Calan's part of Wales#
Calan DVS covers a large and varied area: Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot, South Powys and Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, with refuge provision reaching into Pembrokeshire. Its core is domestic abuse services for women, including refuge, support in the community and crisis drop-ins, alongside services for children and young people, whole-family programmes and community services for men. Its website is published in English and Welsh.
It also leads Dal i Godi, an IDVA service for people at high risk of harm across mid and west Wales, run with Threshold DAS, Carm DAS, Montgomery Family Crisis Centre and West Wales Domestic Abuse Service.
Refuges for women, and one for men#
Calan has eight refuges across south, mid and west Wales for women, with or without children, reachable at any time of day or night, every day of the year. Staff are always on hand, and residents get one-to-one emotional and practical support. When a woman is ready to leave shared accommodation, self-contained move-on units let her reduce support gradually before a new tenancy.
It also has a dedicated refuge for men: single men aged 25 or over, or single men with children. Calan works with refuges elsewhere in the UK and with the Live Fear Free Helpline, so that anyone fleeing can find a place. If you would rather stay at home, it can work with other organisations to make your home more secure.
Asking for help#
On first contact, a specialist support worker arranges to meet you somewhere safe and confidential, usually one of Calan's one stop shops or community offices, at a time that suits you. They listen, complete a risk assessment and plan support around your needs, including housing, money, relationships and parenting. Calan helps whether or not you have decided to leave.
Its contact page lists offices in Ammanford, Brecon, Pembrokeshire, Neath Port Talbot and Radnor; in Bridgend, domestic abuse support is through the Assia Suite. The Neath One Stop Shop is closed for refurbishment until December 2026, with no drop-in, though workers still meet people at other safe places in the Neath area. Its Lotus Project for survivors of sexual abuse is not taking outside referrals at present.
Programmes for women, men and LGBTQ+ survivors#
For women there are the Freedom Programme, a recovery programme and peer groups. For men there is the Compass Programme and peer support. Calan co-produced an eight-session programme with LGBTQ+ survivors, noting that few such programmes exist, and runs several children's programmes, with support for young people from 14 in abusive relationships of their own.
Keeping safe, and a new name in Wales#
Calan's safety plan suggests keeping your passport and copies of important documents somewhere safe or with someone you trust, and recording incidents. Its cover your tracks page explains private browsing and clearing your history.
It publishes nothing on names. Welsh and English law are the same here: men and women alike can change name by deed poll from 16, drafting it from GOV.UK's sample at no charge, and no one else's agreement is needed (names in Wales). For men, ManKind runs a UK helpline; for LGBTQ+ people, Galop does.
This page describes what Calan DVS publishes on its own website, read on 26 October 2026. Calan DVS has not reviewed it, and listing a charity here does not mean it recommends this handbook or any deed poll service.
