Our Vision, Mission, and Values

Our vision is a society where Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) is never tolerated or silenced, empowering women and children to live in safety, free from fear.

Our Mission and Purpose

We provide a range of life-saving and life-changing supports, empowering women and children on their journey to safety and recovery.
We do this by:

Advocating for Change

Campaigning and advocating for social change, legislation, and government policy.

Supportive Services

Providing accommodation and specialist domestic violence support services to families.

Raising Awareness

Working with communities to educate and challenge attitudes to domestic violence through prevention and awareness raising.

Our Values

COURAGE
EMPATHY
EMPOWERMENT
HOPE
INTEGRITY

Our values and principles underpin how we deliver our vision. They are central to everything we do and influence our every action and interaction at SDVS when working with women and children and advocating on their behalf. Our teams live and work through these values daily, and they are reflected across our philosophy and approach, business planning, and daily practices.

We Believe That

Nobody deserves to be abused.
No person should ever have to experience the torture of being abused by a ‘loved one’.
No one should be alone in carrying the burden of blame, shame, and judgment perpetrated upon them.
Early educational interventions with young people entering intimate relationships are vital to combating domestic violence in future generations and breaking the cycle of violence.

We Acknowledge That

Domestic violence is a serious and life-destroying crime for which the client is never responsible.
It is a cycle of abuse that only escalates with time.
It occurs in all walks of life – all classes, creeds, ages, and races.
It is an unequal balance of power and control that an individual holds over another in any intimate or close family relationship, including husband and wife, same-sex partners, or adult children and an elder parent.
It takes many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse and coercive control.

We Commit To

Empowering our clients to express their voice and be heard.
Listening, hearing, believing, and respecting those who contact us for help, whether they plan to leave an abusive relationship or seek support in staying safe in the relationship.
Working in a non-judgmental environment supporting clients – only they know the reality of their abuse.
Maintaining a confidential service for all our clients and ensuring we always work according to Children First Guidelines and Legislation 2017.