Beverley Lewis House empowers survivors of domestic abuse to thrive

“I’ve had bottles smashed over my head, my arms slashed by a Stanley knife and I was forced to eat cat food at one point.”

These are the harrowing words of a domestic violence survivor who sought refuge at L&Q Living’s Beverley Lewis House – the UK’s only refuge for victims of domestic abuse with learning disabilities and difficulties - and where 29-year-old Kate* has lived for the past few years.

“My ex-partner's attitude began to change towards me, and he turned violent,” explained Kate, who sadly lost her unborn daughter after being repeatedly kicked in the stomach by him.

“At one point, I was left fighting for my life. I was in the bath at home when my ex-partner came in and accused me of cheating on him, he pulled out a Stanley knife and began to cut me down my arms with it,” recalled Kate, who suffers from PTSD from the fateful night.

Thankfully, Kate was able to recover from her physical scars, but her mental health took a severe dip, and she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital following the ordeal.

Kate eventually pressed charges against her ex-partner and a court protection order was placed.

With support from her social worker, Kate was able to move hundreds of miles away to Beverley Lewis House, which is based in an undisclosed location in London.

“I am a survivor. I thought I was going to die that day in the bath, but I am still here and looking forward to my future thanks to the help and support from Beverley Lewis House.”

After making some positive progress in her recovery following her trauma, Kate is preparing to take the next step to move on from the shelter.

“I want to get a good job, I'd love to work in retail or hair and beauty. While I still struggle to trust men, I am in a new and loving relationship with a kind man and I hope to marry and settle down. But above anything else, my goal is to be happy and feel safe again.”

According to the Office for National Statistics report in 2016 on Intimate Personal Violence and Partner Abuse, women with a long-term illness or disability, including those with learning disabilities and difficulties, are more than twice as likely to have been victims of domestic abuse in the last 12 months.

A team of 15 extraordinary care workers keep the refuge running around the clock. Its residents say the facility has been transformative in their recovery.

One resident, Becky*, who is autistic, has been able to turn her life around after spending four years at the refuge.

Becky, 34, was in an abusive relationship, which led to her being forced into a life of sex work and drugs. When Becky started to experience severe eyesight problems, she went to a GP who, following tests, discovered she had contracted an illness.

“After two eye operations I am fine now and my health is managed well,” said Becky, who has been clean for four years.

Since living at Beverley Lewis House, Becky’s days are filled with regular workshops and classes, with her weekly highlight playing football for Arsenal’s community football club, which runs football sessions for adults with learning disabilities and difficulties.

“Moving here changed my life,” said Becky. “I got clean and got the support I needed. You get a lot of help here, from teaching you about finances to cleaning and cooking, too. Ferdy is brilliant and she has supported me so much, she has offered me some volunteer work here and I have been enjoying that,” said Becky, who has a 10-year-old daughter who has lived with her parents since she was born.

With a focus on holistic care, residents at the refuge can take part in various classes, including art, drama and yoga and often cook together and socialise in the communal area.

The refuge offers one-to-one positive behaviour support and help with managing finances. Each is allocated a key worker and has monthly sessions to map their progress against their goals.

Women tend to stay in Beverley Lewis House for around two years, before moving on, but the facility offers a continual outreach service to those who have left.

“Beverly Lewis House offers a range of resources to support residents coming out of trauma or just having experienced it. We have in-house CBT and art therapists attending weekly,” said Ferdous Khanam, locality manager at Beverley Lewis House.

“We also have our own life skills coordinator who works tirelessly to provide a route for residents to access the community again, whether that is further education, voluntary work, giving back or simply getting into employment.

“We aim to ensure our women don’t feel as though life has stopped but only that it can get better.”

Due to a lack of understanding of these women's specialist support needs and the existence of schemes like this, victims often end up in psychiatric, hotels or back with their abusers.

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the women.