At Severn Angels Housing & Support, we support women navigating the most fragile moments of their lives: fleeing domestic abuse, recovering from homelessness, or facing life with no recourse to public funds. Thanks to the support of the Charles Plater Trust, we’ve had the opportunity to deepen our culturally competent, trauma-informed care, transforming not just services, but lives.
Our support is built by women, for women. We are one of the few grassroots organisations in Worcestershire offering women-only, culturally responsive supported housing. Over the past year, we have housed and supported 43 women within our 19-bed facility and reached a further 134 women through outreach and advice services.
What Worked: Lessons in Trust and Culture
One of our greatest lessons has been this: transformation starts with trust. Many women come to us after experiencing services that failed to listen. We quickly found that building trust didn’t start in formal keywork sessions, but in the small, often overlooked moments, a culturally familiar food parcel, a warm welcome, a volunteer who shared their language or background.
Thanks to the Charles Plater grant, we employed two culturally competent support workers whose approach allowed women to finally feel seen. The impact was immediate: attendance at peer workshops increased, more women disclosed histories of abuse, and we saw greater uptake of external referrals.
Our Cultural and Accommodating Food Programme, though not originally planned, emerged organically from this approach. We have now delivered over 700 food parcels that reflect the cultural backgrounds of the women we support. As one woman shared: *"The food reminded me of home. It helped me eat again, helped me feel human again."
What We’d Change: Embedding Peer Power and Simplicity
If we could begin again, we would embed peer mentoring from day one. We’ve seen the profound power of women who’ve moved on returning to support others. Their presence, calm, familiar, non-judgemental, cuts through barriers that no training manual can replicate. We are now formalising this into a peer mentor pathway.
We would also simplify. Early in the project, we realised our assessment tools felt clinical, overwhelming for women in crisis. We’ve since shifted to a more conversational, trust-building approach, and the difference has been striking.
Lastly, we’d have budgeted a small emergency fund for crisis therapy. Some women presented with urgent, complex trauma responses that required professional input beyond our core support. Being able to respond quickly in these moments would strengthen outcomes.
What Keeps Us Going
One woman, Priya*, a South Asian woman in her 30s, came to us after fleeing a coercive marriage. She had lost custody of her children, was struggling with depression, and felt utterly isolated. Placed in our supported housing, she received one-to-one support, weekly food parcels, and joined peer wellbeing sessions. Slowly, she started cooking again, smiling again. Today, Priya is preparing to co-facilitate her first peer support session. “The food, the check-ins, the small things, brought me back to life,” she shared. (*Name changed for anonymity.)
Our Invitation to Others
The most powerful insight we can offer others delivering similar support is this: relationship first, paperwork second. When services are grounded in culture, trust, and respect, women begin to believe in themselves again. That’s where true transformation starts.
We are deeply grateful to the Charles Plater Trust for enabling this work. Your support helped us go beyond housing, to build hope, dignity, and belonging.
To learn more about our work, visit: severnangelshousingandsupport.co.uk
