Practical Support

A safety plan is a personalised, practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave. Having a safety plan can help you to protect yourself during this difficult time.

Remember, you are the expert in your safety, and you can take steps to manage this.

The best way to make a comprehensive safety plan is with the help of specialist family or sexual violence service.

A list of services is available in the Services Directory.

But you can make a simple safety plan for yourself with help from a friend or someone in your family. Every plan is different as every person has different needs.

Some things you can include are:

• Identify safe areas of the house where there are ways to escape if possible.
• If possible and safe, have a phone charged and accessible at all times with numbers to call for help.
• This may include support services, family members, friends, neighbours or someone you trust.
• Let trusted family, friends and neighbours know of your situation and develop a plan, codeword or visual signal for when you need help.
• For example, closing curtains or turning on a light.
• Make a habit of backing the car into the driveway and keeping the car fuelled.
• Have a bag packed and kept with a family member, friend, neighbour or a person you trust.
• Include copies of keys, important documents, money and any medication.
• Teach your children how to ring Triple Zero, know your home address and your full name (Not just ‘Mum).

Further information is also available at www.1800respect.org.au/help-and-support/safety-planning