Victim Support Scotland (VSS) and Scottish Women’s Aid have announced a new service that will support people who have been impacted by domestic abuse within the Scottish armed forces community. 

The organisations will deliver the project, titled Safe & Supported Scotland, thanks to funding from The Armed Forces Covenant Trust through their Free from Fear grants.

The Scotland‑wide project is designed to improve safety, access to support, and systemic responses for victims of domestic abuse within armed forces communities. It will address a recognised gap in Scotland, where no dedicated armed forces–specific domestic abuse service currently operates.   

The project combines direct, trauma-informed support for victim-survivors with specialist training for armed forces personnel. Two Support Coordinators from Victim Support Scotland will work in close partnership with training specialists at Scottish Women’s Aid to strengthen the armed forces’ ability to recognise and respond effectively to domestic abuse.

Where female survivors require more intensive, wraparound support, they will be referred to their local Scottish Women’s Aid affiliate service. Victim Support Scotland will also provide direct emotional, practical, and financial support to both male and female victims, including safety planning, advocacy within the Scottish justice system, and access to emergency financial assistance. Support will be flexible, confidential, and available regardless of whether survivors choose to engage with the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, a dedicated Training Coordinator at Scottish Women’s Aid will design and deliver a tiered, survivor‑informed training programme for armed forces staff across Scotland. Training will be tailored to different roles and responsibilities, including frontline personnel, welfare teams, HR staff, and senior leaders, and will focus on recognising domestic abuse, responding safely to disclosures, and strengthening internal and external referral pathways. The project will be formally launched later this year.

Jacqueline Cassidy, Director of Service Delivery at Victim Support Scotland, said:

“As the first project of its kind in Scotland, Safe & Supported Scotland will address a gap in provision for domestic abuse support within armed forces communities. We are delighted to partner with Scottish Women’s Aid on this initiative. By combining their expertise in advocating for women and girls affected by domestic abuse with our comprehensive victim support model, we will deliver a joined‑up, victim‑centred response to this need.

“This project has been shaped through engagement and consultation with survivors, practitioners and armed forces support organisations - firmly embedding the lived experiences of people who have experienced domestic abuse and professionals who have supported them.  “Our aim is that it will create lasting, sustainable change and a legacy of support. We hope this will not only benefit victim/survivors directly, but also their children and family members by creating a sense of safety and security for them to move on with their lives.  

“As we develop the service prior to its launch later this year, we want people affected by domestic abuse within the armed forces, and the agencies who are supporting them, to know they can turn to VSS for this important support.” 

Marsha Scott, CEO of Scottish Women’s Aid, said:
"Domestic abuse exists in every community, including the armed forces, and this project is an important step in strengthening how military survivors are supported across Scotland.

"Safe & Supported Scotland will bring together specialist, trauma-informed support with the expertise of local Women’s Aid services to ensure women and children can access the right help in their communities. At the same time, a dedicated training programme will support armed forces personnel to recognise abuse, respond safely to disclosures, and connect survivors to specialist services.

"We know that reaching out for support is often complex, and survivors need responses they can trust. By improving both access to support and the systems around survivors, this project will help build safer, more consistent responses for those affected by domestic abuse in armed forces communities. 

"We have, across the Women’s Aid movement, supported female military personnel and military spouses and partners experiencing domestic abuse.  We will ensure the work of our local Women’s Aid services is supported and amplified through this project. It is our intention to expand to cover areas not currently serviced by local Women’s Aid services bringing gender competent, domestic abuse informed training and implementation support directly to the door of military personnel at all levels.  

"The specialist training offerings we have developed over decades of working in Scotland offer endless opportunities for survivors to experience better responses."

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