We are a part of a multilingual consortium called ASCENT together with 22 other Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) women organisations. ASCENT came together under the London Councils funding to provide linguist and culturally sensitive services to survivors of sexual and domestic violence and abuse.
Out of fear of “losing face” or being the subject of gossip, many Chinese women find it difficult to approach relatives or friends for help on sensitive issues, such as domestic violence or marital problems. This is why we are always careful to protect confidentiality and to respect each woman’s ability to make her own decisions.
Bilingual women staff and volunteers undergo a highly developed training programme to provide emotional and practical outreach support, such as accompanying women to appointments and helping to interpret. We are dedicated to helping Chinese women and families who are struggling or in distress. We provide a free and confidential advisory and support service to Chinese women affected by domestic violence in Central and Greater London.
Our services include:
- support to women and families in distress
- advice and support to victims of domestic violence
- advice on issues related to housing, legal protection, welfare benefits and children
Raising awareness of domestic violence and women’s issues continues throughout the year. Our women support volunteers and staff also produced the first short film on domestic violence directed to the Chinese community in the United Kingdom. Aimed at raising awareness about domestic violence, the film “Behind Closed Doors” was part of Chinese Information and Advice Centre’s (CIAC) End Violence Against Women project and funded by St. James’s Ward Councillors through the Westminster City Council Neighbourhood Fund Programme.
In an event of an emergency call 999
We operate a 24 hours helpline to support women during out of office working hours.
Impact report for ASCENT advice service
The key findings of this analysis were the following:
- For every £1 spent Ascent A&C created £6 of social value.
- The hub and spoke model enabled women and girls fleeing violence to have greater access to services; 24,206 women and girls were supported by our services between April 2013 and March 2015.
- Service users reported excellent outcomes as a result of Ascent A&C services, such as increased autonomy, independence and capability; improved mental health and self-care as well as better parenting and relationships with children.
A Executive Summary can be opened at this link:
ascent-advicecounselling-social-impact-analysis-exec-summary