Provision of Women's Refuge and Floating Support Service

Description

The service will provide 24/7 housing related support to single women and women (aged 16 years or over, there is no upper age limit) and their children residing at the women’s refuge, Amber House.  Women accessing the service may have additional needs such as (not limited to) experiencing mental health issues, physical disabilities and substance misuse issues.
The refuge will:
•	Provide emergency accommodation for single women and women with children fleeing Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV)
•	Provide single women and women with children with a place of safety, security and stability and the time to make informed decisions about their future
•	Provide culturally aware and gender informed emotional and practical support
•	Provide effective housing related support to enable women affected by VAWDASV to rebuild their lives and make the transition to a settled home
Amber House provides emergency accommodation with support for a period typically less than 6 months.  The amount of time a woman (and her children) is accommodated at the refuge should be kept to a minimum.  Support is provided to assist women to move on from Amber House in a planned way into their own accommodation.  Women moving on from Amber House will be able to access (if required) a range of Floating Support Services commissioned by the Social Care and Housing Support Commissioning Team to further assist them with living independently in the community.
The service must be compliant with the relevant elements of the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and must adhere to the Blaenau Gwent’s Licence Extension Request Policy.