A Day in the Life of a Family and Outreach Support Worker
Liz Banner is the family and outreach support worker for South Ribble and Chorley Women’s Refuges.
Liz has worked in housing management for thirteen years, dealing with anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse.
“My job is very varied but rewarding. I spend a lot of my day providing support to people who have been harmed by domestic abuse. Since Covid-19, this support has been taking place over the phone.
“On a typical day, many of the conversations I have are around safety planning, risk assessments, court support, safeguarding and emotional support. I will speak to other services to ensure the people I am helping receive the support they need. Many of the women and families I support have complex needs and require additional and sometimes specialist support. I will also check the refuges live webchat throughout the day to see if anyone has contacted us for help. If they have, it is my job to respond to them, offering advice and support.
“Today I have been busy setting up the domestic abuse group we run and groups for the Freedom Programme and the Recovery Toolkit. These groups are aimed at women who have suffered from domestic abuse, providing them with knowledge and guidance on recovering from the effects of living with domestic abuse. I will facilitate each of the groups, with referrals coming in from many different services or self-referrals through the Clare House helpline number and the live chat on our website.
“Today I have also had an enjoyable group get together on Zoom with our Life After Group. This is more of a social group aimed at encouraging the women to socialise and maybe share experiences, which is important when many women have found themselves isolated from family and friends through abuse and possibly lost these relationships and networks.
“Once again, it’s been a busy day, but I’m proud that I can be there for people when they need someone most.