Our Work Projects Ascent Support Services to Organisations Ascent About Ascent Ascent Support Services to Organisations Activities and Resources under the Ascent Support Services to Organisations Strand Ascent Resources Case Studies Ascent Activity Table Contact The Ascent project is funded by London Councils About Ascent Ascent is a partnership project undertaken by the London Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Consortium, delivering a range of services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, under six themes, funded by London Councils. The six themes are: Advice and Counselling Domestic and Sexual Violence Helplines Ending Harmful Practices Specialist Refuge Prevention Support Services to Organisations The Ascent project has been running since 2013 and is currently funded until 2026. Ascent Support Services to Organisations The Ascent Support Services to Organisations aims to address the long term sustainability needs of organisations providing services to those affected by sexual and domestic violence. The partners in the Ascent Support Services to Organisations strand are: Women's Resource Centre (Lead Partner) Rights of Women Respect Women and Girls Network Imkaan Activities and Resources under the Ascent Support Services to Organisations Strand The Ascent project offers a rich variety of fully funded activities and resources for London-based organisations working with those affected by domestic and sexual violence. Our strand offers the following activities: Accredited Training Expert Led Training Sustainability Training Specialist Briefing Sessions Webinars Special Events Bespoke Support 1:1 support Best Practice Briefings The topics covered include but are not limited to: Understanding and Working with suicidality Sexual Violence Working with Black and minoritised women affected by violence Best Practice of anti-racism Working with Black and minoritised women affected by domestic violence Domestic Abuse Act Training Series Understanding and working with Harmful Practices Immigration and VAWG Professional Resilience and Self Care Understanding Perpetrators Working with Forced Marriage and FGM Collaboration Policy Black and minoritised women’s organisations and Domestic Abuse Act 10 Top tips for fundraising Measuring outcomes Project Management Well-Being For a complete list of activities please see our table at the bottom of this page. To keep up to date with upcoming Ascent activities, please sign up to WRC's newsletter and/or keep an eye on our Events and Training Calendar. Ascent Resources Best Practice Briefings 2024/2025 Building Relationships with Funders and Commissioners | WRC | 2025 Domestic Abuse Protection Order Pilot | Rights of Women | 2025 2023/2024 Domestic Abuse Act 2021 Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders | Rights of Women | 2024 2022/2023 Family Law And Criminal Law Measures in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Ascent Best Practice Briefing) | Rights of Women | 2022 Improving Support and Outcomes for Mothers Surviving Domestic Abuse and Child Removal |AVA | 2022 2021/2022 Domestic Abuse in Criminal Proceedings | Rights of Women | 2022 Uncivil partnerships - a renewal? | Imkaan | 2022 Working with child survivors of domestic abuse |AVA | 2022 Anti-Racism Strategy for Organisations | Women and Girls Network | 2022 2020/2021 Allyship | Imkaan | 2021 Race, Trauma, and Violence Against Women and Girls | AVA | 2021 Dying To Live: Suicidality Awareness | Women and Girls Network | 2021 Options when an abuser is not prosecuted | Rights of Women | 2021 Guidelines for working with perpetrators of domestic abuse | Respect | 2021 2019/2020 Self-Care and Professional Resilience | Women and Girls Network | 2020 Sexual harassment in the workplace and employment law | Rights of Women | 2020 Children and Young People’s Experiences of Gender Based Violence | AVA | 2020 Joint briefing on Domestic Abuse Protection Orders | Respect and Rights of Women | 2019 2018/2019 Child Sexual Exploitation A Trauma Focused Approach | Women and Girls Network | 2019 Communicating about violence against women and girls (VAWG) | Imkaan | 2019 Technology and Violence Against Women – Helping or Harming? | Ava | 2019 Acting as a McKenzie Friend in the Family Court | Rights of Women | 2018 2017/2018 Transforming the response to Domestic Abuse |AVA | 2018 Developing A Trauma Informed Approach | Women and Girls Network | 2018 Young women, navigating spaces | Imkaan | 2018 Family law legal aid and the domestic violence gateway | Rights of Women | 2018 Sector Conversations The Ascent project has created a series of conversations with the sector. These short videos covers a wide range relevant for the VAWG sector in London. You can find all videos here. Case studies The Ascent project regularly publishes case studies of organisations and staff members who have attended Ascent activities. Read our case studies below. Hopscotch Women’s Centre | Sustainability training: Staff Wellbeing “Trainers are well versed in their topics and comfortable answering questions. Good delivery style, informal and welcoming. The trainings always give me something new to think about and a fresh motivation” Read the case study here National Domestic Abuse Helpline | Accredited training course: Gender Responsive, Trauma Focus Approaches for Engaging Women Who Have Experienced Sexual Violence “Being able to respond in a way which is sensitive to the key issues, the impact, society’s attitudes and with an understanding of how to implement effective strategies has really benefitted the survivors I’ve worked with. I am finding I am cultivating better connections with women over the phone who have disclosed sexual violence.” Read the case study here ROJ Women's Association | Specialist Briefing Sessions: Influencing Commissioning Practices Together, MET what comes next and Q&A with the MET on the Casey Report "Learning from each other's experiences is crucial to our progress, and Ascent's training programs have made this learning accessible. Without these resources, I am confident that navigating the right approach to cases and interactions with authorities would be a significant challenge in itself." Read the case study here. Woman’s Trust | Sustainability Training: Measuring Outcomes, Special Events: Cost of living Crisis, Recruitment and Retention, Specialist