Our work is guided by one fundamental goal – to keep women and children experiencing domestic abuse safe. Our work is informed by the following core principles:

Respect for rights: We recognise that every woman and child engaging with our services is an individual with diverse needs and experiences. Each is entitled to be treated with respect and dignity in order to support them to cope with their experiences and move on from crisis to increased safety. Our model of work is an empowerment one whereby we support women to find solutions for themselves and their children. We advocate for the rights of women and children at all levels from the individual, through to agency to policy level.

Woman-centred: Sonas’s Women’s Support Team provides to 1 to 1 support to women across all services including: Refuge, Supported Housing,  Safe Home, Visiting Support/ Crisis Intervention and Advice and Outreach. The approach is a key working/ case management one. Our model of working with women is an empowerment one whereby we support a woman to find the best solutions for her particular situation.

Child-centred: Sonas Children’s Support Team works across the organisation with both women, who are mothers, and children in Sonas services. Sonas implements Children First guidelines in policy, practice and frontline service delivery. Each Support Services team member has received current Children First training and each of our on-site services has both purpose built children’s facilities staffed by a children’s support team member who works with both mothers and children. We believe our work actively contributes to the key national policy outcomes for children and families experiencing domestic violence by promoting: Safety and Protection From Harm; Physical and Mental Wellbeing; and Achieving Full Potential (Social and Emotional Wellbeing).

Effective Services: Sonas’s approach to service provision is based on policy and practice evidence of what works for women and children experiencing domestic abuse including our own experience of delivering front line services since 1993. Sonas services are needs-led, dynamic and adaptable with interagency working a core feature of service delivery. We work with both statutory and non-statutory agencies across the social care spectrum covering areas such as: education, courts and legal, child wellbeing, welfare and protection, housing, homelessness, mental health, addiction services etc in order to deliver the best possible outcomes for women and children engaging with Sonas services. Fundamentally, we believe the needs of women and children experiencing domestic abuse have to be the starting point of any integrated solution.