Safenet Domestic Abuse Services

What Safenet Domestic Abuse Services does

Safenet Domestic Abuse Services is a UK-registered charity and company limited by guarantee that has delivered specialist domestic abuse services in the North West of England since 1976. Founded in Burnley by women survivors as a grassroots feminist response to male violence, the organisation has grown into one of the largest specialist providers of refuge and outreach services in the country. It operates as part of The Calico Group and the Syncora umbrella, with a registered head office in Burnley and operational presence across Burnley, Lancaster, Preston, Bury, Oldham, Chorley, Leyland, Wyre and Pendle.

Its core service portfolio comprises 24/7 communal refuges for women and children, the Jane's Place specialist recovery refuge (15 self-contained flats for complex needs), men's safe houses, resettlement safe houses, children and young people's therapeutic services, the Connect & Respect healthy relationships school programme, Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) services for high and medium risk cases, and county-wide community outreach. Service delivery is coordinated through the DASSL (Domestic Abuse Support Services Lancashire) partnership, in which Safenet acts as lead provider alongside specialist partners (HARV, Be Free, FCWA, Emily Davison Centre, The Liberty Centre, KEY, Loving Me). Notable proprietary/non-standard components include the Brainkind Adapt screening tool (co-developed with Brainkind to identify brain injury and non-fatal strangulation symptoms), a live chat service staffed by trained practitioners, and digital support tools. Total accommodation capacity stands at 27 refuge units, and approximately 600 survivors are supported through refuges and community teams during peak periods.

Commercially, Safenet operates a non-profit model with two principal revenue streams: government-commissioned contracts (Lancashire County Council, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, Oldham Council, and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire) covering IDVA, safe accommodation, community outreach and DASSL delivery, and charitable donations/fundraising which contribute approximately £100,000 annually. All services are provided free of charge to survivors; fundraising is executed via corporate partnerships (THG, NatWest, B&Q Foundation, Dunelm, Icaro Lounge, Napthens), community events, and online giving platforms. Headcount is reported at 61 employees.

Name

Safenet Domestic Abuse Services

Legal name

Safenet Domestic Abuse and Support Services Ltd

Website

https://safenet.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Safenet Domestic Abuse Services is a UK charity founded in 1976 that delivers refuges, safe houses, IDVA services, recovery programmes and community outreach for survivors of domestic abuse across Lancashire and Greater Manchester, as lead provider of the DASSL partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Abuse Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422), Temporary Shelters (624221), Child and Youth Services (624110), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Domestic abuse support
• Refuge accommodation services
• Trauma-informed support
• Community outreach services
• Gender-based violence services

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Commissioning: Core services are funded through commissioned contracts with local authorities including Lancashire County Council, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, Oldham Council, and Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire. Services commissioned include safe accommodation, community outreach, IDVA services, and DASSL county-wide delivery.
2. Charitable Donations: Safenet fundraises approximately £100,000 annually through public donations to continue providing life-changing services. Donations fund practical support items, refuge costs, and additional services beyond government contracts.
3. Fundraising Events: Various fundraising activities including charity balls, sponsored challenges, corporate partnerships, community events, and gift appeals to generate additional revenue for survivor support services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Safenet Domestic Abuse Services provides refuge accommodation, safe houses, community outreach, IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) services, children and young people's therapeutic support, and recovery programmes for women, children, and men affected by domestic abuse across Lancashire and Greater Manchester. As the lead provider of the DASSL (Domestic Abuse Support Services Lancashire) partnership, Safenet coordinates county-wide delivery of safe accommodation and outreach services 24/7, 365 days a year. All services are provided free of charge to survivors.

Product overview

Safenet Domestic Abuse Services offers a comprehensive suite of domestic abuse support services across Lancashire and Greater Manchester. The portfolio includes refuge accommodation for women and children (including specialist recovery refuge at Jane's Place), dedicated men's safe houses, safe houses for independent living, and community outreach services in Lancashire and Oldham. The service is coordinated through DASSL (Domestic Abuse Support Services Lancashire), a county-wide partnership. Additional offerings include Children and Young People's therapeutic services, the Connect & Respect healthy relationships education programme, IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) services, Brainkind Adapt brain injury screening tool, and a Live Chat service. Services are delivered 24/7, 365 days a year, with live chat available during dedicated timeslots.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DASSL (Domestic Abuse Support Services Lancashire): A partnership of Lancashire domestic abuse services led by Safenet, providing safe accommodation and outreach services.
• Syncora

