As a feminist and human rights organisation, our services centre-stage women and all of our work is underpinned by values of equality, justice and mutual respect. DVAS support team provide emotional support, information provision, risk assessment,safety planning and advocacy on a one-to-one basis to women living with domestic violence. This can be accessed by women through our helpline, at support sessions in DVAS centres in Sligo and Carrick on Shannon, via the phone or on outreach visits in a safe and confidential locality close to where the woman lives. DVAS also provide short-term accommodation in the DVAS Safe House service and deliver a range of group-based support programmes. As part of its service provision DVAS collaborates with statutory and community organisations and agencies across Sligo, Leitrim and West Cavan, including Family Resource Centres, community development projects, Citizens Information Centres, County Councils/Local funded by Authorities, Housing Associations, Tusla social work teams, including Child Protection and Mental Health teams, Sligo Leitrim Children and Young People’s Services Committee, medical personnel, including GPs and midwifery teams, Gardaí, court clerks, Legal Aid and private solicitors. DVAS’s sister organisation, Curlew Housing Association, an Approved Housing Body and a company limited by guarantee, is managed by DVAS Board of Management. Its mission is the provision of housing and associated amenities for women and children forced from home in Sligo, Leitrim and West Cavan because of domestic violence. Curlew Housing Association currently operates two Safe Houses (a two-bedroomed and a three-bedroomed apartment in Sligo town). DVAS is a company limited by guarantee, a registered charity and is governed by a voluntary Board of Management. The day-to-day running of the service is the responsibility of the Manager. DVAS’s Board of Management has five directors. DVAS currently employs nine people, including a Manager (full-time), a part-time Office Administrator, five Support and Advocacy Workers (three full-time, two part-time), an Outreach Development Worker (fulltime) and a part-time Court Support Worker. We will shortly be expanding the team by recruiting a Finance and Governance Officer and a number of other posts. DVAS’s 2024 budget is approximately €700,000. We receive our core funding from Tusla, Child and Family Agency/CUAN. This year our Service Level Agreement (SLA) has an agreed budget of €666,000 which covers the cost of salaries, rent for both our centres and running costs. The rest of our income is made up of funding received from the Department of Justice’s Victims of Crime fund, some small once-off funding applications and donations from individuals and community groups. DVAS is a member of Safe Ireland, the national social change agency working on domestic violence in Ireland, the Irish Council for Social Housing, the National Women’s Council and The Wheel. DVAS is currently in the process of an organisation-wide policy and practice review and is actively complying with the Charities Regulator’s Governance Code.