Built by survivors.
Not for them.
The people who wrote the questions, tested the language, shared the link into their own communities, and pushed for this to be done properly are not named on every page. But their fingerprints are on all of it. That is not a token gesture towards survivor involvement. It is what survivor-led actually means.
Survivor designed
Survivors decided what to ask and how to ask it. No professional rewrote the questions.
Survivor led
Survivors set the direction. They will decide what the findings mean and what needs to change.
Survivor written
Ten percent of the final report will be written by survivors. Not summarised. Not interpreted.
Not all survivors can be visible.
Safety is not the same for everyone. Some survivors can speak openly. Others cannot. This project was built to make space for both. Together, our voices can be heard.
Survivor-led organisations working together
MyCWA (Cheshire Without Abuse)
One of the longest-running domestic abuse charities in the country, providing specialist support across Cheshire and beyond.
Domestic Abuse Experts
Specialist consultancy and training organisation working at the intersection of survivor evidence and professional practice.
SODA (Survivors of Domestic Abuse)
A survivor-led organisation founded by Samantha Billingham, focused on peer support and systemic change.
Stronger Beginnings
Supporting survivors to rebuild and move forward, with a focus on empowerment and long-term recovery.
Founder, SODA and Stronger Beginnings
Samantha Billingham is a survivor, advocate, and campaigner with a focus on coercive control and institutional accountability.
She is the founder of SODA (Survivors of Domestic Abuse) and Stronger Beginnings, and the author of The ABCs of Coercive Control - a practical framework for understanding and identifying coercive control that has been adopted in training and awareness work across multiple sectors.
Samantha delivers training to professionals and organisations, with a particular emphasis on the subtle and early signs of abuse that statutory services routinely miss. She is actively campaigning for mandatory coercive control awareness training across all sectors.
CEO, MyCWA | Founder, Domestic Abuse Experts
Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie is a survivor and one of the UK's most experienced practitioners in the domestic abuse sector. She is CEO of MyCWA (Cheshire Without Abuse) and founder of Domestic Abuse Experts.
She is the author of Reframing Risk in Domestic Abuse: A Practitioner Handbook, which challenges the binary and often dangerously oversimplified approaches to risk assessment that persist across statutory and specialist services.
With over 30 years of frontline and strategic experience, Saskia works at the point where survivor evidence meets policy obligation. Her focus is on what the system owes survivors under existing law - and on closing the gap between what is promised and what is delivered.
Take the survey
Your experience is evidence. It takes around 30 minutes.
Be Part of The Change
Stay Informed or Get Involved
Your safety comes first.
Do not complete this survey if it is not safe to do so.
Do not complete it where someone can see your screen.
If you are in immediate danger, call 999.
Safety planning: mycwa.org.uk/safety-planning
How We Work
This project exists because survivors built it. Every question in the survey was written by survivors. The analysis is led by survivors. The reports will be written by survivors.
We prioritise lived experience over professional experience. Where there is a conflict between what professionals think should happen and what survivors say needs to happen, survivor voices lead. Professional expertise is welcome. It does not outrank the evidence of the people these systems are supposed to serve.
We do not speak for survivors. We create the conditions for survivors to speak for themselves.
Our Own Words is governed by a clear ethical and safeguarding framework. These documents are public. We have nothing to hide about how we protect people, handle data and maintain the integrity of this work.
Ethical Framework
Grounded in CIOMS, WHO and RESPECT guidelines, adapted for survivor-led research. Covers safety, impact, respect and justice. The safety of every participant is the first consideration in every decision.
ViewSafeguarding Policy
How the project identifies, responds to and manages safeguarding concerns. Covers concerns found in the data, disclosures by contributors and referral routes. No one is expected to carry a concern alone.
ViewTerms of Reference
The Survivor Advisory Committee structure, how decisions are made, principles of involvement and the Community Interest Company governance model. Survivor-led in substance, not just in language.
ViewCode of Conduct
How everyone involved in the project is expected to behave. Covers respect, honesty, confidentiality, safety and disagreement. No one is exempt, including the project leads.
ViewAll governance documents are reviewed regularly and updated as the project develops. Contributors can comment on draft versions through the Co-Author Hub.