This article is from page 4 of the 2011-06-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE number of families seeking help from Clare Haven for the first time has doubled, compared with last year, according to the group which provides support to female victims of domestic abuse and their families.
81 families presented to the outreach clinics – which run in Ennis, Ennistymon, Scariff, Kilrush and Killaloe – for the first time during the first five months of the year, which is double the figure for the same period last year. Financial stress is a contributing factor in the increase.
Yet, despite the increase in demand, Clare Haven is forced to contend with funding cuts.
Up to the end of May, 60 families attended the refuge operated by Clare Haven in Ennis. Among those who attended were 104 children. Those figures are on a par with last year’s. 136 families stayed at the refuge during the whole of 2010. However, the demand for the outreach clinics has soared.
The increase in numbers of victims coming forward has led to some of them being referred on to centres in Limerick and Galway – to ensure they have places to stay and are not left waiting.
Services Manager with Clare Haven Denise Dunne said the service is stretched.
“The refuge is full the whole time and has been for the past two years. We have seen a bigger increase in the number of new families coming to the outreach service. This year alone we have had 81 new clients to the outreach service. That’s a huge amount in five months. We had about 40 last year so the figures have doubled,” she said.
“The total number of support visits to the end of May was 482. Every time someone comes to our outreach clinics, we have a support visit with them and do safety planning, outline their options and provide emotional support,” said Ms Dunne.
“A lot of people coming to us we refer on to St Vincent de Paul and MABS (the Money and Budgeting Advice Service),” she said.
She said that an increased level of public awareness and the media highlighting the services has played a role in more victims of domestic abuse coming forward.
“This year we have been cut [in funding] again. We have been cut every year since 2008, with a cut of between two and three per cent this year on top of previous cuts. We are striving to maintain the same service. Our service is very, very stretched at the moment. We have cut the ancillary services like talks to schools. We have put a volunteer programme in place for the past two years for things like fundarising and accompaniments which is a great help,” she said.