SafeLives
SafeLives is a UK-wide charity founded in 2005 that trains domestic abuse professionals, accredits frontline services, and operates the national Insights outcomes database, serving police forces, NHS trusts, local authorities, employers, and specialist providers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SafeLives does
SafeLives is a UK-wide registered charity (registered in England and Wales, charity no. 1106864, and Scotland, charity no. SCO48291) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Bristol, dedicated to reducing the harm caused by domestic abuse. It serves frontline domestic abuse professionals, UK police forces, NHS trusts and healthcare providers, local authorities and police and crime commissioners, employers, and specialist nonprofit service providers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Its work spans training, accreditation, data services, research and policy, and intervention programme delivery. Named enterprise and institutional customers include NatWest Banking Group, Aviva, Manchester City Council, NHS Trusts, Hestia, Nacro, SH:24, SATEDA, and EDAN Lincs, alongside engagement with 44 UK police force areas through the Domestic Abuse Matters programme.
The core product portfolio consists of: (1) IDVA training — OCN London-accredited qualifications including the Level 3 Certificate in CHIDVA and Domestic Abuse Diploma Level 3, which have trained more than 3,300 Independent Domestic Violence Advisors since 2007; (2) the Insights online outcomes measurement tool — a subscription data service covering adults, children, sexual violence, housing, and perpetrators, backed by a national database of more than 39,000 records collected since 2016; (3) the Leading Lights accreditation programme — the gold-standard quality framework covering 150+ accredited services across 60+ organizations in Great Britain; (4) the DASH Risk Checklist — the de facto national risk assessment instrument used to inform Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) referrals; (5) The Drive Partnership (formed 2015 with Respect and Social Finance) — perpetrator intervention programmes delivered in 7 police force areas; and (6) Safe Young Lives — a UK-wide children and young people programme launched in 2018. The technology stack is domain-specialist rather than technology-product: training delivery, structured outcomes data collection, and practitioner toolkits, rather than a software platform sold at scale.
The revenue model is multi-stream and typical of a UK charity: course fees and accreditation fees from training and Leading Lights, subscription/contract income from the Insights data service to commissioners and providers, contracted programme delivery income (e.g. Ministry of Justice funding for the annual Domestic Abuse Frontline Excellence Conference; commissioned perpetrator work via Drive), and donations/charitable fundraising. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: enterprise field engagement with police forces, NHS trusts, local authorities, police and crime commissioners, and named employers, complemented by self-serve online CPD courses. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; some training courses are subsidised and accreditation contracts are annual.
SafeLives firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SafeLives
- Legal name
- SafeLives
- Website
- https://safelives.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- SafeLives is a UK-wide charity founded in 2005 that trains domestic abuse professionals, accredits frontline services, and operates the national Insights outcomes database, serving police forces, NHS trusts, local authorities, employers, and specialist providers across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SafeLives industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Domestic Abuse Support Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)
Keywords
Where SafeLives is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SafeLives business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Training and Accreditation Services: SafeLives generates revenue through professional training courses, accredited qualifications (OCN London), and the Leading Lights accreditation programme. Training is offered to domestic abuse professionals, police, healthcare workers, and employers. Some courses receive subsidies.
- Insights Data Service: SafeLives' Insights tool provides outcomes measurement services to domestic abuse services and commissioners, enabling contract monitoring and evidencing work to funders and commissioners.
- Donations and Charitable Funding: As a registered charity (no. 1106864, Scottish charity no. SCO48291), SafeLives receives donations and operates fundraising initiatives to support their mission of ending domestic abuse.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Non-accredited training courses |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Accredited training courses |
| Other | Annual | Leading Lights Accreditation |
| Subscription | Annual | Insights Data Service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels11 records
SafeLives product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SafeLives is a UK-wide charity that delivers professional training, accreditation and data insight services for the domestic abuse sector. Its core offerings include OCN London-accredited IDVA training courses, the Leading Lights quality accreditation programme for community-based services, and the Insights outcomes measurement platform used by commissioners and frontline providers. The organization also runs The Drive Partnership perpetrator intervention programme and produces research, policy analysis and practitioner resources used across the UK.
Product overview
SafeLives is a UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse. The organization offers a portfolio of professional services including training programmes (IDVA qualifications, CPD courses), the Insights outcomes measurement tool (an online portal that can integrate with existing case management systems), the Leading Lights accreditation programme, and various resources such as the DASH risk checklist and MARAC guidance. Additional offerings include perpetrator intervention programmes through The Drive Partnership, awareness campaigns like Reach In, and research programmes including the Spotlights series and Safe Young Lives. The organization also provides data services and practitioner datasets to support evidence-based practice in the domestic abuse sector.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Drive Partnership: A partnership formed in 2015 with Respect and Social Finance to change the way statutory and voluntary agencies respond to high-harm, high-risk perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse.
