Emergency Refuge Accommodation

We offer safe emergency refuge accommodation for individuals and families who are homeless as a result of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DV&A).

Our refuge accommodation is secure so you can be and feel safe away from your abuser(s). We can support people from Leeds or elsewhere in the UK in our accommodation. We have women-only refuges, but we also have dispersed properties suitable for people of all genders. Most of our accommodation options are self-contained flats, with some shared communal areas and some of our properties have shared kitchens and/or bathrooms. Properties are allocated depending on capacity and individual needs.

An example of a flat in one of our refuges.

Call Our Helpline

Available 24/7

Online Chat With Us

Available Monday to Friday 1pm – 4pm, apart from bank holidays.

How we can support you

Staying in our Refuge

If you are staying in our refuge, you will be allocated a Support Worker who will provide tailored support to help you recover from the impacts of domestic violence and abuse. Your Support Worker can also help with practical issues such as sorting out finances and securing permanent housing. They will work in partnership with other services including counselling, health professionals, housing, schools to provide well-rounded support and empower you to rebuild your life.

Children and Young People

At refuge, we also have specialist Children, Young People and Family workers who provide additional support to the children and young people to help them overcome the trauma of witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse. The team offers one-to-one support, group play and wellbeing sessions, as well as family groups such as a weekly Nurture Group, After-School Club and the Women’s Aid ‘You and Me, Mum’ programme.

Children and young people in refuge also take part in regular arts and crafts sessions, educational trips, celebration events and parties, cooking and baking sessions and emotional, mental and physical development sessions.

How to access the service

Refuge Self-Referrals

You can self-refer to this service by calling us on 0113 246 0401.

Please note our refuge accommodation has limited space and there is always a high demand, so high risk cases will be prioritised.

FAQ’s

We understand that moving into refuge accommodation can be very daunting. We will try to make this process as smooth as possible and our team is here to support you all the way.

To read answers to some frequently asked questions about refuge accommodation, you can visit the LDVS website: https://ldvs.uk/emergency-accommodation/

Client feedback about our DV & A workers in refuge

“Thank you sounds so futile in what I need to say to you all. But I really do mean it from the bottom of my heart, if it wasn’t for you 3 I really don’t think I would be here on this Earth. You have all made a lasting impact on my life and with that I hope I can make a better future for myself. Most of all I hope that Leeds Women’s Aid is here in another 40 years to help more women, just like myself. Thank you again so very very much.”
“Just to say a massive Thank You for all your help and support through what has been the worse time of my life I truly couldn’t have done it without you, I have finally got a house to build a happy future for us, things can only get better.”
“The team are amazing. I felt really supported by my worker and in the short time I’ve been at refuge, I’ve learnt so much. I understand so much more about me and parenting, that has helped me to better support my children.”
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