At Leeds Women’s Aid, our incredible Access and Assessment Team (AAT) are the first point of contact for anyone experiencing domestic violence and abuse, and received 8,800 contacts for support in 2024 – via the helpline, email and online chat.
We spoke to Freya, Access and Assessment Support Worker about her role:
“There are a lot of responsibilities for the team to juggle in AAT, from answering the helpline, calling victim-survivors ahead of risk assessment meetings, managing referrals, signposting victim-survivors, providing face-to-face emotional support at drop-in sessions and much more.
“We are front-line staff, so we do have to deal with high-risk emergencies and ensure victim-survivors are getting support from the right services. But, our team, out-of-hours staff, and management are so good at supporting one another and we do rely on each other in the office to prioritise our wellbeing.
“One of the best things about the role is knowing that when someone calls, it might be the first time they have reached out for support, so it’s rewarding to know that we’re there for them, even just asking them how their day was and knowing that there’s a person and their life at the end of this call.”
To learn more about the Access and Assessment Team, visit the Immediate Support page.
If you need support or advice, call the helpline any time on: 0113 246 0401