Who BSWA supports#
Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid (BSWA) supports women and children affected by violence and abuse from a partner, former partner or family member. Its specially trained team is made up of female workers, and it takes a "Think Family" approach: protecting children by supporting the mother who is not abusive. Alongside refuges and a helpline, it runs an FGM project, advocates at hospitals and GP practices, and lobbies national and local government on the policies that affect women.
It does not support people whose abuser has no intimate or family connection to them, such as neighbours, and it has no counselling project of its own, though it can point you to specialist counselling.
Every route starts with you#
BSWA is a self-referral service. Its FAQs for professionals say plainly that a social worker or other professional cannot refer a woman in: she contacts BSWA herself, when she is ready. A professional can still call for advice on a woman's options or on safety planning. Staying anonymous is fine if you prefer not to share your details, and support does not depend on leaving: women can come to BSWA while still with the partner.
There are three ways in:
- The helpline, free and confidential, Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5pm, with a text relay service for Deaf people. Evenings and weekends, it refers callers to the free national helpline that Refuge runs.
- Webchat, on weekdays from 1pm to 4pm, through the speech bubble on its site.
- The Theresa Stewart Women's Centre in Birmingham city centre, a drop-in with no appointment needed, open weekdays (afternoons only on Wednesdays). If you have language or mobility needs, call first to book a time.
The helpline, webchat and centre are open to women wherever they live. The site can be read or listened to in other languages through its accessibility tools, and its safe use page explains clearing history and the risk of a shared email account.
Refuges, including for young women#
BSWA has six refuges across Birmingham and Solihull, for women and children only. They include refuges specifically for young women and spaces for families, and most have self-contained flats. Children and family support workers run play sessions and help with things such as finding a school place. Staff help with housing, safety, money and registering with a GP. Refuge spaces cannot be reserved in advance; if none is free on the day you leave, the FAQs say you can still get emergency accommodation through the council.
Advocates at court and in hospital#
Its MARAC IDVAs work with women at high risk of serious harm on safety plans, housing and the options in the criminal and civil courts. Court IDVAs support women from an arrest to the end of a criminal case, including visits before trial and going to court with them. They also explain civil remedies, for example orders that stop harassment or decide who lives in the home, and child contact, and can put you in touch with a solicitor. In Solihull an outreach team works with Solihull Community Housing.
A new name, from a refuge#
Names are not covered anywhere on BSWA's site. If you choose a new one, no partner, family member or agency has to approve it, and at 16 or over you can draft the deed yourself from GOV.UK's model at no cost. In a BSWA refuge, the deed should carry the postal address staff use for residents, not the building's, and a staff member makes a better witness than a fellow resident (changing your name in a refuge). When staff help you register with a GP, you can give the new name if the deed is already signed (changing your name at your GP).
This page describes what Birmingham and Solihull Women's Aid publishes on its own website, read on 26 October 2026. BSWA has not reviewed it, and listing a charity here does not mean it recommends this handbook or any deed poll service.
