All women deserve to be safe
Our Ambition
A Way Out started in June 2002 when our founder, Jessie Jacobs, met a young girl walking the streets of Stockton trying to sell her body for sex.
That brief encounter motivated Jessie, two friends, and a small group of local people, united in their faith, to begin a project reaching out to these girls and helping them to find “A Way Out”.
Today, A Way Out continues to reach out to Stockton’s women and young people supporting them to live health, safe and whole lives.
A Way Out works in partnership with the relevant agencies and is supported by the local Christian community.
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Our Values & Beliefs
We believe that no one should experience or fear abuse, harm and exploitation.
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This is informed by values of:​​​​​
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This includes working with other organisations to prioritise outreach, facilitate referrals, coordinate support and share learning to create new opportunities to prevent abuse, harm and exploitation and, particularly, to engage and support those whose needs are not met by other services.
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Our priorities include working with:
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the police, probation and others within the criminal justice system to reduce the risk of clients becoming a victim and/or perpetrator of crime and prevent reoffending - including creating new opportunities to address the causes and consequences of offending such as trauma.
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local authorities, the NHS and their partners to ensure addiction, homelessness, mental health, poverty and other services provide coordinated and holistic support - including identifying and addressing unmet needs and gaps in provision or creating new opportunities for intervention/prevention.
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charities and community groups to increase our impact through collaborative working including as a subcontractor to larger organisations delivering universal services - including providing additional support for clients with protected characteristics and/or high levels of unmet need and unmanaged risk.​
LOVE
HOPE
FREEDOM
being accepted without judgement or stigma
overcoming trauma and recognising potential
living lives free from abuse, harm and exploitation
A Way Out Business Plan
2023-2024
2024-2025
Our Strategic Objectives
Finance and Funding Committee
Priorities
review our processes and procedures, including internal meetings, to identify further efficiency savings.
explore opportunities to share 'back office' support with other organisations
consider other options for office / delivery space
ensure all services achieve a balanced budget within the financial year
increase our (particularly unrestricted) income from commissioning, fundraising and trading
continue to develop our planning and reporting to ensure effective and efficient financial management
Outcomes
reduce core costs and/or increase capacity to develop new opportunities
more flexible delivery of services and/or reduce costs
increased financial sustainability
sufficient resources to respond to the increasing and changing needs of those we support
proactive management of increasing financial risks
Workforce Advisory Group
Priorities
continue to invest in staff skills and experience through in house and external learning and development opportunities
review contracts and job descriptions and provide training and supervision so staff can work across different roles and teams
define core roles and move to permanent staff contracts wherever possible
increase staff capacity and/or secure partner support to expand the recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers
Outcomes
increased recruitment and retention
more efficient and effective delivery or services and opportunities for personal development
increased retention through greater job security
greater capacity to deliver our services and opportunities for volunteers to gain skills and experience
Performance and Quality Advisory Group
Priorities
achieve the trauma quality mark
continue to develop our monitoring and evaluation methodology and review our key performance indicators
use wider learning to inform the ongoing development of our business plan/strategy
seek opportunities to influence others and share learning through external evaluation and research and/or networks, workshops and meetings
Outcomes
demonstrate that our trauma informed and responsive approach is integral to everything we do
informed decision making based on a greater understanding of the needs of those accessing our services and how best to meet them
develop innovative and creative solutions to the internal and external challenges we face
address injustice and inequality through wider system change by influencing the policy, procedures and practice of other organisations
Governance and Strategy Advisory Group
Priorities
combine Blossom, Evolve and VAWG into Unity
integrate the deliver of Liberty and Phoenix Women
develop a long term plan for our psychological service
build our network or partners across the North East and beyond
expand the delivery of our services across the Tees Valley and potentially the wider North East and Yorkshire and/or develop new services e.g. housing, mental health, training etc
Outcomes
prevent abuse, harm and exploitation through coordinated outreach and support for children and young people
address abuse, harm and exploitation through coordinated outreach and support for women (including those within the criminal justice system
continue to develop our psychological pathway as an integral part of our services.
ensure families of those accessing our services can also access support
develop new opportunities for collaborative working and wider influence
address gaps in provision and unmet needs and reduce our reliance on a small number of funders and partners
Driven by Christian values:
A Way Out is a charity founded upon a Christian vision and is driven by Christian values. We do not expect all staff and volunteers to subscribe to the Christian faith, but to understand and acknowledge the Christian values which are at the heart of A Way Out…
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We believe in the power of prayer and faith in our work amongst the most marginalised. Hope gives us a vision of a changed life. Faith helps us believe for it. We welcome staff, volunteers, supporters and service users from all faiths and denominations and those who are agnostic or atheist. We do not expect anyone at A Way Out to subscribe to the Christian faith, but to understand and acknowledge our values.
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What do we mean by Christian values? From its early beginnings the Church and later many Christian organisations have tried to reflect Jesus’ concern for the poor and marginalised. It is this which is the basis of A Way Out’s thinking and actions as an organisation.
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Love, compassion and truth are values which the organisation seeks to demonstrate along with a willingness to go the extra mile.
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We acknowledge that these values of Love, Justice, Compassion, Truth and a willingness to see things through, are not exclusively Christian values, although in the case of A Way Out they are seen as values demonstrated by Christ, therefore we recruit and are glad to embrace those of other faiths or no faith, provided they are willing to practise these values and understand that A Way Out is organisation founded on a Christian ethos and driven by Christian values.
Updated October 2024
OUR FUNDING SUPPORTERS
