By Sabina, Alana House Manager
No two days at Alana House are ever quite the same. As manager, my role involves balancing strategic planning, safeguarding, service delivery and funding development, all with one goal in mind: ensuring women receive the right support, at the right time, in a safe and welcoming environment.
Starting the day: planning our group programme
One of the first tasks on my agenda was meeting with our lead administrator to plan our group work offer for July to September.
When designing our programme, we look carefully at several factors: the needs emerging from our group waiting lists, staff availability, and room capacity. As we share the second floor of our building with PACT’s domestic abuse recovery programme Bounce Back 4 Kids, coordinating resources effectively is an important part of the planning process.
Over the summer period, we’re particularly mindful of the additional pressures many women face. School holidays can be a challenging time for families, especially when finances are stretched and affordable activities for children are limited. That’s why, alongside planning established groups such as barista training, Healing Trauma, and our Domestic Abuse Recovery Toolkit, we also included mother-and-child baking sessions led by one of our fantastic volunteers. These sessions provide a fun, welcoming opportunity for women and their children to spend quality time together, connect with others and create positive experiences during what can otherwise be a difficult period.
Keeping safety front and centre
Later in the morning, the Alana team came together for our weekly Risk Huddle.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and these meetings are an essential part of how we keep women safe. We maintain a record of service users with known risk concerns, whether those risks relate to their own wellbeing or potential risks from others.
As a relatively small team, we often receive calls from women who need immediate support or who are experiencing a crisis situation. If their allocated key worker isn’t available, it’s vital that every member of staff is aware of important information about their circumstances so we can respond appropriately and safely.
What I particularly value about these meetings is that they’re not just about identifying concerns. Often, we’re also able to recognise progress. Through safety planning, partnership working and the determination of the women we support, risks can reduce over time, allowing us to update assessments to reflect positive changes and improved outcomes.
Reviewing referrals and connecting women to support
A significant part of my role involves screening referrals to Alana House.
Every referral represents a woman who may be facing complex challenges, and one of my responsibilities is determining whether Alana House is the right service to meet her needs. I also assess the most appropriate funding stream under which we can provide support.
Once a referral is accepted, it is allocated to a member of the team who contacts the woman and begins the assessment process. If she chooses to engage with us and we are able to meet her needs, she is then allocated a dedicated key worker.
From there, support is tailored to the individual. This could include an assessment for our in-house counselling service, opportunities to attend groups, or practical and emotional support around meetings with statutory agencies such as children’s social care. For some women, it may involve preparing for family or criminal court hearings, with their key worker providing advocacy and ensuring their voice is heard throughout the process.
It’s a privilege to see women take those first steps towards stability and confidence, knowing they have someone alongside them throughout their journey.
Looking ahead: securing funding for the future
My day also included a meeting with PACT’s Senior Bid Writer and Director of Community Services and Development to discuss a funding application for the Ministry of Justice Women’s Diversion Fund.
The tender has only recently been released, so we are currently reviewing the guidance and preparing clarification questions to ensure our proposal fully aligns with the funder’s requirements and expectations.
This funding is incredibly important. If successful, it will allow us to continue supporting women who are involved in the justice system, while also helping to divert women away from criminal justice involvement in the first place.
This work sits at the heart of Alana House’s history. We were founded in response to the recommendations of the Corston Report and supporting women with complex needs through a gender-responsive, trauma-informed approach remains something we feel deeply passionate about. We know that with the right support, women can achieve remarkable outcomes for themselves and their families, and our skilled team works tirelessly to help make that happen.
Reflecting on the day
From planning future groups and reviewing referrals to managing risk and securing funding, every part of my role is connected by a common thread: creating opportunities for women to feel safe, heard and supported.
While the tasks themselves vary greatly, the purpose remains the same. Behind every meeting, assessment, risk review and funding application is a woman working towards a brighter future. It’s a privilege to play a part in helping her get there.
