'Are women going to fall through the cracks...?' Fears for safety of domestic abuse victims after specialist service in Salford set to be replaced after 40 years

There are fears over the safety of domestic abuse victims in Salford amid plans to replace a specialist women's service after 40 years.

Salford Women's Aid (SWA) has provided support to survivors of domestic violence and their families since the 1970s.

But after the contract for domestic abuse services in the city was put up for tender, from April 1, 2022, the organisation will be replaced as the area's main provider.

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Salford Foundation and its partners, the Pankhurst Trust, TLC; Talk, Listen, Change, and Trafford Domestic Abuse Service (TDAS) have instead been awarded the contract.

Both domestic abuse survivors, and advisers who work for Salford Women's Aid have expressed concerns about what the change will mean for victims.

Dawn Redshaw has worked for the service for over 30 years, and now faces the loss of her job.

She and her colleagues campaigned for Clare's Law following the death of Clare Wood in Salford in 2009, and have helped make changes in the judicial system to make the process easier for victims.

"We are devastated," she said, speaking of the loss of their contract.

"At the end of the day we are just a small charity but our focus is on supporting the victims. My staff go above and beyond.

"A lot of the people we have had to tell are devastated as well. It’s about them, it's not just about our jobs at the end of the day, it's about our passion and mission statement.

"For us it’s about empowering the victims and their journey. We are the victim’s voice.

"I’m not saying the new provider might not do as good a job as us but we don’t know. We are going into the unknown."

Allyson Taylor, who works closely with Salford