Refuge did need new management
I WAS very pleased to learn that the day-to-day running of the Women's Refuge has been taken away from its current leadership.
I completely agree with the findings of the recent report as reported in the Guernsey Press, as this is exactly what my daughter experienced when she had to stay at the refuge. Unfortunately, at that time, neither I nor the rest of the family had room to accommodate both her and her young children.
But very soon pressure was applied about when she would be leaving.
As a single mother she had no money to pay for private rented accommodation, so she had applied for accommodation through the States Housing Department and was on a waiting list. I was helping her and liaising with the Housing Department to bring this dreadful situation to a successful conclusion. However, it seemed that all the refuge was concerned about was that she didn't overstay her time (whatever that was) and wasn't using the refuge as a back door into social housing. At the time there were plenty of empty rooms so lack of space wasn't an issue.
The pressure applied to leave the refuge meant extra stress for my daughter, which subsequently impacted on her children who were already very unsettled and upset. At one point the manager said that if my daughter didn't leave by the end of the week, her belongings would be packed up and put outside the refuge!
Once again I begged that they be allowed to stay as the Housing Department had indicated that she would probably be allocated housing within three or four weeks. However, the refuge management was insistent that she left.
Luckily, at that point, a vacancy became available at Maison St Pierre, so both she and her children moved there, for a short time before being allocated permanent housing, once again causing more upheaval, emotional upset and stress to all of them.
It seems to me that what my daughter experienced during her stay at the refuge was emotional abuse and threats, not the assistance she desperately needed. Hopefully the new management is more aware of the problems and issues abused women encounter and be more supportive and understanding of their situation.
Name and address withheld.
