Norwich Connect

Spurgeons Norwich Connect was developed and funded by SafeLives to provide unique assistance for individuals, couples and families affected by domestic abuse. Norwich Connect also trains 1,500 other professionals a year on issues of domestic abuse.

Due to Covid-19 some activities we usually provide have been suspended but we are finding safe ways to continue service delivery in new ways.

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''It has helped [me] to feel stronger as a woman and in the mind...no matter what [perpetrator] might say I keep the IDVA (Support Worker) in [my] head.'' -Survivor, Norwich Connect

''I have found it invaluable having someone to talk to, and feel that there is someone there that I can go to for help. I am more aware of what domestic abuse looks like, and how to keep myself safe through safety planning with my IDVA (Support Worker).'' - Survivor, Norwich Connect

Spurgeons' Norwich Connect is a finalist in the 2020 Children & Young People Now Awards for the Early Intervention category.

Norwich Connect, run by Spurgeons, helps individuals, couples or families who have been, or are still in harmful relationships.

We support people living in Norwich who have been affected by domestic abuse. We can work with individuals, couples or families regardless of gender, sexuality, age or disability. We have lots of different ways we can help you or your family. See below for more details on what that help might look like for you.

What is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse is not just about being physically hurt by a current or previous partner or family member. It also includes any type of emotional, sexual, psychological, financial or coercive and controlling behaviours. It can happen to anyone, no matter who you are, where you're from or whatever your background. If you are being forced to change your behaviour because you are scared of your partner or your family member's reaction, it's likely that you are being abused.

We believe that every survivor of domestic abuse, and their family, deserves the right response, at the right time, to make them safe, sooner.

Over the next three years, SafeLives is working with partners from the Norfolk County Community Safety Partnership to pilot a Beacon site of best practice in Norfolk for victims of domestic abuse. Norwich Connect, which is delivered by Spurgeons, is one element of this and aims to improve the response for individuals, couples or families (with or without children) experiencing domestic abuse.

If you are a professional who would like to refer a client or would like more information about our service, see our professionals' section below.

To talk to someone about how we can help you or your family call us on_ 01603 628122 (1)

How can we help you?

Support for victims

Everyone is different and therefore not everybody needs the same kind of support. From one-to-one support to groups, whether you’ve left the relationship or are wanting to stay, we have support options for everyone and can help find the best option for you.

Our support options include:

IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advisor)

Our IDVAs help you to be safe and stay safe from harm in a one-to-one setting. They can give you emotional and practical support and help you to build on your strengths.

Recovery Groups

Our groups are designed to help you move forward with confidence, to live the life you want and to thrive. We have a range of groups we run across the year, focusing on different topics:

- Coffee, Craft and Connect

This is a weekly drop-in for women where you can make craft items, learn new skills and get to know others in similar situations. It is a relaxed and informal group with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

- Freedom Programme

This group runs for 10 weeks and it explores the general behaviours and beliefs of abusive and non-abusive partners. It helps you to make sense of and understand what has happened to you, and helps you to make positive choices to protect yourself and your children in the future.

- Pattern Changing

This group runs for 12-15 weeks and is designed to help build your confidence and self-esteem if you’ve left an abusive relationship. It explores your basic rights, boundary setting and developing assertiveness.

- Grow Together

This group runs for 6-8 weeks and explores the effect abuse has on your family. It is not a parenting course; rather, it is designed to help strengthen the relationship between you and your child(ren).

See ‘Support for Children and Young People’ for Side by Side and Tandem, which are groups that are run for you and your child.

Online Counselling

We have partnered with Qwell, an online counselling service. You can chat with a professional counsellor at a time which works for you, in the comfort of your own home or any safe space.

Support for children and young people

One-to-One

Our Children and Young People’s workers help your children understand and deal with you and your partner’s harmful relationship and the ways it has affected them. A worker will meet directly with your child(ren) in an appropriate one-to-one setting.

