What we do

Turning pain into power

Through a range of trauma-informed services, we provide direct access to support, advocacy and advice for women and children who’ve experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse. We strive to offer a journey of support which increases choices for women – enabling them to take back control, break free and live a life without fear.

Our qualified, experienced team assists women with remaining safe whilst in an abusive relationship. Once they feel ready, we then help them to safely leave their abuser and provide support in their recovery as they rebuild their lives after abuse. 

Our award winning Employability Programme also offers survivors of abuse the opportunity to be part of SATEDA, as volunteers and then employees, where they can use their experiences to help empower other women as they unlock their voice, worth and brilliance.

Lived experience forms a huge part of our knowledge, and we know our community because we are our community. 

We’ll always put women and their children first.

Services we offer women Services we offer under 18s
ruth and sateda banner office 1

Domestic abuse is a gendered crime

We exist as a specialist women’s only service not because we deny that men experience domestic abuse — we know they do, and they need and deserve specialist support too — but because women are impacted by domestic abuse at a much higher rate and intensity than men. This has created a need for specialist women’s only services like ours, which can respond to the distinct severity and impact of abuse, violence and control women face from men.

The epidemic levels of domestic abuse perpetrated by men against women are deeply rooted in patriarchy’s sexist and misogynist legacy of gender norms and women’s unequal status in society. This sexist and misogynist legacy serves to excuse men’s abusive behaviours in intimate relationships with women and prevent women from being believed and supported to leave abusive men.

We are working to change that.

Why we do what we do

SATEDA’s story

In 2009, Swale Domestic Violence Forum in collaboration with Swale Community Safety Unit, recruited a Domestic Abuse Coordinator tasked to look into the feasibility of bringing a domestic violence service to Swale. Prior to this, there was no access to support for survivors in Swale.

Shortly after, a Support Worker was hired for 10 hours a week to provide front line support to the drop-in services which had been set up locally. As demand for support grew and grew, so did the team, and in 2012 the service changed its name to Swale Action To End Domestic Abuse (SATEDA).

By this time SATEDA was delivering a range of services across Swale, including healthy relationships workshops in 3 local secondary schools, an IDVA service, counselling and access to immediate support and advice at three drop ins across Swale.

We achieved charity status in 2014 and in 2018, changed our name to Support & Action To End Domestic Abuse (still SATEDA) to better reflect our mission and our growing geographical reach across Kent through our Employability Programme and Support2Court service.

Our vision

To end domestic abuse

Our mission

To empower and enable women to break the cycle of domestic abuse through a specialised and full journey of support, advocacy and education for public benefit.

Other pages of interest

A day in the life of a Senior Young Persons Support Worker

Read more

A day in the life of a Swale Volunteer Coordinator

Read more

“The sector needs a robust, feminist, trauma informed therapeutic model”

Read more