Get To Know Us
Our Vision
We believe everyone has a right to live free from abuse.
Our Mission
We know that domestic abuse touches all our lives and is rooted in gender inequality. CarmDAS exists to help people become free to choose their own journey.
Our Beliefs and Values
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We believe domestic abuse is unacceptable
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We believe that domestic abuse is a gender based issue and is a cause and consequence of gender inequality
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We believe men experience domestic abuse
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We believe children experience domestic abuse in their own right
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We listen to our clients
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We believe them
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We don't judge
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We believe every individual is their own expert and are entitled to respectful and confidential support
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We believe in a needs led, trauma informed strengths based approach
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We value all our people - our volunteers, team and clients
Who we are
CarmDAS specialises in providing support to adults, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse across Carmarthen and surrounding areas. We believe the roots of domestic abuse lie in a culture of gender inequality. We are a charity governed by a board of trustees.
History
CarmDAS has delivered a range of services to those subjected to Domestic Abuse since 1978. We grew out of the feminist movement, when the first refuges ran by women activists were the only safe place for women and children escaping violence in their own homes.
CarmDAS believes that Domestic Abuse touches all of our lives and is rooted in gender inequality. We exist to support people to be free of abuse and choose their own journey, through safe emergency accommodation, holistic support in the community, advocacy, education and self care.
We believe that domestic abuse is a social issue that is caused by gender inequality, a sense of entitlement, ownership and control. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by violence and inequality in our society.
Our approach to providing support is grounded in the belief that our clients are their own experts. Our service is led by the clients, it is trauma informed and focuses on strengths and solutions. We treat people with dignity and respect, and support the whole person in a non judgemental way.
"I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become"
- Carl Jung
You may be reading this because you are experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence from a partner, ex partner or family member. If you would like to let us know you need support, please complete our contact form and we will contact you at a time that is safe and convenient for you.
Our Ambition
We want the individuals we support to:
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Feel Safer
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Be Confident
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Have improved skills
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Be better connected to their community
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Trust in their own decisions
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Embrace their resilience
Our Strategic Aims
To achieve our ambitions we will:
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Develop our services to meet the needs of the people we support
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Invest in our team to ensure they have the most up to date knowledge and are equipped to support our clients
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Involve our partners and stakeholders to develop opportunities that make a difference
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Manage our organisation to make sure we protect the charity and ensure it is fit for purpose
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Raise our profile, fundraise, develop new income streams
Our Services
We are continually developing our services based on what our clients with lived experience are telling us. We currently provide:
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Housing related support and emergency accommodation (24 hrs a day, 365 days a year)
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Emotional and practical support for adults in the community
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Evidenced based programmes for improving physical and mental health and wellbeing
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An ISVA led wellbeing service for survivors of sexual violence within the context of domestic abuse
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Peer support groups for survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence
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A dedicated service for children, young people and families
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An IDVA Service for high risk victims
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Education and training
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Volunteering
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We also work in partnership with domestic abuse support services
Downloads:
2024 Annual Impact Report
2023 Annual Impact Report
2022 Annual Impact Report
Our approach
CarmDAS team are kind and compassionate and promote strength and resilience using a non-judgemental approach. We take the time to get to know people and what matters to them so we can help individuals and whole families to improve their lives.
We recognise the importance of safety and trust as the starting point for addressing trauma and distress and strongly believe that individuals have the strength to move forward with the right support.
Our approach provides adults, children and young people with a range of therapeutic interventions and healthy coping strategies, to be able to talk about and recover from domestic abuse and prevent and reduce it from happening in the first place. We consider the needs of the whole family through a range of tailored 1-1 support sessions, group programmes and workshops.
We work closely with parents and carers to help them understand risk factors such as domestic abuse and parental substance misuse that can harm children and to understand protective factors in their homes, schools and communities that can help reduce the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). All of our team receive specialist training and are trauma informed and ACE aware, teaching survivors skills to be able to recognise their thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Our service works as part of a regional partnership in Mid and West Wales, including housing, police, social services, local authorities and other key agencies.
Our Promise To Our Clients
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To treat you fairly, with respect and not to judge you
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To be open and honest with you
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We won't tell you what to do with your life
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Through talking and looking at the possibilities we'll help you find out what the choices are and support you to make your own decisions about:
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The Short term - practical things that need to be done now
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The future - what you want to do in the long term
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Stumbling blocks that can feel scary and complicated
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We'll make sure that together we find a way through and that we have all the information so that you feel OK and in control of what happens next
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If we don't have the information you need - together we'll find someone who does
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We will work together to make things happen
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We will respect your decisions and support you in choices you make
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What you tell us will remain confidential. The only time we might break this is if someone is as significant risk of harm. We have a Confidentiality Policy which you can look at for more detail.
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We will allocate you one person who will be your main point of contact
CarmDAS provides safe spaces for people affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence, helping survivors to access therapeutic wellbeing support and signposting to other local and national organisations. We support people at the point of crises through to recovery.
We provide evidenced based programmes that are designed to give survivors insight into the various forms of abuse and safely take control of their own lives.
We provide housing related support, emergency accommodation and homeless prevention services for people who may need to escape an abusive situation or have an unsafe home or tenancy.
We provide independent person centred support for high risk victims, prioritising the safety of victims and their children.
We provide advice and training to professionals who want to refer people to our services, as well talks and training to community groups and businesses for improving safety in public spaces.
We provide a dedicated service for children and young people; including those who have been identified as engaging in abusive behaviour towards parents, carers or family members.
We work closely with primary and secondary schools throughout Carmarthenshire to recognise the signs of abuse and know how to intervene safely to reduce and prevent it from happening. Educating children and young people about healthy relationships.
