Keep safe

Be Safer

Boost your home security and personal safety.

Emergency plan for what you do and where you could go.

Safety – plan escape routes out of your home.

Ask someone you trust to dial 999 if they are worried about your safety.

Friends and family can keep an emergency bag for you. Include clothes, personal possessions and children's favourite things

Ensure you have a small amount of money for emergencies and keep important numbers with you.

Remember to keep your ID, keys, rent book, tenancy agreements, mortgage details, insurance documents and national insurance details safe.

If you still live with your partner

Tell someone about your situation – a friend, neighbour or colleague who can give you help and support
Try to seek professional advice
Teach your children to call 999 (see advice about children witnessing domestic violence)
Plan in advance how you might respond to different situations, including crisis situations (see Personal Safety plan below)
Use your own judgement and instincts

If you are thinking about leaving

If you do decide to leave your partner it is best if you plan this carefully. Sometimes the risk of violence increases if the abuser thinks you are about to leave. Plan to leave at a time when you know your partner will not be around.

Take your children with you when you leave. Make sure you have a safe place to go before you leave. Information about refuges can be found on the How to get help. Call the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247 for advice and guidance. You may ask for a police officer to be present when you leave.

If you have just left

It is your decision whether or not to tell people you have experienced domestic abuse. However if you still feel unsafe, it might increase your safety if you tell friends and family, your children's school, nursery or college, and your employer what is happening. You can ask them not to share information about you to your ex-partner.

If your partner comes to the door, do not open it and call 999
Do not make contact with your ex-partner or reply to texts or messages
Consider safe handover arrangements if your ex-partner has contact with the children and teach them what to do if the abuser contacts them unexpectedly
Also teach them to check before opening the door, who is allowed in the house and how to deal with phone calls, including keeping addresses confidential
Turn off location settings on your phone and other devices and do not disclose your location on Facebook and social media
Make sure your new address is not apparent on court papers or from bank or credit card details. If the abuser continues to harass you, keep a record and contact the police.

A personal safety plan can help you to protect yourself and your children. Your personal safety plan is not a way to stop the abuser’s violence or abuse (that is something only they can do but there are several things you can do to increase your safety).

Always remember that no one person’s situations or experiences are the same, meaning that some of the advice in this part may not always be applicable. You may need to take all or only some of the steps in order to help keep yourself safe.

Personal safety plan

A personal safety plan is a way of helping you to protect yourself and your children

Points to consider to keep yourself safe

Escape route - plan and practice how to get out of your home quickly and safely. You can start by knowing which windows, doors, lifts or stairways would work best
Mobile phone - make sure it is charged and has credit and identify a place you can make a call from in case of emergencies. Ensure you have all emergency numbers stored in the phone, or you have them written down and somewhere safe
‘Buddy’ system - choose a close family member or friend (avoiding mutual friends if possible) that you can trust to tell about your situation and where you can be safe. Similarly, talk to a neighbour about your situation and ask that they call the police if they hear a disturbance coming from your home
Code word - to use with your children, friends, family or neighbours for when you need them to call the police. Ensure that they use 999 in an emergency. With your children, make sure they know what they should say when they call 999, full name, address and phone number.
Pack an emergency bag and store this somewhere safe (friend, family member or neighbour's house, school or work place locker) in case you need to leave in a hurry. Things to pack may include
- Medication
- Copy of birth certificates, passport, bank details, savings accounts
- Child favourite toy
- Photographs
- Money – think of the essentials you would need
Place of safety - consider where you could go should you have to leave in a hurry. Again, identify neighbours, family or friends – if possible avoid mutual friends. Alternatively, go to your nearest police station where you can safely contact the National 24 hour Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247
Keep a diary - you may not be ready to open up to anyone or leave the relationship but keeping a log of incidents of abusive behaviour can help you evidence your experience at a later date. Diaries can be used in court and can help you tell your story further down the line. Just remember to keep this somewhere safe where it will not be found.
If you leave the relationship, have a safety plan in mind for when you leave work or any of the regular places you visit in everyday life.
Having someone accompany you to your car, bus or train and wait with you until your journey is underway
If possible, use a selection of different routes to go home and stay in public places as much as possible (do not isolate yourself)
If you feel you are being followed call 999 and head to your nearest police station

Consider counselling and/or using specialist domestic abuse support services to get assistance, advice and to build your confidence. There are a wide range of support services available for you.

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