- Leading Lights
- SafeLives Insights
- Safe Young Lives
- MARAC
- IDVA/IDAA
Quantifiable outcome
- 60%+ of victims report abuse stops after IDVA/MARAC support
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use SafeLives
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SafeLives technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
SafeLives partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- RespectcoreSafeLives formed The Drive Partnership together with Respect and Social Finance in 2015 to change the way statutory and voluntary agencies respond to high-harm, high-risk perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse. The partnership continues to operate The Drive Project and Restart perpetrator intervention programmes.
- Social FinancecoreSafeLives formed The Drive Partnership together with Respect and Social Finance in 2015. Social Finance contributes to the design and delivery of The Drive Project working with high-harm, high-risk perpetrators.
- University of BristolmajorThe University of Bristol carried out an independent, three-year evaluation of The Drive Project during its first phase of delivery (2016-2019). The evaluation found significant reductions in physical abuse (82%), harassment and stalking (75%), and jealous and controlling behaviours (73%).
- Institute for Addressing StrangulationmajorPartnership with the Institute for Addressing Strangulation to develop non-fatal strangulation (NFS) training for professionals, helping identify risks, understand impact, and support victims and survivors effectively.
- Bolton CouncilmajorEcho project partner location. Echo is an innovative project spanning Bolton, Leicestershire and Sheffield which aims to transform responses to domestic abuse by ensuring survivor voices are at the centre of design and delivery of policies and services.
- Leicestershire County CouncilmajorEcho project partner location working with SafeLives on embedding authentic voice principles in domestic abuse services across the region.
- Sheffield City CouncilmajorEcho project partner location working with SafeLives on the public health approach to transform domestic abuse responses.
- Hampshire County CouncilmajorEmbedding Authentic Voice project partner in Hampshire, working to integrate survivor voice principles into local domestic abuse services and policies.
- Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Coproduction PanelcoreHertfordshire Domestic Abuse Coproduction Panel and Collective working with SafeLives on public health approach initiatives to improve domestic abuse responses.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SafeLives competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AVA (Against Violence & Abuse): UK charity working on gender-based violence prevention, training and policy. Comparable in its training-led, evidence-based approach and in serving commissioners, police and frontline professionals.
- Victim Support: UK charity providing support to victims of all crime types, including domestic abuse. Comparable in scale, training offer, government commissioning model and policy influence, though its scope spans beyond domestic abuse.
- Respect: UK charity focused on perpetrators of domestic abuse and the wider domestic violence sector. Respect is a co-founder with SafeLives of The Drive Partnership, making it the closest operational peer, particularly in the perpetrator intervention programme area.
- Refuge: UK charity running the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and providing refuge and recovery services for women and children. Comparable to SafeLives as a leading national domestic abuse charity with overlapping training, policy and frontline support functions.
- Women's Aid: UK federation of domestic abuse services for women and children, providing refuges, advocacy and policy work. Directly comparable to SafeLives in mission, training and sector influence, with significant overlap in commissioner and local authority relationships.
- Mankind Initiative: UK charity focused on male victims of domestic abuse, offering helpline, training and policy work. Directly comparable as a specialist UK domestic abuse charity with training and accreditation services for professionals.
Broad incumbents
- Mind: Large UK mental health charity providing training, information and policy advocacy. Comparable in operating model (training plus policy plus sector evidence base) but serves a different beneficiary population.
- NSPCC: Large UK children's charity with overlapping safeguarding, training and helpline services. Comparable as a broader incumbent in child protection and safeguarding, with a wider remit than SafeLives' domestic abuse specialism.
Regional players
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: US-based 24/7 hotline and resource service for domestic violence victims. Comparable in mission and evidence-based support, but operating in a different geography and not directly competing with SafeLives in the UK.
Others
- Social Finance: UK social impact organization and co-founder of The Drive Partnership with SafeLives and Respect. Comparable as a strategic partner in designing and funding domestic abuse perpetrator programmes, rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SafeLives social profiles
Digital presenceSafeLives financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SafeLives leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SafeLives funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SafeLives 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 SafeLives
What does SafeLives do?
SafeLives is a UK-wide charity that delivers professional training, accreditation and data insight services for the domestic abuse sector. Its core offerings include OCN London-accredited IDVA training courses, the Leading Lights quality accreditation programme for community-based services, and the Insights outcomes measurement platform used by commissioners and frontline providers. The organization also runs The Drive Partnership perpetrator intervention programme and produces research, policy analysis and practitioner resources used across the UK.
Is SafeLives a public or private company?
SafeLives is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SafeLives founded?
SafeLives was founded in 2005. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is SafeLives based?
SafeLives is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SafeLives make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Training and Accreditation Services are the primary driver. The others are insights Data Service and donations and Charitable Funding.
Who are SafeLives's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AVA (Against Violence & Abuse), Victim Support, Respect, Refuge, Women's Aid and Mankind Initiative. Broad incumbents are Mind and NSPCC. National Domestic Violence Hotline is listed as a regional player. Social Finance is listed as an others.
Does SafeLives have an API?
No public API is recorded for SafeLives.
What industry is SafeLives in?
SafeLives's product category is Domestic Abuse Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADADAH, Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid). Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.