My name is Uma, I am a 30-year-old Indian woman with two children, boys aged 4 and 7. I was referred to Valley House by the police as I was fleeing domestic abuse from my husband.

I had been married to my husband for ten years; we got married in India and have been living in the UK for the past nine years. At the start of our marriage, our relationship seemed okay; however, sometimes my husband would get angry and shout at me, but I put up with this as I had no family or friends here in the UK. I was also very worried about the impact on my children.

A couple of years ago, my husband lost his job, and that’s when the abuse got worse. He became more aggressive physically and verbally. I did not report any of this to the police as I didn’t know I could or how to. I was constantly fearful for myself and my children.

Earlier this year, we all travelled to India for a holiday, and whilst there, as I was with my family, I got the courage to tell my husband I no longer wanted to remain in a relationship with him. He became angry, and my husband then took the children in the night and brought them back to the UK without my knowledge.

When I came to Valley House, I was very emotional due to not having my children. Staff at Valley House provided me with daily emotional support as I was completely lost without my children.

I was also given lots of practical support. Staff supported me to register with a local GP so my mental health could be addressed. Staff then supported me to get my own bank account and get benefits in my own name. I needed to be strong for my children.

The family support workers supported me to get some legal advice around my children, and eventually, I managed to get my children back in my care. My caseworker helped me and my children to stay safe by completing regular risk assessments and safety plans. This made me feel very safe, which eventually helped me gain my confidence.

As I grew in my confidence, I was ready to do the domestic abuse work, and I completed a package of support around domestic abuse. I did some group work and completed work around understanding what domestic abuse is, how it affected my children, and my rights.

I was also able to understand my emotions better and have a good understanding of what a healthy relationship should be like. I knew I had to create a better future for my children.

As I grew stronger, I was able to finally make a statement to the police about the abuse from my husband and what I had been going through.

I have now left Valley House and started a new life with my children, and I couldn’t have done it without support. I feel safe.

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Find out more about how Valley House can help – Domestic Abuse