South Ayrshire Multi Agency Partnership

Information For Young People

Who Can You Speak To?

If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic abuse and needs support it might be a good idea to tell someone you like and trust this could be a teacher, a support worker or a friend's mum.

The abuser may warn you, or your mum may ask you, not to tell others what is happening in your home. Remember, it's your right to tell someone. You choose.

Sometimes, to keep you safe, information might be shared, but you should know about this first.
Adults have a responsibility to keep children and young people safe.

If domestic abuse is happening to a friend you could offer to help them speak to someone.

Children & Young Persons Support Workers (known as CYP Workers)
CYP Workers at Women's Aid offer emotional and practical support to boys and girls of all ages.

You can contact the CYP Workers to arrange support.

Text: 07870 885990 or 07870 885986
Email: sawacyp@yahoo.co.uk
Phone: 01292 267 067

If you send a text you don't need to give your name at any time and the CYP Worker will reply to your text but not pressurise you to agree to taking their support. They will let you choose. (See below).

Childline
Freephone 0800 1111
This is a confidential service which you can phone about any problem. It's open 24 hours a day, every day. It's free and won't show up on your bill. Sometimes they are very busy, but keep trying.

Scottish Child Law Centre
Freephone 0800 328 8970
This is a free, confidential advice line for under 18's about any aspect of the law and young people's rights.

What can our Children & Young Persons (CYP) Support Service offer?

We can:

• listen to you.
• talk to you on your own.
• talk to you in a group with children or young people your own age who have similar experiences, but only if you want to. You choose.
• help you make sense of your experiences.
• support you to validate your experiences and work on your self esteem and confidence.
• support you to look at things like equality, respect and misuse of power.
• help you develop 'keeping safe' strategies for the future.
• tell you about your rights.
• offer you a choice of how much support you want.

A Safe Place to Stay - a Refuge
A refuge is a safe place, free from abuse, where you and your mum can stay for a few days or perhaps much longer. You can stay here with your mum until you find your own home - the Women's Aid Workers will help your mum do this.

All of the refuges are different. Some are flats and some are houses with gardens. There might be other families in the refuge at the same time as you, but you and your family will have a room of your own.

There are workers at the refuge who are especially for CYP. This doesn't mean they won't talk to your mum, but just that you are the most important to them. You can talk to them and they will listen and support you.