Kate’s Story
Kate is currently a Children and Young People’s facilitator within the Calan DVS Inspiring Families programme. Just over three years ago, back in 2019, Kate recognised that she needed to escape an abusive relationship and so, called the Live Fear Helpline who then arranged for her and children to be assessed by Calan.
Kate completed the Freedom Programme which aims to support survivors of domestic abuse understand what has happened to them as well as helping participants to build self-esteem and self-confidence. She also received support from Peer Support Groups whilst her children also received support through Calan’s Children and Young People (CYP) programmes.
Kate’s Career Progression
Kate then supported other women escaping domestic abuse as volunteer with Calan DVS and a member of the Peer Support Group. In August 2020, Kate joined the charity as a Project Support Officer. She took on additional responsibilities and worked as a CYP worker both in community and Refuge. Since then, her career has gone from strength to strength in a few short years.
In April 2021, Kate moved to the Inspiring Families team as a CYP facilitator. Within, this role she has completed further training to enable her to facilitate training to our teams within Calan and external partners/professionals. Kate has since completed a degree, in her own time, with the Open University, and gained a 2:1 BA Hons in Humanities.
In addition to this, Kate has completed Ask & Act train the trainer with Welsh Women’s Aid and is shortly due to start her Education and Training certification (EAT). She is also working with another member of staff to provide education and awareness to a local women’s rugby team.
During the pandemic, Kate delivered the Freedom Program online to community clients and is now supporting another trainer to facilitate the Ask & Act Group 2 training for a local NHS health board.
Kate has also been instrumental in creating and delivering a ‘Settling into Refuge’ programme for CYP’s living in refuge as well as delivering the STAR programme for CYP within the communities in which we work.
More recently, Kate has helped create and deliver the Listen & Hear Me assessment programme which has received very positive feedback.
In Kate’s Own Words
Speaking of her experiences, challenges and how she has turned her life around, Kate says, “Being supported by the amazing teams at Calan DVS helped me to survive an abusive relationship, educated me on toxic relationships and how that has affected my children. It helped release me from years of guilt, that it was my fault and helped me build so much resilience in myself and my children, in order to move on and heal.
“This support inspired me so much that I wanted to share my experiences and knowledge and use them for a healthy purpose by volunteering and joining the Peer Support Group. I suppose I wanted to turn the negative experiences into helping other people positively. I also wanted to build myself a network of likeminded people who also shared some of my experiences, so that i didn’t feel alone.
“I feel so empowered to now be working for the same organisation who were there for me and my children. I highly regard Calan DVS as an organisation; it is the most open and empowering place to work. I feel that coming to work for Calan is not the final part of my journey but is the start of it.
“My whole life is completely different now, looking back on what it was, I feel like I was a different person back then, and sometimes i do not even recognise that person. I also have found happiness after meeting an incredibly supportive partner.
“On a final note, I would say to anyone wanting to pursue a career in Domestic Abuse and CYP work, do not be put off by qualifications. In my case, my life experience has aided me more, and is what is important in my role.”