Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services
Supporting anyone affected by
domestic abuse in Northumberland
Patron: Dame Vera Baird QC Victims Commissioner
Call 9.00am-5.00pm Monday to Friday
01434 608030
*Closed bank holidays
Ambre McMinn has delivered 8 sessions in total with up to 14 children. These sessions have included content such as;
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Who do they trust
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Healthy relationships
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Assertive rights
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Boundaries/ rules
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Raising confidence and self-esteem
With Ambre, they have been discussing Safety Action Plans, how to be resilient and recognise when things are not as they should be in a relationship.
Young people's mental health and wellbeing is rightly in the news and it is disappointing to hear of withdrawal of funding from preventative provision which positively supports young people welfare.
"With Ambre (NDAS' Children and Young People Prevention Worker), they have been discussing Safety Action Plans, how to be resilient and recognise when things are not as they should be in a relationship.
Young people's mental health and wellbeing is rightly in the news and it is so disappointing to hear of withdrawal of funding from preventative provision which positively supports young peoples welfare."
"NDAS has provided our students with access to vital information on developing safe relationships.
Students at Cleaswell Hill School have complex learning needs and a range of learning difficulties and disabilities. It is vital that these vulnerable young people have the opportunity to focus on these areas of their social and emotional development and recognise how best to keep themselves safe."
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"[NDAS' closure] is going to have a massive effect on my service and on peoples lives. We do not have the capacity
It is very concerning for everybody."
Mandy Holmes, Domestic Abuse Support Services Northumberland (DASSN).
"It will be a true travesty if NDAS cease to exist"
Domestic Violence & Abuse Worker, Newcastle & North East
"NDAS do great work to tackle issues affecting young peoples mental health and wellbeing, and it would be GREAT to see this work continue!"
Lisa Blaney, Arts & Wellbeing Manager, Bait
My Fault
by Erin Ruddick
I stood there in the doorway, scared
Darkened by your towering shadow
Breathless from the tension
As you raised your fist and said
"It's your fault, you made me act like this"
I fought back the tears of confusion
Bowed my head in shame
Willing you to do it
To give me a visible wound of your intrusion
Because it was my fault, I made you act like this
You dropped your fist and said I should be grateful
A lesser man would have lashed out
As you shoved past my empty shell
A little bit more broken
I was lucky, lucky you weren't a lesser man
I brought it on myself, the jibes and pushing
Twisted words, blackmail and lies
I must have been truly evil
To make you so angry and crushing
The worse it got, the more I asked questions
How could love feel like bitter poison
The truth I found was harsh and painful
Your love was abuse with cruel intentions
It wasn't my fault.
