Circles of Safety & Support
What is a Circle of Safety & Support?
A Circle of Safety & Support brings a woman worried about her safety together with service providers and other supportive people. Together they develop a detailed plan for her safety. A trained Circle facilitator leads the preparation and meetings of the Circle.
Who are Circles of Safety & Support For?
Circles of Safety & Support are for women worried about their physical or emotional safety because of family violence, who could benefit from a safety plan coordinated with many people who support her. Participation is voluntary and the woman is a key decision maker. Support is available to help women with their concerns about meeting in a group.
“Although I was fearful at first, it was a big step to discuss the intimate details of my fears and my past life. I was eventually able to take charge and feel better about the decisions I was making. I was so relieved to have these people to talk to. It really allowed me to take back my power and come up with ways to improve my situation.”
– Woman who was in a Circle
Who can help at a Circle of Safety & Support?
Anyone who could be a support person can be part of a Circle of Safety: police, Victim Services, probation, mental health or addiction staff, family, neighbors, friends, employers, church or social group. The most important criteria is a desire to support the woman. At meetings, Circle members help to identify the interests, issues, ideas and resources and bring together the supports a woman needs. Information about family violence is given so that everyone understands what a victim might experience.
There are some key steps:
Referral – Women are referred to Circles of Safety & Support by victim support workers, either Victim Services or FVPS Outreach Workers.
Meeting with Woman – The woman and the person who referred her meet with a Circle facilitator to determine if a Circle is appropriate and if it is, to prepare for a Circle and identify who else could help.
Invite other Circle Members – The facilitator contacts those named to see if they want to support the woman through a Circle of Safety & Support.
Face-to-Face Meetings – Meetings bring together the woman and support people to identify the safety issues and make a complete plan that everyone supports. This can take several meetings.
Monitoring – Once a Safety Plan is written, everyone knows their role for safety and support. The Circle can meet again if circumstances change or if the risk changes.
“Having so many different people coming together I got lots more information and different points of view; sometimes these were different and we were able to clarify.”
– Woman who was in a Circle
“Once we had discussed the different options for resolving or overcoming these issues I felt so much stronger, so much more in control of my life. I felt like we really touched on all the different aspects of my fears and found ways to alleviate them.”
– Woman who was in a Circle
Circles of Safety & Support
Bring people together to make a safety plan for a woman worried about her safety and the safety of her children when there has been family violence.
Trained facilitators prepare for and lead the circles to help everyone communicate, make decisions, and get the resources needed for safety and support.
Everyone knows the safety plan and what to do to support the woman and help her be safe.
The woman feels supported by her community.
Learn More about Circles of Safety and Support:
Circles of Safety and Support is a collaborative safety planning process for women who are at high risk from family violence, especially those who are at risk of domestic homicide. While there are existing services to support women experiencing violence, a clear, collaborative strategy for developing safety plans is helpful in bringing those services together in a way where women feel confident the plan will be understood and followed by all involved.
A Safety Circle brings a woman together with service providers and personal supports to develop a detailed plan for her safety. It gives women the opportunity to gather information about available resources and options; develop supportive relationships with people and places such as victim support workers, police, schools, employers, mental health and addictions staff, friends, family, neighbors, or others; and they offer a place for deep support which reduces stress and enhances confidence and self-esteem.
For a Circle to take place a facilitator trained in Circles of Safety and Support must be available. The facilitator plays a key role by coordinating Circle logistics; contacting all members and educating everyone on how the process works and what part they will play; leading the meetings to ensure clear communication and positive decision making; drafting the resulting comprehensive safety plan; and more.
Circles of Safety and Support have tremendous results. A former Circle participant credits this process with saving her life, especially because her ex-partner committed domestic homicide with a subsequent partner. The program developers recently received an award from the Governor General of Canada.
Circles of Safety & Support | There is no fee for this service.
Circles of Safety & Support is a project originally created by Justice Options for Women, supported by Status of Women Canada.