The Core Components of a Gender Sensitive Service for Women Experiencing Multiple Disadvantage

A review of the literature January 2017 Introduction The report ‘Women and Girls at risk: evidence across the life course’ (McNeish & Scott 2014) was pivotal in shining the spotlight on the vast range of harms faced by many women over the course of their lifetimes. [...] This is despite the publication of the Department of Health’s Women’s Mental Health Strategy back in 2003 which aimed to respond to what women told them in focus groups, that is to say “a ‘whole-person’ approach to their care, treatment and rehabilitation, to value their strengths and abilities and to recognise their potential for recovery, in the context of holistic assessment and care planning” [...] Service provision should recognise “the implications and impact of patriarchy and colonisation and demonstrate an “understanding of the impact of racism and discrimination in the lives of women and girls within the context of violence” (Imkaan 2014). [...] Echoing the findings described above, the authors highlight the importance of the relationships established, attitudes of staff and ethos of WCSs: the quality of relationships is what women often value most in the provision of services. [...] A comprehensive review of the work of a Women’s Community Centre in Calderdale and Kirklees also highlights ‘relationships’ as one of the three core dimensions key to the success of their work (Duffy & Hyde 2011).