Our Team

Our Dedicated Team: Supporting Survivors, Building Futures

At Wirral Women and Children’s Aid, our strength lies in the passionate and skilled individuals who work tirelessly every day to support women and children affected by domestic abuse. Meet the people who make our life-changing work possible.

---

Our In-House Operational Team

Our operational team provides direct, high-quality support, empowering women and children to heal, gain confidence, and build independent lives. They are highly trained in trauma-informed approaches to ensure compassionate and effective care.

Children’s Support: Supporting Healing and Growth

Children who have experienced domestic abuse often carry invisible wounds that affect their ability to learn, connect, and thrive. Our dedicated Family Link service uses trauma-informed, neuroscientific approaches – such as PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) – to help children regulate their emotions, rebuild trust, and rediscover joy. Our Children’s Support team also holds a Level 5 Diploma in Trauma and Mental Health with TISUK (Trauma Informed Schools UK), deepening their expertise in this critical area.

We work with children who may be struggling with school attendance, emotional withdrawal, risk-taking behaviours, or heightened fear responses, offering them a safe and nurturing space to begin healing. Our sessions are tailored to each child’s needs and may include therapeutic play, creative arts, sensory regulation plans, and non-verbal expression techniques like Drawing and Talking or Untold Story Work. We also incorporate elements from the Rockpool Recovery Toolkit and offer attachment-based programmes like “Mummy and Me” to strengthen the parent-child bond. These interventions are designed not only to support the child but also to empower families with tools to reflect, regulate, and reconnect.

Thanks to a generous grant from the PH Holt Foundation, we are expanding our Family Link work over the next three years. This includes funding for private therapy, play therapy, and additional support hours to ensure families receive the consistent, specialised care they need. Our children’s worker also collaborates with schools to deliver up to 12 therapeutic sessions, helping children re-engage with education and social life in ways they may not have been able to before.

The impact of this work is profound. Children become happier, feel safer, and are better able to express themselves and succeed in school. As they grow, these early interventions help break the cycle of abuse, laying the foundation for healthier relationships and improved life opportunities in adulthood.

---

Outreach Support: Walking Beside You

Our outreach team provides vital, trauma-informed support to individuals and families affected by domestic abuse – wherever they are on their journey. Whether transitioning from refuge, living in temporary accommodation, or rebuilding their lives in the community, our outreach workers offer consistent, compassionate care that adapts to each person’s needs. We are not time-limited in our support; we walk alongside survivors for as long as they need us, helping them feel safe, heard, and empowered.

Based within the refuge, our outreach workers build strong, trusting relationships with residents that continue even after they move on. This continuity of care is key to recovery. Support includes one-to-one therapeutic sessions, emotional wellbeing support, safety planning, and practical help with housing, legal matters, finances, and health. We also advocate on behalf of survivors with external agencies and offer culturally sensitive support, particularly for those facing immigration-related challenges.

Our outreach workers support women, men, and families facing long waits for permanent housing, often in unsuitable or isolating conditions.

Our outreach service is a lifeline for many. It’s not just about surviving – it’s about helping people thrive, rebuild, and move forward with confidence. Through every challenge, our team remains resilient, compassionate, and committed to making a lasting difference.

---

Maintenance

We also have an invaluable in-house Handyman who work tirelessly to maintain the refuge to a high standard. His dedication ensures a safe and welcoming environment for all our residents.

---

Our Valued Patrons

Wirral Women and Children’s Aid is honoured to have four well-known and respected Patrons who lend their name and support to our cause:

• Dr. Katy Kidd

• Dame Lorna Muirhead DCVO DBE

• Mr. Stephen R. Ross

• Samantha Hillas KC

These esteemed individuals are passionate about preventing domestic abuse. They generously help to raise our profile and bring in vital donations, amplifying our message and impact.

---

Our Charity Shop Team

Our charity shop in Moreton, managed by Diane and a dedicated team of volunteers, is a welcoming face of WWACA in the community. All money raised from the sale of your generous donations goes directly to our women and children, helping to sustain our refuge and crucial services.

The families in our refuge and those we work with in the community can access any items they need from the shop free of charge. Where it’s safe and appropriate, some also choose to volunteer. This provides an invaluable opportunity for them to build confidence, gain new skills, and re-engage with the community in a supportive environment.

---