The Rising Sun Framework is threaded through every aspect of the organisation. It combines our values and approach, with our vision firmly at the centre. Our Framework enables us to fulfil our mission alongside increasing job satisfaction and wellbeing for team members and improving organisational health and processes.
Values
Our values are rooted in our understanding that domestic abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a consequence of women’s inequality in society. Our feminist values acknowledge this inequality whilst committing the organisation to working towards a more equal society as part of our core mission to end domestic abuse and VAWG.
We work within a feminism ethos and advocate for women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality.
We strive to be a diverse and inclusive organisation for all marginalised groups, recognising intersecting identities and addressing the power imbalance that leads to abuse.
We keep survivor’s needs and voices at the centre of our work, hold ourselves accountable for our actions and act according to our beliefs and values.
We are a learning organisation and respond to emerging needs and latest research about violence against women and children. We take pride in maintaining high standards throughout our organisation.
We create an environment where women and children can achieve self-determination, exercise their human rights and flourish.
We work as a team with survivors and partners to develop services, share knowledge and expertise, and to maximise every opportunity to progress towards our vision.
“The service has been wonderful, I couldn’t have done it without my IDVA. It was life-saving. I felt so isolated and lonely before finding Rising Sun.”
Approach
We have identified six key aspects of our approach for working in partnership with survivors of domestic abuse.
Each survivor is at a different stage of their journey and has a unique history, there is no one size fits all. We listen, believe and validate, showing empathy and asking what they need and want. We see children as survivors in their own right. Being survivor-centred ensures we’re getting it right for each survivor, giving them a voice and empowering them.
We recognise that domestic abuse affects all aspects of a survivor’s life. Therefore, we support survivors on their journey to recovery by providing individualised practical and emotional support. We are flexible, creative and listen to survivors about what matters to them, enabling us to focus our support on areas of highest need. This leads to more meaningful support, giving a greater long-term positive impact.
Trauma can have a long-lasting effect on survivors mental health and relationships. It can be caused by coercive control, amongst many other things, and can lead to behaviour which may seem harmful or counter-productive. We recognise this behaviour as a response to trauma and a coping mechanism. Through our work we create safety, build trust, offer choice, work collaboratively, develop knowledge and empower survivors to help them make meaningful and lasting change to promote recovery.
We recognise the gendered nature of domestic abuse. We work with survivors to understand the social context in which abuse exists, and raise awareness of the impact of gender stereotypes on relationships and expectations, alongside promoting healthy and equal relationships. We promote children and young people’s right to express themselves freely. Being gender responsive liberates women from feelings of responsibility, guilt and shame. It validates experiences and empowers women to seek fairness and equality in future roles and relationships.
Survivors are experts in their own lives with plentiful knowledge, skills and resources. We use these to help them to recognise their strengths and harness their abilities. This approach helps to build trust, respect and empowerment, and enables survivors to create long-term solutions that lead to independent lives free from abuse.
We create a reflective environment to promote self-development and continuous learning for all team members, including trustees, staff, practitioners and volunteers. This approach enables us as individuals, and as an organisation, to really listen to survivors’ voices and to understand our strengths, areas for development, biases and attitudes; all of which continually improves our work with survivors.