“Thank you for listening, understanding and showing compassion.”
Alya and her 3-month-old son were referred to Fortalice after being removed from their home by the police. A fight between Alya, her husband and extended family resulted in Alya fleeing the home to ask for help from her next door neighbour. They called the police and Alya and her son were taken away to safe accommodation.
This was just one of many incidents of domestic abuse Alya had suffered since arriving in England. She had moved here from Pakistan to marry her husband and for two years endured frequent episodes of abuse. These included his family treating her as their cleaner and separating her from her newborn son after his birth.
When our BAME worker met Alya she appeared tired, drawn, hungry and neglected. Her son also showed signs of neglect and the mother/son relationship was clearly strained. When we spoke to her in Punjabi, she was relieved to meet someone could understand her and was able to help.
Alya’s first challenge was to apply for a new visa that would allow her to stay in the UK. She was anxious and fearful of being deported and separated from her son after leaving her husband. Her family had often threatened that this would happen and her son would be taken away and remain in the UK.
Her recovery support worker listened to her concerns and supported Alya through the visa application process, attending immigration appointments and acting as her translator. She also worked closely with an experienced social worker on the case to gather evidence of Alya’s ability to care for her son so that they would be able to remain together. In the meantime, Alya and her son moved into refuge at Lewis House where they began to feel more safe and secure.
Once her visa for permanent residency in the UK came through, we were able to help Alya open a bank account and apply for housing and child benefits and universal credit.
After one month at the refuge, Alya has begun the process of reclaiming her life and building her relationship with her son. She has started to open up and talk about her experiences of domestic abuse, explaining that as a child she had witnessed similar incidents with her parents.
Alya has begun to explore her independence, learning to budget and manage her money. She has also started to learn English and is trying to express herself without the help of an interpreter.
Her body language has changed from being closed down to open, positive and willing to learn. Alya is very aware of her own mental health and takes daily walks to clear her mind and look after herself. She has also made friends with shared experiences in the refuge.
When Alya’s husband and family tried to convince her return to the family home, she was tempted. But after discussing the consequences with her support worker, she decided she could not trust their promises and wanted to make a clean break. Under her own steam, she changed her mobile phone number and now looks forward to a safer and happier future for her and her son.
*Name changed to protect identity