Products and services

• Refuge Services for Women and Children Communal refuge accommodation for women and children escaping domestic abuse, open 365 days a year and staffed 24/7. Residents live in shared spaces and build mutually supportive relationships; most families stay 3-6 months.
• Men's Services
• Jane's Place Recovery Refuge Specialist recovery refuge offering extended accommodation for women and children with complex needs including addiction and mental health issues. Features 15 self-contained flats and supports stays beyond 12 months with bespoke recovery programmes.
• SafeNet Safe Houses Residential properties in confidential North West locations serving as a stepping stone to independent living for refuge residents, with daily contact via a dedicated Resettlement Worker and twice-daily weekend check-ins.
• Children and Young People's Services Therapeutic support for children affected by domestic abuse, delivered by experienced Children's Support Workers through one-to-one and group sessions using drawing, writing, painting, and structured play.
• Connect & Respect Healthy Relationships programme delivered to secondary schools across Lancashire by domestic abuse specialists and partner agencies, challenging domestic abuse myths and providing access to specialist advice via live chat for pupils and staff.
• Bury Services Comprehensive domestic abuse services in Bury including IDVA services for high and medium risk cases, 24-hour refuge accommodation, community outreach, and specialist support for Black and ethnic minority families, forced marriage, honour-based violence, and FGM.
• Oldham Services Domestic abuse services in Oldham providing safe 24-hour emergency refuge accommodation for women and children (boys up to 16 years), dedicated children's services, move-on accommodation, resettlement support, and group domestic abuse interventions.
• Lancashire Community Outreach Community-based support services across Burnley, Lancaster, Preston, and Pendle covering physical, sexual, economic, psychological/emotional abuse, stalking, cyber stalking, forced marriage, honour-based abuse, and FGM. Includes group work programmes and complex needs support accommodation.
• Live Chat Service Real-time confidential support chat service available daily during three timeslots (10am-12pm, 2pm-4pm, 8pm-10pm), operated by trained domestic abuse practitioners offering support, signposting, and technology safety assistance.
• DASSL (Domestic Abuse Support Services Lancashire) County-wide partnership service led by Safenet delivering domestic abuse support across Lancashire in partnership with Fylde Coast Women's Aid, The Liberty Centre, KEY, Be Free, Emily Davison Centre, and HARV, providing safe accommodation, outreach, and IDVA service with 24/7 access.
• IDVA Services Independent Domestic Violence Advocate services supporting victims and survivors assessed at both high and medium risk, delivered on behalf of Bury's Community Safety Partnership with flexible support via face-to-face, telephone, and video call.
• Domestic Abuse Matters Training Programme Training programme delivered in partnership with Lancashire Constabulary, HARV, and the Wish Centre to improve police officer understanding of domestic abuse and survivor experiences; 1,577 officers and staff trained across frontline and specialist roles.
• Brainkind Adapt Screening Tool Brain injury screening and support tool developed in partnership with Brainkind that guides staff through conversations to explore symptoms, understand neurological impacts, and create personalised summaries for survivors to share with GPs; specifically addresses effects of head trauma and non-fatal strangulation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 27% of referrals accommodated
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NatWest BurnleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026NatWest Burnley visits Jane's Place weekly to offer confidential financial drop-in sessions for survivors. Sessions help with budgeting, debt management, credit scores, and opening bank accounts. NatWest also delivers Financial Foundations workshops across Safenet's Lancashire services. Partnership expanded to Lancaster and Bury. NatWest has invited Safenet to spend time in their branch to raise staff awareness of domestic abuse support.
• Aurora (Liverpool-based design agency)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 July 2025Liverpool-based, female-founded design agency collaborated with Safenet to develop new brand identity shaped by survivor input. Delivered warm, accessible colour palette, trauma-sensitive photography, and modern typography reflecting Safenet's feminist values and 50-year heritage.
• BrainkindcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Safenet participated in pilot development of Brainkind Adapt screening tool for identifying brain injury and non-fatal strangulation symptoms in domestic abuse survivors. Over 40 Safenet staff completed workshops. Tool used over 100 times since November 2025 launch. Safenet played important role in development before national launch.
• B&Q Foundation / NeighbourlyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 September 2024B&Q Foundation funded garden makeover for Safenet's male accommodation refuge in Pendle. Five B&Q Nelson volunteers transformed garden space including planted flowerbeds, solar lights, garden storage, and smoking shelter upgrades. Project funded through Neighbourly community giving platform.
• Lancashire ConstabularycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2024Two-year partnership delivering Domestic Abuse Matters training programme. 1,577 officers and staff completed training including 94% of Immediate Response Officers, 83% of Place Based Officers, 81% of Response Investigation Teams, and 77% of Vulnerable Adult, RASSO and Safeguarding Detectives. Training continues for new police recruit intakes.
