Southside
Southside is a Bath and North East Somerset-based registered charity (founded 1997) delivering trauma-informed family support, therapeutic play, counselling, and domestic abuse services—including IDVA—to families and abuse victims in the BaNES region, funded by statutory contracts and charitable fundraising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersBath, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Southside does
Southside is a registered charity (No. 1069637) established in 1997 and headquartered at Meade House on Bath's Whiteway Estate, delivering community-embedded family support and domestic abuse services to individuals and families in Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), United Kingdom. Its service portfolio is organised in two clusters: Family Support Services (Whole Family Support, the Family Support and Play Service delivered under contract for BaNES Council, Therapeutic Play Service, one-to-one Counselling and Coaching, and five Community Hub Groups in Foxhill, Twerton, Writhlington, Keynsham, and Peasedown St John) and Domestic Abuse Services (Intake Service, the IDVA Service for high-risk victims, and the IRIS primary-care partnership with GP surgeries). The underlying methodology is trauma-informed and psychologically informed, drawing on attachment theory, cognitive behavioural therapy, the Thrive approach, and Non-violent Resistance; over 50% of paid staff are former service users, which the organisation presents as a core competence.
The business model is a hybrid of statutory contract funding and charitable fundraising. Statutory contracts with Bath and North East Somerset Council and the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board fund the core service delivery, while the organisation explicitly states it needs to raise over £250,000 per year on top of that through charitable trusts and foundations, major donors, individual giving, corporate support, and community fundraising, services to beneficiaries are free. Go-to-market is referral-driven: self-referral, the Early Help Allocation Panel, MARAC, Avon and Somerset Police, Lighthouse Victim Care, and GP surgeries via IRIS all funnel cases into Southside. The organisation is led by Founder and CEO Penny McKissock MBE, with Lucy Fordham as Operations Director and Data Protection Officer, Jill Oldham as Chair of Trustees, and Isobel Michael as Fundraiser. Operating scope is strictly single-region (BaNES), with no disclosed expansion beyond that geography.
Southside firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southside
- Legal name
- Southside
- Website
- https://south-side.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Southside is a Bath and North East Somerset-based registered charity (founded 1997) delivering trauma-informed family support, therapeutic play, counselling, and domestic abuse services—including IDVA—to families and abuse victims in the BaNES region, funded by statutory contracts and charitable fundraising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southside industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Social Services
- NAICS
- Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD), Family Advocacy, Parent Training & Support Services (EDAJAKAK)
Keywords
Where Southside is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bath
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Southside business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Statutory Contract Funding: Core services funded through statutory contracts with Bath and North East Somerset Council and Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB (Integrated Care Board).
- Philanthropic and Individual Donations: Charitable trusts, foundations, major donors, and individual supporters contribute to piloting new approaches, developing services, providing targeted therapeutic support, and funding core services.
- Corporate Support: Local companies provide financial and in-kind support to the charity.
- Community Fundraising: Community groups and individuals fundraise on behalf of Southside.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Southside product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southside is a registered charity delivering trauma-informed, evidence-based support services to individuals and families in Bath and North East Somerset. Its core offerings span Family Support (Whole Family Support, Family Support and Play Service, Therapeutic Play Service, Counselling and Coaching, Community Hub Groups) and Domestic Abuse Services (Intake Service, IDVA Service, and the IRIS GP partnership programme). All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and are funded through statutory contracts, charitable trusts, foundations, individual donations, and corporate support.
Product overview
Southside is a charitable organization (established 1997) providing community support services in Bath and North East Somerset. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected services under two main categories: Family Support Services (Whole Family Support, Family Support and Play Service, Therapeutic Play Service, Counselling and Coaching, Community Hub Groups) and Domestic Abuse Services (IDVA Service, Intake Service, IRIS GP partnership). Services are trauma-informed, evidence-based, and include therapeutic approaches using attachment theory, cognitive behavioural therapy, Thrive approach, and Non-violent Resistance. Referrals come through self-referral, Early Help Allocation Panel, police, MARAC, and GP IRIS referrals. The organization serves families with children aged 5-19, domestic abuse victims aged 16+, and operates community hubs across five locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Whole Family Support Trauma-informed practical and emotional support for whole families, using evidence-based approaches including attachment theory, cognitive behavioural therapy, resilience building, child development, Thrive, and Non-violent Resistance to strengthen family safety, wellbeing, relationships, identity, and resilience.
- Family Support and Play Service (FSPS) Holistic, inclusive, community-based whole family support for children, young people and their parent/carers at risk of experiencing poor social, health and wellbeing outcomes, delivered on behalf of Bath and North East Somerset Council.
- Therapeutic Play Service In-depth therapeutic support for individual children and young people who have experienced trauma and adverse childhood experiences, delivered through thINC Groups, Parent and Child Therapeutic Creative Workshops, Therapeutic Art Sessions, Therapeutic Family Play Sessions, and individual parenting support.
- Counselling and Coaching Free one-to-one counselling sessions with specialist trained counsellors and coaching services to help individuals deal with negative thoughts, difficult feelings, mental health problems, and relationship difficulties.
