Service Standards

What can I expect from your service at Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid?

This page sets out to let you know what you can expect from us and also what we expect from you if you are engaged with one of our projects. If you do not feel that the service you receive measures up to these standards or you have ideas about how we can do things better, we would love you to let us know. And we would encourage you to follow our complaints procedure which you can get from your project worker or from our website.

Our commitment to provide accessible services to women from all communities means we will…

Make our services accessible by:

• Working together to ensure our services are accessible to you

• Explaining all the services we offer and help you to decide what services best meet your needs

• Treating you as an individual

• Being flexible and adapting our service to meet your needs

• Using languages and communication methods that are suitable for you including using workers with community language skills or professional interpreters

• Not using jargon or acronyms when we speak to you

Provide safety & confidentiality by:

• Prioritising you and your children’s immediate safety

• Respecting your confidentiality

• Getting consent to share your information – the only time we would to share information about you without consent would be if we thought you or someone else was in immediate danger

• Keeping records so you get the right help and support now and in the future

• Telling you about any work we do that may affect you or your children

Support you by:

• Listening, believing and caring

• Explaining what your rights are

• Telling you what is realistic and possible

• Helping you decide what to do

• Supporting you to access other services, information and resources

Support your children by:

• Supporting you in your role as a parent

• Helping you to access services for your children

• Providing workers and space to play in all our refuges

• Being honest about any action we need to take so you can protect your child

Keep high service standards by:

• Providing you with opportunities to give us feedback on the services you receive

• Telling you of any changes we make to our services because of your feedback

• Making the time you wait to use a service as short as possible

• Ensuring the staff you work with are police checked, well trained and supported to do their job

• Providing consistent and reliable services

Help us to help you:

• Tell us how we can make our services accessible for you

• Let us know if you have any specific needs/requirements

• Let us know if you are unable to make an appointment

• Tell us if you are not happy with the service you are receiving

• Follow our house rules if you are living in one of our refuges

• Inform us of any changes to your personal circumstances

• Treat our staff and other women using our services with respect

Birmingham & Solihull Women’s Aid would like to thank Shaping Our Lives for contribution in helping us further develop this leaflet. Shaping Our Lives is a user-led organisation that works to make services accessible to disabled people, carers and people from marginalised communities.

This leaflet is also available in other languages and formats, please contact us on 0121 685 8687 for a copy.