pace that suits you.

Talk to us

Choose a service that's right for you:

Image of a women walking with three arrows below her feet pointing in different directions - symbolising which path to take

One-to-one support

It’s sometimes difficult to know what you need - you can talk to us confidentially about your situation and we can help you by discussing some of the options available to you. You may not be ready to take any action and that’s fine, or you may need urgent help.

We can help you explore your options and support you along the path you choose, at a pace that suits you.

We can help you through emotional and practical one-to-one support. We can support you with safety planning, whether you choose to stay or want to leave the abuser, we can help you stay safe.

We can help you navigate a range of areas such as housing, finance, legal, health, children's services and immigration.

Sometimes it feels as though as though you have no choices, but you have a right to services and support, and we can advocate for you with other agencies and get access to the help you need.

That may be the Police, Courts, Social Services, Housing or another agency. It can help to know that someone understands your situation and can help you navigate through confusing systems and processes.

Group activities

As well as our one-to-one support we run a number of weekly groups where survivors can learn more about domestic abuse and make sense of their experiences. These groups are safe spaces to share and learn from others with similar experiences, and create long-lasting friendships.

Being subjected to abuse often leaves people isolated and lowers their self-esteem, however being part of a group helps survivors to see that they are not alone and the only one responsible for the abuse is the perpetrator.

We also run a number of social groups and activities to help survivors regain their sense of self, find new interests, make connections and have fun!

At WWIN we offer groups for adults and children. Get in touch with us, to discuss this further

Counselling & therapeutic support

We can provide free and confidential, one-to-one trauma informed counselling for victims aged 16 years and over who have experienced or witnessed abuse of any kind and are still being affected physically and emotionally by the experience.

We can provide counselling for adults who have experienced or witnessed abuse as a child, as an adult, or both.

If you would like to find out more about Counselling and how it might help, contact us and we can talk to you about what you need. You can get in touch or request a referral form by emailing: enquiries@wwin.org.uk

Help for children & young people

Children and young people are impacted by domestic abuse, even if they don’t see or hear the abuse happening. For some, it’s difficult to make sense of and they may need some help. Every child is different and the effects of living with domestic abuse will be different too.

How we can help:

Counselling
Group sessions with other children & young people their age
Joint work with the child or young person and the non-abusive parent

If you would like to know more, or if you know a child or young person who may find this service beneficial, get in touch with us to discuss this further or request a referral form by emailing: enquiries@wwin.org.uk

Safe places to stay

We provide emergency safe refuge accommodation for women and children fleeing abuse and can source safe accommodation for male victims. Refuge offers time and space to make decisions about your future and our specialist refuge staff are on hand to provide one-to-one emotional and practical support.

Refuge is designed to meet the needs of women and their children at the point of crisis. Our staff are available 24 hours a day 365 days a year and will help you settle in and start your future plan. If you’re not sure it’s right for you, that’s ok too, we can help you make the choices that are right for you.

We have a range of different accommodation types to meet individual needs. If you have children, we have a family refuge offering modern, fully equipped self-contained flats within a secure building, to enable you to live independently with your children and access support for you all.

If you're a woman without children then we have a range of different accommodation types depending on your needs, including fully equipped self-contained flats within a secure and recently refurbished building, a fully staffed secure building with communal facilities and individual properties.

Counsellors are also available within our refuges offering a range of therapeutic interventions to help with issues such as trauma, anxiety, depression, changes to home and routine, and more. All children in refuge will have access to therapeutic care, activities and groups.

How long you stay in refuge is up to you, some people stay a few days, a few weeks, or up to 6 months. We can help you re-settle into the community when you know where you want to be.

Our services

What happens when you call us?

A trained advisor will answer

Our reception team will answer, and arrange for a specialist support worker to call you back if you'd like that (if it's urgent they will transfer your call).

You can tell us as much as you like

We will ask you some questions about your situation, but we won't pressure you to tell us anything you're not ready to share.

You will speak to an advocate

One of our experienced domestic abuse advocates will speak to you about your situation and any help you need.

We won't tell you what to do

We can help you explore your options, but we won't give you advice or tell you what we think you should do.

We won't judge you or tell you what to do, we'll listen to you. You are the expert on your own situation.

What happens when you call

How can you get in touch?

Phone

You can call us on our main office number, no matter what you need. A team member will be able to help you and direct you to the right person or service if needed.

Main number: 0191 416 3550
Open: Mon - Thurs 9am - 5pm, Friday 9am - 4.30pm

You can also call us on our helpline which is a freephone number. This number is available out of hours until 9pm each day.

This number is for people who have been affected by domestic abuse, or are worried they might be at risk of domestic abuse. It is not for professionals or people with general enquiries e.g. about donations - Please keep this number free for those who need it.

Helpline: 0800 066 5555
Open: Everyday 9am - 9pm

Online referral

You can complete our online referral form either on behalf of yourself OR on behalf of a client or patient.

Online Referral Form:

If you are an individual self-referring, please complete as much information as possible and we will be in touch during usual office hours unless you specify otherwise.

If you are a professional looking to make a referral to our services please ensure that you have the appropriate consent before making the referral. Also make clear in 'Reason for Referral' which WWIN service you are referring to e.g. Outreach, Counselling, Refuge or Groupwork.

You will then receive confirmation by email to confirm your referral has been successfully submitted.

You can't submit a referral on behalf of someone else without their consent. We won't respond to referrals where we have reason to believe consent hasn't been given.

Online Referral Form

Webchat

You can speak to us online through our secure webchat service. You can use this for general enquiries or for support if you are concerned about or have been affected by domestic abuse.

Webchat: www.wwin.org.uk - right hand corner
Open: Mon - Thurs 9am - 5pm, Friday 9am - 4.30pm

If you'd prefer to chat online this is the best way to contact us as the messages aren't saved on your phone or browser, like they are with Facebook and Instagram messages.

Image of a person standing with their hand held out

Image of a person standing holding a yellow umbrella

In person

You can come and visit us at our main office in Sunderland if you would like to speak to someone face-to-face.

Main office: 4-6 Mary Street, Sunderland, SR1 3NH
(See map)
Open: Mon - Thurs 9am - 5pm, Friday 9am - 4.30pm

We hold some of our groups, counselling and support appointments here as well as at other locations in Sunderland.

You can also arrange to have your outreach appointments at another location in the community if you'd prefer or its not easy for you to travel to the city centre.

Information in additional languages

If English is not your first language, we can arrange for an interpreter who speaks your preferred language. This means you can still access support from WWIN if English is not your first language.

For online information on domestic abuse in other languages, visit the Women's Aid website and click the languages icon ( ) at the top to select your preferred language: Women's Aid website

The Women's Aid Survivor's Handbook is also available in different formats including translations into additional languages and audio recordings in additional languages: Survivor's Handbook in additional languages

How to get in touch

Informaton in additional languages

How we can help

Choose a service that's right for you:

One-to-one support

Group activities

Counselling & therapeutic support

Help for children & young people

Safe places to stay

What happens when you call us?

A trained advisor will answer

You can tell us as much as you like

You will speak to an advocate

We won't tell you what to do

How can you get in touch?

Phone

Email

You can email us if you'd like to ask a question, tell us something or to request a referral form for counselling or accommodation. Our email address is:

enquiries@wwin.org.uk

Post

You can also contact us by post. Our address is:

4-6 Mary Street
Sunderland
SR1 3NH

Online referral

Webchat

In person

Information in additional languages

More about the support we offer:

What happens when you call us?

Are our services confidential?

Are our services free?

WWIN Domestic Abuse Services

Need to talk? Call our Helpline:

0800 066 5555

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