Wholistic Outreach

We offer wide-ranging Community Outreach Services that meet femmes experiencing gendered abuse where they are, physically and emotionally, on their journey to safety.

Signposting Support

Our Outreach Officers can communicate and work with other agencies to better assist you, as well as signposting you into other services, as and when required.

We are able to provide you with information about safety options and services that are available to you. We are also able to support you if you are facing multiple challenges and aftereffects of trauma in your life, which can include significant mental health problems, problematic substance use, potential involvement in the criminal justice system leading to additional barriers in finding and maintaining housing and/or No Recourse to Public Funds, with finding safe accommodation and getting your immigration status regularised.

Support for Families & Friends

Our practitioners can provide one-to-one sessions for parents and carers of children; friends and family of femmes.

We do not claim to have all the answers but we are able to help survivors and their loved ones make sense of their circumstances, supporting them to develop their own solutions and re-build a sense of who they are and how they want to live their life.

Community Engagement

Partnership working is central to our approach to provide a comprehensive range of specialist support to meet the needs of Black women and girls.

As part of our ongoing work with Black communities in the UK, we actively forge new partnerships and links with community members, religious and community leaders – many who are men and raise awareness of the harmful effects of all forms of violence against women and girls.

Three black women stood in a jeep with one women looking at the camera

Groups & Forums

The Outreach Team run regular groups and forum spaces for Black femmes.

The aims of the meetings are to gain self-acceptance, self-assertion, build trust in self and in others, to experience more fulfilling lives and to meet fellow survivors and share experiences within our supportive community of survivors.

Lunch Stops

Our Outreach Team runs monthly lunch sessions which provide a safe space for femmes to share, discuss and learn from each other’s experiences. We run these informal sessions alongside specialists. The topics discussed are based on suggestions and outcomes from group discussions.

Women of Colour Safer Community Forum

Our Outreach Team runs monthly community forums. The forum is a chance to come together as a community to focus on the safety of women and girls in each area. We engage with local police, support services and community residents, having discussions and sharing updates with a focus on building relationships and creating a safer community for everyone.

University Drop-Ins

We are committed to making this service accessible for people with disabilities, special educational needs and other additional needs. If you have any access or communications needs, please get in touch so that we can seek to accommodate them.

Self Referrals

If you would like to refer yourself for therapy at HERSANA you can do this through our online self-referral form.

Refer Yourself

How do I access this service?

You can either refer yourself to this service, or a referral can be made on your behalf and with your consent by a professional who is supporting you.

What happens after I complete the self-referral form?

We will contact you to arrange an assessment with one of our outreach officers. This assessment is an opportunity for you to ask questions and for us to get relevant information. After this assessment process is completed a joint decision will be made about moving forward with support.

Do I have to pay for this service?

All of our services are FREE.

Our Services

All of our services and projects aim to create safe spaces for and center Black femme survivors in every narrative – and with you in mind, we have designed a range of services that truly reflect our core values. We understand that every person experiencing abuse requires different types of support. That’s why we offer a wide range of services to meet your needs.

Holistic Therapy

Our specialist 1-1 counselling, group work and specialist holistic therapies help femmes recover after experiencing gender-based violence and abuse.

Independent Advocacy

Our advocates support survivors in understanding their rights, options and empower femmes to use their voice. This can be through support with a wide range of agencies.

Live Chat

Our confidential and anonymous live chat is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and offers open ended emotional support and signposting to other support services.