24 Hour Helpline

 

If you need help, advice or support, you can call our 24 hour helpline on: 0113 246 0401.

A trained support worker will answer the call and talk to you about what’s happening for you. Calls can stay anonymous if you would prefer, meaning you only have to share your name and details if you want to.

We can offer emotional support through this helpline, give you information on LDVS and other services or just have a chat with you.

Calling our helpline is also the best way to refer yourself for longer term help through our service. We can talk to you over the phone about what is going on for you and begin to assess how we can best help you.

 

24 Hour Helpline

0113 246 0401

The demand for our helpline can mean we can’t always answer calls on the first try. If this happens when you call, please either leave us a message with contact details and a time that’s safe to call you back or get in touch with us again or in a different way i.e. via email at [email protected]. We are here for you and want to help. 

Staff at Leeds Domestic Violence Service treat others with empathy and respect. In return, we expect our staff to be treated with the same. We understand that people can sometimes act out of character when facing distressing circumstances, especially after experiencing trauma. This can  occasionally result in unacceptable behaviour, such as aggression and abuse. While we aim to listen to and support all our service users as best we can, our staff should also be able to do their jobs without being treated badly. In order to protect our staff’s welfare, there may be times when we need to take steps to manage and challenge such unacceptable behaviour.

Below is a step-by-step guide of what a phone call to our helpline might be like. The drop-down boxes give more in-depth detail about calling us.

Accessing our support and next steps

Our helpline is open 24/7 and a trained support worker is always ready to listen. We will ask you at the beginning of the call if we can keep details of our conversation on our database. You can stay anonymous if you would prefer.

If you just want to talk to us about your situation, we are here to listen. We can also give you information on our service, signpost you to other relevant services, and/or refer you into our service for longer term help.  

If you get all the info you need and would like to think things over, you can call us again at any time. Alternatively, you can give us your contact details and a safe time for us to call you if that would be better.

If a referral for our service was taken, then a worker will contact you for further assessment at a time that works for you. If your call was for you to get information on our service, then we would not do anything further unless you called us back.

 “Just one phone call and one conversation made such a huge difference to my mindset.  I really can’t thank you enough and I know a phone call away there is support moving forward.”

Sarah, Killingbeck

“I am grateful for workers like my worker. Even the telephone support worked. It gave me confidence to ring the police against my ex-wife. I would never have done this before as she used to say I am a big man and no one would believe me”

Anton, Chapeltown

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I can't talk right now or something happens in the middle of the call that means I need to hang up?

We totally understand. All of our staff are well-trained in talking to people in situations where they might need to hang up the call or won’t feel able to speak freely. As our helpline is always open, you can call us back at any time, or give us your contact details and a safe time for us to call you if that would be better for you.

If chatting on the phone is too hard, you can email us at [email protected] and one of our trained workers will reply to you.  

What if I can't get through to you?

The demand for our helpline can mean we can’t always answer calls on the first attempt.

If this happens when you call, please either leave us a message with contact details and a time that’s safe for us to call you back. Or you can call us again or get in touch with us via email at [email protected]. We are here for you and want to help however we can.

I'm not ready to leave my partner / the situation I am in but I would like to talk to someone. Can you help?

We understand that not everyone we chat with will be ready or able to leave the situation they are in, even if they think it is abusive. We will not judge you or try to make you do anything you are not ready for.

If you just want to talk to us about your situation and nothing else, we are here to listen. You don’t have to share anything you’re not ready to share. We will only offer the support, advice and information you ask for and we will not call you back unless you ask us to.

Can I stay anonymous? If I choose to share my details, will my information be kept confidential?

Calls can stay anonymous if you would prefer, meaning you only have to share your name and details if you want to. 

We will ask you at the beginning of the call for your consent to keep your details and details of our conversation on our database. This can only be seen by our staff and will be kept confidential. We will only share what you have talked to us about with someone else if there are concerns for you or someone else’s safety. If we do need to talk to anyone else about this, it would only be to other trusted professionals and we would always let you know about this. 

If you choose to stay anonymous, we can put notes onto our database without including your details. 

Who can contact the helpline?

We are here to help anyone over the age of 16 who thinks they may have been affected by domestic abuse and/or violence, regardless of gender, sexuality, race, ethnic or religious group, class, disability, lifestyle or background.

Even if what you are going through is not something we can support with, we will do our best to signpost you to another service that can help.

I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing is domestic violence or abuse. Am I still okay to call?

Absolutely. We are here to listen and give you the information and support that you ask for. We get lots of calls from people who aren’t sure if what they are experiencing is domestic violence or abuse. We will never judge you or try to make you do anything you are not ready for. If we don’t think we are the right service to help, we will do our best to direct you to a service that can.

If I call once, can I call you back at another time for more support without having to go through everything again?

We understand that it can be difficult reliving and retelling your experiences. If you call us once and then get in touch with us again for more support, the worker will be able to access the notes from your previous call so you do not have to go through everything again.

However, if you choose to stay anonymous in your first call, it will be difficult for us to access your details if you call back again.

What kind of support can you give me over the phone?

If you just want to talk to us about your situation, we are here to listen. We can also give you information on our service or signpost you to other relevant services if needed. Options around Housing, Legal Support, Legal Orders, Child Contact, Reporting to Police and other practical needs can be discussed.

Our team has access to a database of refuge accommodation around the UK, including Leeds, and we can support you to find  accommodation if you are fleeing domestic abuse and need help to stay safe.

If you want a referral into our service, then we will do that with you over the phone and call you back for further assessment at a time that works for you. 

If you get all the information you need and would like to think things over, you can call us again at any time. Alternatively, you can give us your contact details and a safe time for us to call you if that would be better for you.

I live outside of Leeds. Can you still support me over the phone?

We can support you to find refuge accommodation somewhere in the UK if you are fleeing domestic abuse and live outside of Leeds. We can also help you if a criminal incident occurred in Leeds, even if you live outside of  Leeds. 

Otherwise, we can help you to find the right support services in your area. 

If you would like more support and live outside of Leeds, you can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit their website here.

I need help now

 

Click here for more information on what to do if you need help now.

How we can help

 

Click here to find out more about the different kinds of support Leeds Domestic Violence Service provides.

Resources

 

Click here for helpful links and resources for those affected by, or supporting someone affected by, domestic violence and abuse.