Briefing Sessions: Met Police What Comes Next & Q&A with MOPAC And the MET on the Casey Report "Ascent provides training opportunities which are very relevant to the need of the sector. It is extremely helpful to be able to understand through these trainings what is happening in the sector, what tools are available, to have the opportunity to upskill our teams/organisations as well as realising that we are often dealing with the same challenges." Read the case study here. IMECE | Expert Led Training: Professional Resilience and Self Care "I have learnt If we do not self-care, we cannot cope nor survive the stressors consequences of which come with varying symptoms, some or all, e.g. I have learnt to look out for the signs, which has helped me in my job and helped me be more attentive to clients I work with." Read the case study here. A Mile in Her Shoes | Sustainability training: Train the trainer, Special Event: Spotlight on Supporting Homeless Women with Multiple Needs "Working with organisations in the women’s sector through the Ascent project enables homelessness organisations to get better insights into working with women and to improve their practice." Read the case study here. Glitch | Sustainability training: Finance for project managers, Sustainability training: Wellbeing "What stood out for me during the training was the fact that they were tailored for the women’s sector. The trainers were very good, and it was also a good networking opportunity." Read the case study here. London Borough of Redbridge | Expert-led training: Individual working with perpetrators "I really really enjoyed the course. There was space for everyone to speak and contribute, and the trainers made me feel really comfortable to speak and everyone shared stories and practice." Read the case study here. Women in Prison | Sustainability training: Well-being, Sustainability training: Negotiation skills "The wellbeing training was invaluable and provided some great tools and techniques, in particular focusing on individual needs of staff. The trainers were great and the sessions interactive." Read the case study here. Hillingdon Women's Centre | Sustainability training: Bid-writing, Sustainability training: Unconscious bias, Special Event: Sex, race and class “After attending the bid writing training I know exactly what a funder is expecting to read and how to focus my bid if I want to get the fund. It gave me the tools that I can use to get a more effective result in terms of funding." Read the case study here. London Borough of Redbridge | Expert-led training: Individual working with perpetrators "I have been able to pass on this training to my team and increase their knowledge and skills, which has made a big difference as I’ve been able to increase their confidence. This has had a big capacity-building impact on the organisation." Read the case study here. Nia | Accredited training: Sexual Violence "The group doing the training and the trainer herself created such an empowering and non-judgemental environment and helped me to realise how I could do the same for my clients. The training has certainly meant that I am now a much better and more confident advocate." Read the case study here. Ascent Activity Table Frequency Activity Partner organisation Yearly Accredited training: Dying to Live: Understanding and Working with suicidality (2 day training) WGN Twice yearly Accredited Training: Sexual Violence (2 Day Training) WGN Yearly Accredited Training: Working with Black and minoritised women affected by violence Imkaan Yearly Best Practice Briefing: Domestic Abuse Act ROW Yearly Expert Led Training: Best Practice of anti-racism Imkaan Yearly Expert Led Training: Best practice working with Black and minoritised women affected by domestic violence Imkaan Quarterly Expert Led Training: Domestic Abuse Act Training Series ROW Twice yearly Expert Led Training: Hidden Scars Understanding and working with Harmful Practices WGN Yearly Expert Led Training: Immigration and VAWG training ROW Yearly Expert Led Training: Professional Resilience and Self Care WGN Yearly Expert Led Training: Understanding Perpetrators Respect Yearly Expert Led Training: Working with Forced Marriage and FGM ROW and Imkaan Yearly Needs Analysis Survey ALL (led by WRC) 9 Per Year One to one Support Sessions WRC and Imkaan Twice Yearly Special Event:On topics of relevance to the sector based on need WRC Yearly Specialist Briefing Session: Black and minoritised women’s organisations and Domestic Abuse Act Imkaan Yearly Specialist Briefing Session: Domestic Abuse Act (with borough officers) ROW Yearly Specialist Briefing Session: Domestic Abuse Act (voluntary and community orgs) ROW Yearly Specialist Briefing Session: Domestic Abuse Act and perpetrator work: Need for multi-agency working when identifying risk/need/harm Respect Yearly Specialist Briefing Session: Domestic Abuse Act and working with male victims: Need for multi-agency working when identifying risk/need/harm Respect Yearly Specialist Briefing Session: Funding opportunities and application procedures for Black and minoritised organisation Imkaan Twice Yearly Specialist Briefing Session: On topics of relevance to the sector based on need WRC Yearly Sustainability Training: 10 top tips for fundraising WRC Yearly Sustainability Training: Measuring outcomes WRC Yearly Sustainability Training: Project Management WRC Yearly Sustainability Training: Well-Being WRC Yearly Webinar: What does the Domestic Abuse Act mean for frontline practitioners in relation to perpetrator work Respect Yearly Webinar: Working with perpetrators best practice: safety of survivors and multi-agency working Respect Contact To find out more about the Ascent Support Services to Organisations Strand, please contact the project manager Nour on [email protected] The Ascent project is funded by London Councils London Councils represents and champions London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London, serving local communities, businesses and amplifying the voice of Londoners. They are a cross party organisation that works on behalf of all of their member authorities regardless of political persuasion. They work with partners to deliver sustainable change, address inequalities and make London a fairer place for all. http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/grants Manage Cookie Preferences