• DASSL Partnership (HARV, Be Free, FCWA, Emily Davison Centre, The Liberty Centre, KEY, Loving Me)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDASSL (Domestic Abuse Support Services Lancashire) is a partnership of Lancashire domestic abuse services led by Safenet as lead provider. Commissioned by Lancashire County Council, DASSL provides safe accommodation and community outreach services across Lancashire. Partners deliver specialist trauma-informed support for diverse survivor groups.
• THG (The Hut Group)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerManchester-based e-commerce company donated over 40,000 beauty products including make-up, hair products, skin care and baby essentials. Donations enabled fundraising through pop-up shops and gift sets for refuge residents.
• DunelmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership through Dunelm's 'Delivering Joy' scheme providing Christmas gift donations to Safenet Lancaster refuge residents. Collection points for donated gifts as part of community programme.
• Burnley TogetherminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBurnley Together partnership provided 50 tickets to Towneley Bonfire and Firework display for families in SafeNet refuge, part of their community support activities.
• Icaro Lounge / Loungers PLCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIcaro Lounge in Burnley chose Safenet as their charity, setting up Gift-Giving Tree for customers to donate Christmas gifts for refuge residents, and held Christmas raffle.
• Napthens AfterAthena LLPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreston-based solicitors ran Amazon wish list gift appeal for SafeNet, collecting donations from staff and customers for Christmas.
• Calico Homes / Calico GatewaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration with Calico Homes has strengthened pathways into safe, long-term housing supporting survivor stability. Co-located teams with Calico Gateway in Lancaster reducing fragmentation and improving service coordination. Joint development of Banyan House refuge in Bury.
• AFTA ThoughtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrama-based training company created series of videos based on real-life domestic abuse scenarios including Jack's Story, Jane's Story, Kesh's Story, Neil's Story, and Steph's Story for training and awareness purposes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cambridge Women's Aid: East-of-England DA charity delivering refuge, outreach and recovery services, accredited under Women's Aid National Quality Standards. Operationally analogous regional DA charity operating in similar scale band to Safenet with comparable recovery and resettlement programmes.
• RISE Brighton & Hove: Brighton & Hove-based DA charity delivering refuge, IDVA, therapeutic and recovery services under a similar single-sex feminist framework. Directly comparable as a UK regional DA provider at similar scale, with broader menu of trauma-specialist programmes.
• Refuge (UK): UK national domestic abuse charity operating refuges, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, and specialist services for women and children. Directly comparable as a UK DA refuge and helpline provider with commissioned service delivery; like Safenet it is grant-and-contract funded.
• National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV): UK charity providing court-support and injunction services for DA survivors. Comparable as a contracted, specialist UK DA service provider with similar feminist-service orientation, focused on legal pathways rather than accommodation.
• Women's Aid Federation of England (WAFE): Umbrella federation for UK domestic abuse services, the accrediting body for Safenet's National Quality Standards, and a direct service provider through member organisations. Comparable as a UK DA sector standards-setter and survivor-led service operator with similar feminist-service positioning.
• Fylde Coast Women's Aid (FCWA): DASSL partner delivering refuge and outreach services across Fylde Coast within the Lancashire partnership Safenet leads. Most direct operational peer within Safenet's own service network, with shared commissioning and referral pathways.
• Solace Women's Aid: London-based DA charity providing refuges, IDVA, advocacy and recovery services under a similar feminist, trauma-informed model. Direct operational peer with comparable service mix and commissioned-revenue model, differing only in primary geography.
• HARV (Hyndburn & Ribble Valley Domestic Abuse Service): Lancashire-based DA charity and DASSL partner delivering refuge and community outreach in East Lancashire alongside Safenet. Operational peer sharing the same commissioners and partnership referral framework.

Broad incumbents

• Victim Support: Largest UK victims' charity, providing broader support across crime types including domestic abuse. Larger, established sector incumbent with overlapping capability set but not specialising in refuge or single-sex trauma-informed DA response.

Emerging players

• Respect Phone Line / Respect (UK): UK charity running the Respect Phone Line supporting perpetrators and DA-affected family members, and accrediting perpetrator programmes. Thematically adjacent peer addressing DA from the perpetrator-intervention angle, complementing Safenet's survivor-side work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safenet-domestic-abuse-services

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Safenet Domestic Abuse Services