What is a Circle of Safety and Support?
Circles of Safety and Support:
- bring people together to make a safety plan for a woman worried about her safety and the safety of her children when there has been family violence
- involve trained facilitators who prepare for and lead the Circles to help everyone communicate, make the best decisions possible, and get the resources needed for safety and support
- help everyone in the Circle to know the safety plan and what to do to support the woman and help her to be safe
- help the woman to feel supported by her community.
There are some key steps:
- Referral -- Women are referred to Circles of Safety and Support by victim support workers, either Victim Services or Outreach Workers.
- Meeting with Woman -- The woman and the person who referred her meet with a Circle facilitator to prepare for a Circle and identify who else could help.
- Invite Other Circle Members -- The facilitator contacts other support people to see if they want to support the woman through a Circle of Safety and Support.
- Face-to-Face Meetings -- Meetings bring together the woman and support people to figure out the safety issues and make a complete plan that everyone supports. This will take several meetings.
- Monitoring -- Once a Safety Plan is written, everyone knows their role for safety and support. The Circle can meet again if circumstances change or if the risk changes.
Who are Circles of Safety and Support For?
Circles of Safety and Support are for women worried about their physical or emotional safety because of family violence, who could benefit from a safety plan coordinated with many people who support her. Participation is voluntary and the woman is a key decisionmaker. Support is available to help women with their concerns about meeting in a group.
Who can Help at a Circle of Safety and Support?
Anyone who could be a support person can be part of a Circle of Safety: police, victim services, probation, mental health or addiction staff, family, neighbours, friends, employers, church or social group. The most important criteria is a desire to support the woman. At meetings, Circle members help to identify issues, ideas and resources, and bring together the supports a woman needs. Information about family violence is given to people so that everyone understands what the experience of the woman may have been like.