Safety Plan for Leaving
This is a guide to help you think about how you might leave a violent situation.
Women have told us that these things have helped them keep safe. You will know what is safest for you and your children. Trust your instincts. Women's Refuge advocates can support you and your children, and help you with everything that is listed here. We can help with Benefits and Protection Orders too.
If it's safe, get together a bag that you can leave with a friend or whanau/family member, including:
- Copy of Protection Order
- Medicine for you and your children
- Copies of Birth certificates for you and your children
- Passports for you and your children
- Clothes
- Toiletries
- Children's toys
- Spare cash, ATM card and money for taxi/bus if needed
- Drivers license
- Copies of bank details
- Any other important documents e.g. insurance, residency
- Important phone numbers
- Your loved and treasured items like photos or jewellery
Find out the emergency numbers you may need - Police, Women's Refuge, Doctors, Lawyers, friends and whanau/family. Keep these with you.
- You can contact Women's Refuge through the Police.
- If possible get a cell phone and keep this with you. WINZ may be able to help you buy a cell phone. Even a pre-pay cell phone with no money on it can be used to call Emergency 111.
- If you think it is safe, talk to your friends and neighbours. Let them know that your and your children's safety is at risk. Ask them to watch out, and to ring the Police if they hear anything.
- If you do not want the abuser to know you have rung Women's Refuge, just pick up the phone and push any number afterwards and then they will not be able to use Redial.
- Plan a safe time to leave, and a safe route to take, and a way to get there (taxi, bus, Refuge van). Get your own house and car keys.
- Organise somewhere to go straight away (e.g. go to a friends house, arrange a Refuge worker to come and pick you up, go to a safe place in the community like the Police Station).
- Organise a place to stay for a while (Women's Refuge safe house, friend's place, another house/flat).If you need to move to another city or country, Women's Refuge can help you organise this.
The most important thing is for you and your children to get out safely. If the time is right to leave, just leave. It doesn't matter if you haven't made a plan, or got your things with you.