Atal y Fro will now be known as Vale Domestic Abuse Services

Atal y Fro - the charity championing & supporting survivors of violence against women & girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence in the Vale of Glamorgan - is launching a new five-year strategy as part of its ongoing commitment to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and abuse in Wales.

And, as part of this change, Atal y Fro will now be known as Vale Domestic Abuse Services.

Why are these changes being made?

Violence against women, domestic abuse, and sexual violence (VAWDASV) has undergone a dramatic transformation over the last decade. There’s been an increase in awareness, legislation, and commitment to making our communities safer for survivors. There is still a lot to do.

There are many survivors who are afraid reach out for support and do not know we are there for them. Recent high-profile cases in the public eye have contributed to a crisis of public trust in our institutions fuelling fears and perceptions of support available and the ability of survivors to keep safe and gain justice.  The cost of living crisis exacerbates the many challenges survivors face.

Our new strategy will help ensure the survivor voice remains at the forefront of everything we do, support us in improving our engagement in Vale communities, and help us continue working with our partners to further improve confidence in their services too.

It takes a community to make a change.  We want to work collaboratively to ensure this change happens.  We are your local specialist charity, and our new strategy aspires to improve our engagement in Vale communities, providing support and advice to survivors, communities and our partners, ensuring the survivor voice remains at the forefront of everything we do.

This year marks our 30th year supporting survivors of domestic abuse and their children in the Vale of Glamorgan. Over the last year we have supported over 1000 survivors and their children, grown our capacity to support children and young people and collaborated to ensure survivors are protected.  We have invested in our team ensuring they are equipped with the most up to date knowledge and improved our systems and processes to ensure the survivor receives high quality support and do not have to tell their story more than once.

Becoming Vale Domestic Abuse Services will bring clarity to what we are here to do.  It will help us to reach more survivors, and to continue to support survivors to be safe, gain the justice they deserve and rebuild their lives for another three decades, and beyond.  We are your local specialist service providing support to survivors and partners to effect change.

What does this change mean to our charity?

It takes a community to create an environment where everyone can live their life free from abuse. We have identified four strategic priorities to help us achieve this:

Inspire - We want to equip the Vale of Glamorgan community with the knowledge and tools to understand, discuss and challenge the root causes of domestic abuse, sexual violence and other forms of gendered abuse.

Respond - We want to walk side by side with survivors and offer a trauma informed, needs led, strength based, risk assured and inclusive service that responds and protects survivors and enables them to feel safe.

Rebuild - We want to stand shoulder to shoulder with survivors while they rebuild their lives, use their voice, tell their story, connect with other survivors, make sense of their experiences and learn new techniques, skills and strategies.

Strengthen - We want to operate a flexible, agile charity that tailors its services to respond to survivors need, and is well resourced, well governed, collaborative and fit for purpose.

We want Vale of Domestic Abuse Services to be a charity that is transformative, innovative and places the survivor voice at the centre of all its operations.

How will these changes affect our relationship with you?

The following changes will take effect from May 5th 2023:  

• We have a new website - You can now find us at www.valedas.org – All our leaflets are available on the website.

• We have new email addresses - Messages from individuals working in an official capacity with Vale Domestic Abuse Services will now come from valedas.org.

• Our main inbox is info@valedas.org

• Referrals should be sent to referrals@valedas.org

• We have a new logo - This will feature at our Holton Road premises, on our leaflets and other documentation, and in all communications distributed digitally too.

Please be reassured that the way in which we work with you will not be affected otherwise. Our phone number is still 01446 744755. The main points of contact and any services you may be involved in through Atal Y Fro will not change as we get used to working as Vale Domestic Abuse Services.  

We are your local specialist service providing support to survivors and partners to effect change.