"Many of the women we support have never been involved in decision making processes and often their opinions have not been taken into account in households where domestic abuse exists. Giving them the opportunity to meet members of the Furnishing Futures team gave the women an opportunity to talk about what was important to them, and how their living environment could be improved. This was the perfect opportunity for the voices of our service users to be heard.

The new spaces have created a homely feel. They encourage the families to spend time together to share their experiences, watch television and play games together. Staff report that they have heard the women laughing together for the first time, and that the children are more relaxed and better able to engage with their play therapy sessions. Coming to a nice environment also adds to the women’s confidence and self-esteem that they made the right decision to protect themselves and their children by leaving an abusive relationship."