About the JWA Web Chat

Our new one-to-one JWA Web Chat is a free, confidential advice and emotional support service for women and girls who have experienced domestic abuse.

This is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are in immediate danger, please phone 999 or visit your local A&E department.

When is the JWA Web Chat open?

The Web Chat is open during the following times:

Monday & Wednesday: 3pm-5pm
Tuesday & Thursday: 10am-12pm

Who can access the JWA Web Chat?

Our Web Chat is for Jewish women and girls aged 14 (London) or 16 (rest of England) and over, whose lives have been affected by domestic abuse. It doesn’t matter whether it happened recently or a long time ago, we are here for you.

The Web Chat is not available for men and boys, or children under 14/16. 

How do I use the JWA Web Chat?

Once you have read the information on this page, to talk to us using Web Chat, click on the speech bubble symbol at the bottom right hand side of our website.

How can I use the JWA Web Chat safely?

Only start chatting if safe to do so- is there someone reading over your shoulder, do they grab your device at any time?

If you are able to leave the home alone, try starting the chat on a walk, in the shops, at shul or at a trusted friend’s house.

Make sure you exit the chat properly. Do this by clicking the ‘x’ on the top right corner of the chat. Click ‘Close the Chat’ and exit the tab or click the button that says ‘EXIT SITE’. Delete browsing history.

The quickest way to close the chat is to click the button that says ‘EXIT SITE’. Try and delete your browsing history ASAP.

Follow the police guide on how to delete web browsing history: www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/daa/domestic-abuse/hide-your-web-history/

What will happen during a session?

The JWA Web Chat is a text-based service that you can access through the Jewish Women’s Aid website.

You will see a message detailing our confidentiality and data agreement, you must read and agree to the agreement to enable the chat to start.

Once a conversation has begun you’ll receive responses by highly trained domestic abuse advisors. You will be listened to, believed and offered support. You will not be judged or blamed and you don’t have to take any further action if you don’t feel ready to.

This is a safe and confidential space for you to talk and get advice and/or support.

Our advisors are experienced in supporting survivors to share things at their own pace. You will have control over the conversation and can end it whenever you want. If you are finding the idea of using the Web Chat daunting, rest assured that our advisors will support you through the process.

The advisor will either just listen to you, provide advice, refer you into the service for ongoing support or signpost you to more appropriate services based on what you say you want.

Our Web Chat advisors

The women who operate our web chat are trained domestic abuse advisors from Jewish Women’s Aid. They have experience in providing emotional support to people who have experienced domestic abuse.

Will I always speak to the same person?

During a JWA Web Chat session, you will chat one-to-one with one of our advisors.

If you visit again after your session is finished, you may speak to a different person who will not have access to any details of your previous chat.

What can I do if the Web Chat is busy?

As our advisors only chat to one person at a time, and chats may last up to 30 minutes, you may sometimes find that you are unable to chat with an advisor straight away. Please be patient and try again or send an email to be called back if you feel comfortable in doing so.

Is the JWA Web Chat a referral line?

JWA Web Chat advisors can make referrals directly into the domestic abuse service if you would like them to. If you do not want to be referred into the service, we completely understand and we can just have an anonymous conversation.

Can I contact the JWA Web Chat more than once?

You will not be prevented from visiting more than once. However, as we do not retain any records of your chats, if you do visit again the advisor will not have access to what you previously discussed.

Whilst the JWA Web Chat can provide you with emotional support, is not designed to provide ongoing support or counselling.

Prank and abusive users

Should an advisor believe they are dealing with a prank or obscene caller, they have the right to terminate the chat.

Our JWA Web Chat advisors may ask a user to desist if they find the language used to be extreme and unacceptable. The advisor may choose to end the chat if the language persists.

We will report any incidents of anti-Semitic abuse towards staff to the CST and/or the police.

Experiencing any technical issues?

If you are having technical problems with the Web Chat service, please email [email protected].

Privacy & confidentiality

The Web Chat is an anonymous and confidential service. We have taken extensive measures to protect your privacy.

Your personal details

Our Web Chat can be an anonymous service. You should only provide any identifying details, such as your name or email address if you would like further support.

The only identifiable information that we have access to is the IP address of the device you are using. We will invite you to share your personal details if you have decided you would like further support.

Are the chats recorded?

What you discuss with the Web Chat advisor during your live chat session is intended to be a private conversation. We save transcripts of the live chat sessions only for monitoring and reporting purposes.

At the end of each session, you will be asked if you would like further support from JWA and, if so we will need some details such as your name, email and phone number. You do not have to have further support or give any personal details if you do not want to.

Sharing information with other agencies

Most of the time whatever you tell us will stay between you and the advisor. However, we may need to share information with others if we believe a child or adult at risk is at risk of serious or immediate harm, or if we are instructed by a court of law.

If this is the case, and you disclose information that could lead us to identify your name and location, we may have to share information with the appropriate authorities.

We would initially ask for your consent to share such information, and we can only help in these situations if we have information which identifies you.

Breaking confidentiality without consent

In extremely rare cases, the Web Chat advisor may need to share personal information without gaining consent. This will be in situations where:

• If a user shares information (such as location) which identifies a child or vulnerable adult who is at risk of serious harm
• A user appears to be unable to give consent or become unconscious and they have told us where they are, allowing us to alert emergency services
• A user threatens the safety of JWA Web Chat advisor or other staff, or any other third person about whom the user makes specific threats of harm
• There is a legal requirement to provide information following receipt of a court order requiring us to share information
• If information is received regarding an imminent act of terrorism or similar risk to the life of a third party