Safenet has been re-awarded the Women’s Aid Federation of England (WAFE) National Quality Standards, following comprehensive assessment and completion of minor recommendations.
The accreditation provides independent assurance that Safenet’s services, governance and survivor‑centred practice meet nationally recognised quality and safeguarding standards.
The panel commented that this was a ‘very clean and straightforward assessment’ of service; that it’s clear that Safenet is a very ‘safe’ and ‘warm’ space that strives to put survivors at the heart of all they do.
These National Quality Standards, which were recently reviewed and updated by WAFE, are the sector’s established benchmark for specialist domestic abuse services. They assess how organisations deliver safe, inclusive and accountable support, alongside leadership, governance and continuous improvement.
The new accreditation comes in Safenet’s 50th year of operation. Over five decades, Safenet has grown from a locally rooted service into one of the largest specialist domestic abuse providers in the country, while maintaining a clear focus on survivor voice, safety and quality.
Safenet now delivers services across Lancashire and into Greater Manchester, working with local authorities, health partners, housing providers and the voluntary sector.
The following examples highlight how Safenet is meeting the standards in practice and the key activities delivered across services:
- County‑wide delivery of DASSL services across Lancashire has improved access to community‑based support, including additional accessible spaces in Lancaster and Preston.
- In Preston, Safenet partnered with Lancashire Women and HOPE Prevails to open a walk‑in support space for women, providing an immediate and low‑barrier route to help within the community. Together, this demonstrates inclusive access, effective partnership delivery and responsiveness to local need, all core expectations of the Women’s Aid standards.
- Quality and accountability are reinforced through strong systems and joined‑up working. Safenet co‑located teams with Calico Gateway in Lancaster where suitable workspace had previously been limited, reducing fragmentation and improving service coordination.
- Close collaboration with Calico Homes has strengthened pathways into safe, long‑term housing, supporting survivor stability beyond crisis intervention.
- Survivor consultation is embedded across services through structured “Finding Your Voice” sessions, ensuring lived experience informs policy, practice and commissioning discussions, a key requirement of survivor‑led service design.
- Safenet has also invested in workforce competence, wellbeing and sustainability. The Safenet team/survivor‑designed My Life, My Way peer support programme has been rolled out across all services, with trained frontline staff supported by practitioner resources.
- Domestic Abuse Apprenticeship Training has opened pathways to IDVA qualifications, strengthening skills, supporting retention and building long‑term workforce capacity.
- Suicide‑prevention resources have been shared across the wider Group, with additional training and support provided to help teams apply them safely in practice.
Helen Gauder, Managing Director of Safenet, said:
“Retaining the newly reviewed Women’s Aid National Quality Standards is a significant moment for Safenet, particularly as we mark 50 years of supporting people affected by domestic abuse. It reflects the professionalism and commitment of our teams, but more importantly it provides reassurance for survivors that the support they receive is safe, accountable and shaped by lived experience.
“Independent standards like these matter because they give survivors, partners and commissioners confidence that quality and dignity are embedded in everything we do.”
Achieving the Women’s Aid National Quality Standards with no conditions attached reinforces Safenet’s ongoing commitment to delivering high‑quality, survivor‑led domestic abuse support.
It provides reassurance to survivors, commissioners, partners and board members that services are delivered safely, accountably and in line with nationally recognised best practice, while continuing to evolve in response to lived experience and local need.
Finally, from WAFE feedback:
“Safenet were able to strongly evidence safe, respectful and survivor centred practice across all areas of work and that their safety planning, cultural competence, equality practices, governance, and commitment to survivor voice are embedded within core service delivery. It was noted that this was consistently reflected in interviews, case file reviews and stakeholder feedback. It was noted that across accommodation, outreach and children’s services, survivors consistently report feeling believed, safe, and treated with dignity.
“The panel heard that staff are well-supported, policies are comprehensive and up to date, and leadership shows clear accountability, transparency and a commitment to continuous improvement. The panel heard how Safenet operate from clear feminist and anti-oppressive values, and their alignment with quality frameworks and the broader VAWG agenda reinforces their strong strategic and ethical foundation.”