Knowing you can leave
is the beginning of
being free.

A digital self-help service

WalkawayPower is developing a digital self-help service for people who live with violence or control, or who feel unsafe in their relationships, and for those who want to help.

We combine research-based knowledge with self-assessments, risk information and practical tools designed to help people understand their own situation and prepare to make their own choices.

An important aim is to make it easier to understand what rights you have, what public services are actually responsible for and have the authority to do, and how to prepare for contact with support services.

The service will also support practical preparations, including financial planning, understanding digital surveillance, and contingency and safety planning.

WalkawayPower is intended to be relevant to people who are unsure about what they are experiencing, who are considering leaving, or who need support afterwards.

We will not decide what anyone should do. We will make knowledge and practical tools available, so that more people are better placed to assess risk, see their options and make informed decisions.

Who is behind it?

WalkawayPower is being developed by Silje Arntzen Mikalsen and Marianne Skattum. We combine experience of leadership, organisational development and service development with legal expertise, an understanding of systems and work in the field of violence. Together we are developing the service with the aim of making knowledge easier to use when people need it.

Building on expertise

WalkawayPower’s prototype has been developed on the basis of existing research, professional literature, official reports and relevant legislation. The sources have been systematised and linked to the different parts of the service.

Lived experience has helped to make the knowledge relevant to the people the service is designed for.

An interdisciplinary expert panel is now reviewing the content and tools, with particular attention to professional accuracy, clarity, risk and safety. Its input is documented and followed up as part of the ongoing development work.

The expert review is ongoing. The service must also undergo the necessary user-focused and technical assessments before launch.

Would you like to get involved?

We would like to hear from people and organisations who can contribute relevant expertise, experience, quality assurance, technology, funding or collaboration. Our priority now is to develop a sound first version of the service.