GDASS Awarded Leading Light Status for the third time

Our Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS) has been awarded Leading Light status by SafeLives a national charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse.

This is the third occasion, consecutively, that GDASS has been recognised by the Leading Lights programme. GDASS was first awarded Leading Light status in 2017 and has maintained its accreditation ever since.

The Leading Lights programme offers services, partner agencies and commissioners a set of standards for supporting those experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse.

Jo Silver, Director of Quality and Innovation at SafeLives said: “We would like to extend our sincere congratulations on achieving your Leading Lights accreditation for your service and to acknowledge all the hard work and commitment that this represents from your organisation.”

“We appreciate and understand the challenge of resourcing the additional work that a programme such as this entails, and your participation reflects your organisation’s commitment to providing the best possible service for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

GDASS is one of just over 50 domestic abuse services in the UK to have attained Leading Light status and impressively was not given any development aspects during the accreditation process.

Commenting on GDASS’s third consecutive reaccreditation under the Leading Lights programme, Tessa Davies, Service Manager at GDASS said:  “I am enormously proud of everyone at GDASS whose hard work and dedication has contributed towards this huge achievement.

“At GDASS we have embraced a culture of continuous learning and development. We won’t be resting on our laurels and will be looking for new ways to improve the service we offer to those at risk of or who are experiencing domestic abuse.”

SafeLives Leading Lights status is the mark of quality for domestic abuse services and is increasingly being recognised by commissioners and funders across the UK.

The Leading Lights accreditation programme offers services, partner agencies and commissioners a set of standards for supporting victims of domestic abuse. The programme was launched in 2009 and many services have been offered coaching, workshops and assessment since that time.

Find out more about GDASS here.