When 17‑year‑old Ana* and her baby daughter were found locked inside a flat with no food, no bed, and no way to leave, the Changing Lives Exploitation team acted quickly. Working with police, they ensured both were brought to safety and removed from the people who had been exploiting and controlling Ana.
With no safe family members able to support her, Changing Lives coordinated an emergency placement at our Changing Lives Refuge in Middlesbrough, giving Ana and her daughter the stability they urgently needed. During her stay, staff helped Ana understand her rights and supported her to secure Universal Credit, including four months of backdated payments. This meant she no longer feared being forced to return to Albania because she couldn’t access money.
Refuge staff also helped Ana build her independence, supporting her with parenting skills, routines, and confidence to navigate her community safely. She began gentle, trauma‑informed work to help her understand healthy relationships, at a pace she could manage. Throughout this time, Changing Lives continued to work alongside specialist exploitation services to keep Ana protected while investigations continued.
Ana shared that without the refuge, she was afraid she would lose her daughter. Instead, she gained safety, stability, and a chance to rebuild her life. When she turned 18, Ana asked to move to a refuge closer to her friends, and Changing Lives ensured a safe transition back to a Refuge in Yorkshire, where her support continues.
Ana’s story shows the strength of national collaboration across Changing Lives services, ensuring women and girls facing violence and exploitation are protected, believed, and supported - wherever they are.
*Names and details changed to protect identity
