Celebrating Our SafeLives Leading Lights Accreditation

We’re proud to share that My Sisters’ House Women’s Centre has received SafeLives Leading Lights accreditation.

For us, Leading Lights is more than a quality mark. It is a genuine affirmation of how we work and the values that underpin our services. It recognises not only strong, robust processes, but the culture we have deliberately built at My Sisters’ House—one that is survivor-led, trauma-informed, and grounded in respect and safety.

As an organisation, this accreditation gives us reassurance that our First Response and Domestic Abuse services meet nationally recognised standards, while remaining responsive to the needs of women in our local community. For our team, it feels like a shared achievement—something to be genuinely proud of—reflecting their skill, compassion and ongoing commitment to improving practice, often under significant pressure.

Why Leading Lights Matters

A quality mark like Leading Lights offers independent assurance to the women we support, as well as to our partners and commissioners, that our services are safe, accountable and effective.

When women come to us, they are often experiencing high levels of risk and vulnerability. At this point, trust is essential. Accreditation provides confidence that they will receive high-quality, evidence-based support in a service that prioritises their safety and wellbeing.

Importantly, Leading Lights does not create a rigid or overly procedural approach. Instead, it provides a clear benchmark for good practice while allowing services to remain flexible, responsive, and truly centred on the women who use them.

What We Learned Through the Process

Working towards Leading Lights accreditation has been both challenging and incredibly valuable.

One aspect that stood out was the Service Managers’ course, which gave us clarity, confidence and a practical understanding of the standards. This helped us approach the process in a way that felt meaningful and achievable for our team.

We were also struck by how supportive the assessment process felt. The assessors balanced being thorough and robust with creating a calm and collaborative environment. It reinforced that Leading Lights is not just about testing practice, but about strengthening and developing it.

The journey encouraged honest reflection across the organisation—even in areas where we feel strong. It reaffirmed the importance of reflective supervision, strong governance and consistent case management as key safeguards for both women and staff.

What This Means for the Women We Support

For the women who access our services, Leading Lights accreditation means they can expect support that truly centres their safety, voice and individual needs.

Our work is grounded in evidence-based practice, with clear accountability and strong safeguarding in place. This ensures that women receive not only support in moments of crisis, but also consistent, respectful and trauma-informed support as they move towards safety and recovery—at their own pace.

Looking Ahead

Achieving Leading Lights accreditation is an important milestone for My Sisters’ House, but it is not the end of the journey. It strengthens our commitment to continuous learning, reflection and improvement—ensuring we provide the best possible support to women across Arun and Chichester.

We are incredibly grateful to our team, partners and supporters who make this work possible. Together, we will continue to build services that are safe, compassionate and rooted in the needs of the women we support.