Groups

We run a variety of children’s groups, some of which are completed with parent and child and others with just the child:

- Side by Side

This group runs for 8-10 weeks and is a version of the ‘Grow Together’ group which is adapted to be completed with you and your child. Half of each session is completed together and the other half of the session is completed with the adults and the children in separate spaces. It is designed for a parent and a child aged 8-14.

- Tandem

This group runs for 6-8 weeks and is for children who are displaying harmful behaviour towards their parent(s). It helps your child to manage their emotions in a non-abusive way and helps them to learn healthy communication skills. This group is for a parent and a child who is aged 13-17, where the child has witnessed abuse.

- Monkeybob

This group runs for 3 weeks and is for children aged 4-7. It helps children explore and express their feelings, as well as helping them to learn how to keep themselves safe.

Support for perpetrators

Engage

Engage is a programme which helps you change those harmful behaviours that you're not proud of. You'll have one-to-one sessions with a worker who will help you to identify your harmful behaviours and work with you to make positive changes to have a healthier relationship with your partner.

Qwell Online Counselling

We have partnered with Qwell, an online text-based counselling service, which provides free mental health and wellbeing support for victims, families and friends affected by domestic abuse. You can chat with a professional counsellor at a time which works for you, in the comfort of your own home or any safe space. They also have other features such as self-help articles, mood tracking & goal setting tools, as well as a supportive online community and forums to give you further support.

For further information about Qwell and details of how to register, click here.

If you have any more questions about Qwell or would like to speak to someone to get help with registering and using Qwell, please email norfolkqwell@xenzone.com where a member of the team will get in touch with you within 7 days.

Information for Professionals

If you would like to make a referral for your client, please download our referral pack and complete our referral form.

We are a standard-to-medium-risk holistic, whole family support service for individuals, couples and families affected by domestic abuse, regardless of gender, sexuality, age or disability, including victims, perpetrators and children/young people.

We are funded to work with clients living within the Norwich City Council boundaries. We have developed a postcode checker tool which is a quick and simple way to check whether your client lives within our funded area. This tool is available in our referral pack.

Our model includes:

A multi-skilled team delivering direct services to individuals, children and families.
Programmes that provide:
- Whole family work
- Peer mentoring
- Survivor groups: domestic abuse awareness, recovering and skills development
- One-to-one and group work with perpetrators who have been assessed as motivated to change
A co-ordinated, multi-agency approach, working with relevant services
Training other agencies
Online support and therapeutic approaches
Survivor-led service review and improvement.

To download a copy of our guide to support, which provides further information about our interventions, click here.

Referral pack for professionals

This pack includes some further information about our service, an outline of our referral pathways, our postcode checker tool and the latest version of our referral form.

Click here to download the pack.

Training for professionals

We run a variety of free practical training courses for professionals across Norfolk. They are designed to give you skills and knowledge to improve your practice when working with clients affected by domestic abuse.

We currently offer the following courses:

Developing a Culture of Engagement

A full-day workshop for professionals about why it’s vital to work with whole families around domestic abuse and how to take a whole family approach.

Trauma Informed Practices

A full-day workshop about the importance of understanding trauma and how to work effectively with individuals impacted by traumatic experiences.

DASH Risk Checklist

A half-day workshop for professionals to increase understanding and confidence to accurately assess risk within domestic abuse.

For more information about these courses, upcoming dates or to book your free place, click here.

We can also deliver these courses to your team and we can provide shadowing opportunities and additional training on the practical tools used within Norwich Connect to work with those affected by domestic abuse. To enquire about these opportunities or if you have any further queries, contact us at NorwichConnect@spurgeons.org

Volunteering

We are looking for Group and Peer Support volunteers to provide both one-to-one and group support for those affected by domestic abuse, to help build their confidence and self-esteem.

As a volunteer, your work will help make a direct positive difference to the lives of those affected by domestic abuse. We provide full training and on-going support to ensure our volunteers feel confident and prepared for the role.

For more information or to apply, click here.

To stay up-to-date with Norwich Connect, you can sign up to our mailing list here.

For any more information about our service or for any queries, please contact the office at 01603 628122 or email norwichconnect@spurgeons.org.