Seeds UK - Survivors Empowering and Educating Domestic Abuse Services.

http://seeds-uk.org/

SEEDS Bath

Twitter @Seedsbath
email - seedsbath@gmail.com

SEEDS Devon

Twitter @seedsdevon
email - seedsdevon@gmail.com
Facebook m.facebook.com/Seedsdevon

SEEDS Cornwall
email - admin@wrsac.org.uk

Contact 07866 355409

SEEDS Shropshire
email - Email: seeds@freedomshropshire.org.uk

for links to the various SEEDS

http://seeds-uk.org/seeds-bath/

http://seeds-uk.org/seeds-devon/

http://seeds-uk.org/seeds-cornwall/

http://seeds-uk.org/seeds-shropshire/#

from their main website -
"The main objective for all SEEDS work is improving the planning and delivery of domestic abuse services by listening to survivors experiences. As long as the core principles of SEEDS work are adhered to this can be achieved through a variety of means:

The establishment of SEEDS groups (see below and as described in detail throughout this web site) who are independently facilitated, trained survivors, who meet regularly and work closely with local statutory and voluntary providers on training, research, consultation on plans and presentations.
Survivors Conferences: If little work has taken place on survivor views and experiences then holding a one off Survivor Conference is a very effective way of meeting lots of survivors, identifying key issues and establishing a baseline. Various structures can be used but the approach used in Somerset and then Devon has worked very successfully. In summary this involved :
Inviting approx 50 survivors via local providers/word of mouth;
Ensuring each key agency ( e.g police, social services, housing etc) sent 2 staff , one front line officer and 1 more senior who had decision making responsibility;
Providing flip charts on each agency for all women to add post it notes to identifying their experiences, good or bad;
Running parallel workshops, independently facilitated, based around different themes e.g criminal justice health etc with agency representatives and up to 12 survivors involved;
Each agency to report back on 3 key items for action following successive workshop discussions.
NB In Devon a follow up conference was also held for agencies to report back on their progress.

Survivors Panels : An alternative approach to the groups is to set up a SEEDS Panel which meets less often ( e.g quarterly) , is independently facilitated and is made up of a broad group of survivors who are paid for their time. Different agencies are then able to attend and meet the panel to talk through their views and experiences of services. Ideally these women will have received training ( e.g in listening skills, group work, boundaries , presentations etc) as happens in the more structured SEEDS groups , and if so they would then be able to provide training to other services.
SEEDS Structure

To date the SEEDS groups have all evolved out of local work taking place with survivors and adopted the name SEEDS in order to :

benefit from the contact with the other groups;
use SEEDS materials ; and
learn from SEEDS previous experiences about what works/ what doesn’t etc
Each group has its own constitution ( as a local community group) and bank account and is facilitated by an independent co-ordinator, who is accountable to the local funding body (usually the Local Authority/Domestic Abuse forum/Crime and Disorder Partnership).

Seeds was originally set up by Philippa Chapman.

Work is currently underway to strengthen the SEEDS structure and this section will be updated accordingly.

What are SEEDS groups?

SEEDS groups are:

Groups of survivors of domestic violence and/or abuse;
Single sex - to date all groups have been female survivors but the model could apply equally well to groups of male survivors;
Made up of survivors who are in the ‘right place’ to share their experiences and discuss their views on existing and planned services. The driving motivation for all SEEDS members has always been the desire to help improve services for future women and children coming into contact with both specialist domestic abuse and generalist services;
Committed to developing a dialogue with commissioners and providers of domestic violence and abuse services both within the statutory and the voluntary sector;
Willing to raise awareness about domestic violence and abuse and passionate about increasing understanding amongst front line staff.
Trained in domestic violence and abuse; respecting boundaries; listening skills; giving presentations etc
Keen to ensure we incorporate more recent experiences into the group and ensure ‘fresh faces’ at meetings/ presentations;
Willing to seek the views of other survivors (from as wide and diverse a group as possible ) about their experiences to ensure the SEEDS members are kept up to date on the effectiveness of local service delivery;
A network of groups who can support one another across the South West Region (at present).
Facilitated by an independent co-ordinator."