Staying safe
Your safety and the safety of any children, is the most important thing.
If possible, leave the situation and get help from a trusted person or support service.
If you are planning to leave
You can:
- tell someone you trust about your plans
- agree a code word that means you need help
- keep a small bag packed with essentials
- include spare clothes, keys, money and important phone numbers
- store the bag somewhere safe, such as at work or with a trusted person
- talk to your children about what to do in an emergency, if appropriate
- take your children with you when leaving
- leave only when it is safe to do so
Important documents
If you can, take:
- a passport
- a driving licence
- birth certificates
- bank details
- benefit information
- other important documents
These can help you access services and support more quickly.
Take a recent photograph of the person causing harm if this would help identify them.
Collecting belongings later
If you need to collect belongings after leaving, contact the police for support.
Do not return to the property on your own.
Legal protection
You may be able to get legal protection through a court order, sometimes called an injunction.
Speak to a solicitor or specialist domestic abuse service for advice.
If you decide to stay
If you are not ready or able to leave:
- get support from specialist services
- agree safe ways for services to contact you
- remove any evidence of contact with support services if this could put you at risk
- use a public computer or a device that the person causing harm cannot access
- delete your browsing history if it is safe to do so
- remove call logs and messages if they could put you at risk
- keep a record of any abuse