The leading housing provider currently provides six domestic abuse refuge centres across England.
Stonewater is the latest organisation to receive a domestic abuse accreditation from Leading Lights – an organisation run by charity SafeLives. The housing provider currently have six refuge shelters which are situated in Brighton and Hove, Swindon, Bedfordshire, Bedford, South Hampshire and Herefordshire.
‘I’m delighted that the team at Leading Lights have recognised our hard work and dedication to ensure that we have a robust, comprehensive and high-quality domestic abuse service in place which is inclusive to all survivors of domestic abuse,’ Wendy Griffiths, operations manager at Stonewater, said. ‘We’re proud of the quality of domestic abuse support that we’re able to offer, so this accreditation from SafeLives is a key milestone.’
To say Stonewater have worked hard would be an understatement. Prior to receiving the accreditation, the company undertook a Level 4 service manager’s training course and submitted a self-assessment, which was then examined by SafeLives.
The hard work doesn’t stop there. After an organisation has been accredited, they’re required to submit annual reports and undergo reassessment every three years.
Though a lot of effort is required into delivering such a service, domestic abuse support is needed now, more than ever. The latest findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that around 2.3 million people aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024. What’s more, the police recorded 851,062 domestic-abuse related crimes during this period.
Frances Keel, Leading Lights practice consultant at SafeLives, has expressed her gratitude over Stonewater’s success. She said: ‘We’re happy to be able to award our accreditation to the team at Stonewater, to recognise and acknowledge the work they’ve put in to be able to provide such strong domestic abuse support.
‘Gaining Leading lights accreditation isn’t an easy feat, and we’d like to congratulate Stonewater on their achievement. We look forward to seeing how their services continue to develop and provide for customers and staff in the months to come.’
Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona via UnSplash
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