DERWENT Living is celebrating after winning a national award for
a new service that is being offered by its women's refuge.
The Derby-based housing provider has won the complex needs award
in the service delivery category of The Guardian newspaper's Public
Service Awards, for the provision of The Butterfly Project.
The project offers refuge for women fleeing domestic violence
and who have other problems such as alcohol or drug dependency.
The refuge, which is managed by Derwent Living, set up The
Butterfly Project a year ago and has already opened its doors to 29
women and 15 children fleeing domestic violence and receiving
treatment for other issues such as mental health
problems.
The project is supported by professional staff five days and
five evenings a week with an out of hours phone link to a 24 hour
service. It also has a sophisticated alarm and CCTV security
system, linked to domestic violence support and the emergency
services.
The service was set up because Supporting People, a government
funded body, identified a gap in the current service run by the
refuge - that there was no facility to cater for people in the area
with additional needs.
There is currently only one other service like the Butterfly
Project in the country in Greater London.
Donna Webb, manager of the refuge said: "We are delighted to
have won this award which really highlights the incredible work
that has already been done by The Butterfly Project. The facility
means that we are now able to accommodate women with additional
needs, which we haven't been able to do before, and there was a
great need for in the area."
About 30% of people with mental health problems have current
substance misuse problems. Women experiencing domestic violence
often increase their use of alcohol, sleeping tablets and
anti-depressants.
Narinder Sidhu, a support officer at the refuge, says: "Women
who have problematic alcohol/substance use and women with mental
health problems are often excluded from services. Refuges find it
difficult to support these women and that can lead to women
becoming even more vulnerable. They are often left with few
options. The Butterfly Project enables women to leave violent
relationships, they are more likely to keep their children, benefit
from specialist services and eventually be re-housed."
Derwent Living's refuge has been running for 15 years and
provides a floating support and a children's service. It is the
largest refuge if its kind in Derby and the only one that has
self-contained flats. The refuge caters for 15 families at a time.
It is supported by the community through donations of cash,
clothes, toys and furniture.
Since 1993, the refuge has provided support to women and a
children's service which has helped more than 2000 women with
children.