We provide support after abuse for men, women, children, young people, LGBTQ+ individuals, refugees, family and friends.
On this page, you will find information about the support we offer. Domestic and sexual abuse is a crime which affects individuals across all cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, income groups, ages and religions. We are always mindful of how identity and differences can interact with our experiences, and we tailor our support to suit your particular needs.
If you have previously been referred to Safety Net but were not eligible for our service, or support has ended due to non-engagement, please wait three months until referring again. You can find out more about what to expect from our service here.
We provide domestic and sexual abuse support for both men and women. Abuse can have a physical, emotional, mental, social and economic impact, regardless of your sex, income, religion, culture or age. We are here to listen, never to judge and to help you process what happened to you.
We offer a trauma-informed tiered service that addresses both your practical and emotional needs. We help you with housing, court procedures and health needs before moving on to longer-term counselling with our trauma-informed practitioners.
Remember, it is never your fault, and help is available.
We offer specialist support and therapy to children and young people aged 3 to 18 who have experienced rape, exploitation, and sexual or domestic abuse. Our trauma-informed practitioners are trained to work with children and often provide 1:1 sessions, sometimes involving caregivers. Teenagers can contact us directly.
We create a safe, creative environment in our colourful therapy rooms, using tools like art, play, and music to help children express themselves. Sessions are tailored to each child’s needs, whether in person or via video, phone, or email. This holistic approach ensures both the young person and their family are supported.
We support refugees, asylum seekers, and families starting a new life in Cumbria who have been through tough times. You don’t need to have faced abuse to ask for our help.
Our services are private, and we go at your pace. We can help you work through any difficult experiences and also offer practical support with finding a place to live, getting financial help, and connecting with your community.
You’re not alone. We’re here to listen and support you.
We provide domestic and sexual abuse support for LGBTQ+ individuals. LGBTQ+ communities experience abuse in a similar way to their cisgender peers. However, this abuse is often motivated by homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and acephobia.
Sexual and domestic abuse can impact their identity, self-confidence, relationships and mental and physical health. We provide wrap-around support for LGBTQ+ communities to help you recover from what you have experienced.
We’re here to help. We don’t judge, we listen.
Our pre-trial therapy service supports survivors and witnesses going through the criminal justice process.
We understand that legal proceedings can be stressful and potentially re-traumatising. Our pre-trial therapy considers what you’ve been through and provides practical support to help you manage the effects of any potential re-traumatisation. This can still occur even if you have a court case coming up, which requires us to be mindful of the potential for new evidence to surface during the therapy process.
We follow pre-trial therapy guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service, which allows therapy to continue during a trial. This guidance makes it clear that therapy notes can only be seen by the police or prosecution during very specific cases to keep the trial fair. To protect your privacy, we keep note-taking to a minimum and only share notes if absolutely necessary, following strict data protection rules.
While we provide emotional support and advice, including help with going to court, we work with Victim Support in Cumbria for specialised Independent Sexual Violence Advisor services. Their Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) offer practical support, go with you to court, and keep in touch with the prosecutors and police to keep you updated throughout the process.
Our goal is to make sure you feel supported, safe, and understood during this difficult time.
We understand that family, friends and carers need support too. It can be devastating to learn that a family member or friend has suffered rape, exploitation, sexual and domestic abuse.
Knowing that someone you love has been hurt can leave you feeling helpless, angry and overwhelmed.
That’s why all of our support services are also available for friends and family members. Please contact us today if you would like some counselling or support – our team will treat your call with the utmost confidence and respect.
“Safety Net literally saved my life. I am now on the waiting list for counselling. I would like to volunteer with Safety Net in the future.”
