Solace Women’s Aid
Holistic Support That Truly Transforms Lives
Solace Women’s Aid is London’s largest domestic abuse and sexual violence charity, dedicated to helping women and children build safe, strong futures free from abuse. Their approach is holistic and survivor-centred, offering interconnected services that respond to the complex and varied needs women face in escaping and recovering from violence. By delivering multiple services under one roof, Solace ensures survivors do not have to navigate fragmented systems or repeatedly re-tell their stories.
Safe Accommodation
Solace provides refuge and "move-on" accommodation, offering immediate safety and a stepping stone toward independent living. This critical service ensures that women and children fleeing abuse have a secure, private space to begin rebuilding their lives.
Advice and Support
Solace operates a free and confidential advice service, offering specialist short-term support for women affected by domestic or sexual violence. Staff provide immediate advice for women across all risk levels, with referrals to refuges, advocacy, counselling, or specialist support for children as needed.
Rape Crisis Services
With a dedicated rape crisis service for women and girls aged 13 and over, Solace delivers emotional and practical support for survivors at any stage - regardless of when the incident occurred. The North London Rape Crisis team offers confidential helplines, one-to-one counselling and therapy groups, art and drama therapy for children and young people aged 4 to 18, Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy (ISVA) services, and safe accommodation for women with multiple disadvantages.
Services for Young People
Abuse can have a profound impact on younger women and girls, whether experienced directly or through witnessing violence at home. Solace’s Children and Young People’s team delivers preventative work and targeted support for young families and individuals in the community, helping them recover from and resist patterns of abuse.
Therapeutic Services
Solace offers a range of one-to-one counselling, creative therapy groups, and holistic body-based therapies. These are designed to help survivors of abuse process trauma and rebuild emotional resilience. Services are delivered by qualified therapists and include specialist therapies and wellbeing classes in a safe and supportive environment.
Support for Women Facing Multiple Disadvantage
Recognising that many survivors face intersecting challenges - such as homelessness, poor mental health, substance misuse, or involvement in sex work - Solace provides integrated and tailored support that addresses these layered vulnerabilities. This approach ensures that the most marginalised women are not excluded from safety and recovery.
Training and Consultancy
Solace offers training programmes and consultancy to professionals, community groups, and employers. Topics include building a culture of consent, safeguarding survivors, workplace safe spaces, and broader domestic and sexual violence awareness. By sharing their expertise, Solace equips others to respond effectively and sensitively to abuse.
Strategic Partnerships
Solace works closely with partner organisations - including housing providers, health agencies, and legal bodies - to coordinate support pathways and improve outcomes for survivors. This joined-up approach ensures no one falls through the cracks. Solace’s holistic model works because it combines urgent crisis response with long-term recovery support. Tailored provision for complex needs ensures that even those facing multiple disadvantages receive appropriate care. Young people are supported to heal and develop healthy relationship patterns, helping to break cycles of abuse before they can repeat. Therapeutic services create safe spaces for processing trauma, while training extends Solace’s impact by building a broader network of professionals equipped to respond to abuse.
The result is a survivor-focused pathway from crisis to independence. Through safe housing, practical advocacy, specialist therapy, youth services, and training, Solace changes lives every day - helping women and children move forward with dignity, safety, and hope.