- Community Hub Groups Weekly after-school groups operating during term-time in Foxhill, Twerton, Writhlington, Keynsham, and Peasedown St John, offering creative play activities, peer support, and free shared family meals.
- Access Support (Family Support) Access and referral service for families in Bath and North East Somerset with children aged 5-19, providing eligibility assessment against ten priority group criteria including trauma, domestic abuse, mental health, and financial instability.
- Domestic Abuse Services Targeted and specialist support for people affected by domestic violence and abuse across Bath and North East Somerset, encompassing the Intake Service, IDVA Service, and the IRIS partnership with GP surgeries.
- IDVA Service (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) One-to-one outreach support for victims at high-risk of serious harm or death, including risk assessment, safety and support planning, emotional and practical support, court advocacy, and multi-agency coordination.
- Intake Service (Domestic Abuse) First point of access for people experiencing domestic violence and abuse, providing initial triage, risk assessment, and advice on services and choices available to victims.
Quantifiable outcome
- Thousands of lives touched in the last twenty years
Companies that use Southside
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Southside technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Southside partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bath and North East Somerset CouncilcorePrimary statutory funder providing contract funding to deliver essential services including the Family Support and Play Service.
- Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICBcoreIntegrated Care Board providing statutory funding to support delivery of health and social care services.
- GP Surgeries (Bath and North East Somerset)corePartnership through the IRIS (Identification and Referral to Improve Safety) programme where Southside's IRIS Advocate works with medical teams to raise awareness of domestic abuse and support referrals to Southside services.
- MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences)coreMulti-agency forum for high-risk domestic abuse cases where Southside's IDVA service participates to ensure coordinated victim support and safety planning.
- Avon and Somerset PolicecorePolice referral pathway for domestic abuse victims to access Southside's IDVA and support services.
- Lighthouse Victim CareminorVictim care organisation that can refer individuals experiencing domestic abuse to Southside's specialist services.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Southside competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Victim Support: National charity offering support to victims of crime including domestic abuse. Comparable through its victim advocacy, court support, and multi-agency referral pathways that mirror Southside's IDVA and MARAC participation.
- Refuge: National UK charity providing specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic abuse, including refuge accommodation and advocacy. Comparable to Southside's IDVA, Intake, and Domestic Abuse Services portfolio, though operating at substantially greater national scale.
- Action for Children: Major UK charity supporting children, young people, and families through family support, fostering, and mental health services. Comparable to Southside across family support, therapeutic services, and local-authority-funded delivery.
- Women's Aid Federation of England: National federation coordinating domestic abuse services across England. Highly comparable to Southside in service scope (intake, advocacy, safety planning) and in reliance on local delivery partners, but operating at national federation scale.
- Splitz Support Services: UK charity providing domestic abuse and sexual violence support across multiple regions. Most closely comparable regional-scale peer, with similar IDVA-style advocacy and community-based service delivery.
- Family Action: National charity delivering family and community support services including mental health, parenting, and early help programmes. Comparable in whole-family, trauma-informed approach and in statutory contract delivery model.
- Home-Start UK: UK family support charity helping families with young children through volunteer-led home visiting and group support. Highly comparable to Southside's Whole Family Support, Community Hub Groups, and Therapeutic Play Service in target population and community-based delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- NSPCC: Large national UK children's charity offering family support, therapeutic services, and child safeguarding. Comparable to Southside's Therapeutic Play Service and whole-family work targeting children and young people.
Others
- Locality: UK membership network supporting community-led organisations including small charities and social enterprises. Comparable as a sector umbrella and potential partnership/dissemination channel for Southside's community hub model.
Regional players
- Next Link: Regional domestic abuse and housing support provider in the South West of England. Comparable as a nearby regional peer serving a similar client base with overlapping IDVA and refuge-style services.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Southside social profiles
Digital presenceSouthside compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Southside financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southside leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Southside funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southside M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Southside
What does Southside do?
Southside is a registered charity delivering trauma-informed, evidence-based support services to individuals and families in Bath and North East Somerset. Its core offerings span Family Support (Whole Family Support, Family Support and Play Service, Therapeutic Play Service, Counselling and Coaching, Community Hub Groups) and Domestic Abuse Services (Intake Service, IDVA Service, and the IRIS GP partnership programme). All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and are funded through statutory contracts, charitable trusts, foundations, individual donations, and corporate support.
Is Southside a public or private company?
Southside is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Southside founded?
Southside was founded in 1997. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Southside based?
Southside is headquartered in Bath, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Southside make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Statutory Contract Funding is the primary driver. The others are philanthropic and Individual Donations, corporate Support and community Fundraising.
Who are Southside's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Victim Support, Refuge, Action for Children, Women's Aid Federation of England, Splitz Support Services, Family Action and Home-Start UK. NSPCC is listed as a broad incumbent. Locality is listed as an others. Next Link is listed as a regional player.
Does Southside have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southside.
What industry is Southside in?
Southside's product category is Community Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAC, Family & Parenting Support Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAD, Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services. Its NAICS code is 624190 and its SIC code is 8300.