Keeping Yourself Safe
Specialised services are there to advise and help you in your difficult situation. However in the meantime, if you are in an violent relationship, a safety plan can help you leave the situation safely and more quickly.
STEP ONE
Think about |
- Where you can go to make a telephone call;
- A safe place where you can stay in an emergency. This may be with a friend or relative, a woman’s refuge, a hotel or a B&B.
- The telephone number of the safe place;
- How to get to the safe place. Decide how you will get there at different times of the day and night;
- The number of a local taxi firm;
- What to tell the children, and how to tell it to them, when you need to put the Safety Plan into action.
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Important Information
- Your PRSI / PPS or Claim Number
- Your family’s essential medicines
- Your Child Benefit Book Number
Useful Phone Numbers:
- Social Welfare Office
- Garda Station
- Housing Department
- Law Centre / Solicitor
- Women’s Refuge / Support Service
- District Court
- Rape Crisis Centre
| STEP TWO
Write down |
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STEP THREE
Collect |
Collect together the following items. Hide them somewhere you can get to them in a hurry.
- Enough money to get to a safe place by bus or taxi;
- An extra set of keys for your home;
- An extra set of keys for your car;
- Extra clothes for you and your children.
It may be a good idea to put them in a bag and store it with a friend.
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Think about where you can find the following items in a hurry. Have a bag ready if you can do so safely.
- School uniforms and some of your children’s things;
- Essential medicines;
- The health board and social welfare require personal identification and evidence to assess your entitlement, e.g.:
- Any court orders
- Claim’s book
- Marriage certificate
- Bank details
- RSI/PPS card
- Medical card
- Birth certificates
- Pay slips
| STEP FOUR
Think about |
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STEP FIVE
Discuss |
If you can, discuss your Safety Plan with a trusted friend so they can support you if you need to put it into action.
Keep your Safety Plan in a safe place. Ideally, somewhere you can get it quickly if you need to leave in a hurry.
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Safety Plan Courtesy to ADAPT Limerick