Nasseam Akhtar, an experienced Helpline Support Worker has supported many vulnerable women to improve their knowledge and understanding of safety. Her emails to service users have been described as being a soothing balm to healing a broken heart and has given women the confidence to make positive changes. Here Nasseam provides insight on how safeguarding cases on MWN Helpline are handled.  

So my day starts at 5am...a beautiful time in winter darkness, where I can focus on myself, and the peace and silence that welcomes a new day. The dawn prayers are a very special moment for me to be in solitude - an opportunity to grasp the hand of Allah (SWT) as I put it, and contemplate on my thoughts of the moment.

Then the craziness starts and I attempt to involve the family in this special moment too - its a hit and miss opportunity! Before you know it, I’m in the car having metaphorically 'disposed' of the children to their various commitments and then my OCD kicks in to get me to work on time!

I have no idea how I've arrived and parked up, no memory of the journey or even if I remembered to lock my car, but I've made it!

I grab my Greggs cappuccino and pain au chocolate enroute to the office every single week - without fail it hits the mark. My colleagues sometimes hear me groan with happiness as I take my first sip of coffee, I've been nil by mouth since 5pm the day before, so I am gasping for that hit!

As I walk in, my colleagues are gathering in the Helpline room to have a catch-up with the Helpline Manager and Operations Director. On many days we learn about safeguarding cases that need urgent actions. 

Sometimes service users contact the Helpline to disclose some serious domestic abuse from their husband or other members of their family. This can include violence, coercive control with a risk to children who are witnessing the abuse and other types of abuse. The purpose of the early meetings is to share opinions and information, allocate actions between the team and prioritise the safeguarding cases. This can sometimes mean contacting police, if we feel the service user is in immediate risk, and making referrals to social services for vulnerable people.

All tasks are allocated to Helpline staff who jump into action, giving priority to safeguarding cases to ensure we have given our best possible support to the service user. Safeguarding cases can take up most of a shift, with processes and procedures to follow and liaising between colleagues and management, and external agencies where necessary. A lot happens behind the scenes when a call of such seriousness comes through on the Helpline.

Throughout the shift on Helpline, the phones keep ringing and service users continue to contact MWN Helpline for help. Other means of contact for service users are via SMS/WhatsApp, webchat, email or the Amal Safety app. Some days can be quite hectic, but everyone rallies around to provide a well-rounded support mechanism to ensure no service user is missed out. There is usually a buzz in the Helpline room with everyone focusing on their tasks and whatever the next service user contact will bring.

Early afternoon and another coffee is due and its taking a lot of energy to avoid eye contact with the snacks table behind me! This is where staff and management store snacks that can be a real pick-me-up with a hot drink. These gestures are really valued by all staff and utilised when breaks are taken.

As my shift is coming to an end, I have a final catch-up with our Helpline Manager to advise of anything outstanding or cases that have been actioned and closed. The work never ends on the Helpline. I know that as I am leaving my morning shift, my colleagues are still working very hard to provide this essential service.

MWN Helpline is unique. The provision of faith and culturally specific, non-judgemental support draws vulnerable women and girls to the service.  Our service users remind us time and again, that they contacted us because we "get them". We often get lovely feedback from them and from professionals of how well we handled their queries.

This gives us immense pride to know we are relatable and accessible to some of the most vulnerable group of people who have no hope of being heard and understood. So, giving them the best outcomes has been and will always be very satisfying and I feel great when I leave the office, knowing I've done my bit!