15 September 2025

Sadia was previously a Refugee Support Worker, Hestia Voice Representative and UCAN Chair at Hestia

 

How did you first come to find out about Hestia?

I was already working in the VAWG sector, but it was a culturally specific service and I was keen to work for an organisation that supports women from all backgrounds - as after all domestic abuse can impact anyone. After some online research, I came across Hestia. I think the job for a Refuge Support Worker was advertised on Charity Job or a similar site. I applied immediately and was thrilled to be offered the role.

Is the role you’re in currently the same role you started out in?

Yes. I’ve been a Refuge Support Worker for almost six years with the Hackney Domestic Abuse Service. However, since 2022, following encouragement from colleagues, I’ve started to pursue other roles within Hestia. I joined Hestia Voice because I loved the idea of bridging the gap between frontline workers and leadership. I was also elected co-chair of Hestia’s disability network, UCaN. This has been a wonderful opportunity to work with a committee of like-minded people and suggest ways to better support disabled colleagues.

What does your day-to-day look like?

Extremely busy! My tasks vary from day to day, but if I had to sum it up in one line – in essence, it is service-user led. Whatever their presenting needs are forms the crux of my work, and then it’s a matter of prioritising while also being prepared to deal with the unexpected.

I might be supporting service users through one-to-one key work sessions or carrying out casework on their behalf. This can range from liaising with professionals about immigration or family law matters to speaking to housing departments when moving service users on. I could be making referrals for ESOL or counselling therapy, setting them up with benefits, or searching for grants to maximise their income. I also liaise with the Children and Family Worker and attend meetings with professionals.

My role is multifaceted. I’m not just supporting the service users but also managing the house - carrying out daily, weekly, and monthly health and safety checks; filling out information request forms for management; and ensuring all paperwork is properly saved on the file server. There’s a significant administrative side to the role, which takes up a lot of time.

Somehow, amongst all this, I still fit in my work for UCaN!

What is the best part of your job?

Observing a service user’s journey from the beginning to the end - from when they first arrive at the refuge to when they are ready to move on - and seeing them blossom into independent women while achieving small but significant goals. It’s about empowering them along the way.

Sometimes it’s the little things, such as seeing someone’s English improve or confidence grow. Most recently, a service user shared with me that she was slowly learning to “ask for what she wants” because she had been prevented from expressing herself while in the abusive situation. She was now in a safe and empowering space and this positive change was something her mind was adapting to very slowly. I ultimately credit these achievements to the service user’s own strengths, but knowing I’ve helped point them in the right direction makes my role worthwhile. Seeing service users off on their last day at the refuge - waving at you and saying thank you - can be a very special moment. It’s hard to put into words.

What are some challenges?

Feeling overworked at times, especially when priorities clash. Another big challenge is when housing authorities do not cooperate while I’m trying to help service users move on. However, I enjoy and take seriously my role as an advocate and do my best to become their voice when speaking to housing officials. Finally, setting boundaries can be tricky, especially when your workplace is also the service users’ home.

What do you like about Hestia as an organisation?

  •  The various events that Hestia holds for service users, and the effort the volunteering team puts into arranging them—it’s truly appreciated.
  •  The wider opportunities available outside of your main role, such as the ones I’ve taken up (although you need the time to do them).
  •  The endless training opportunities, whether online e-learning or external courses on a wide range of subjects related to your role.

Could you tell us a little bit about someone you’ve supported?

There was one service user who wouldn’t make eye contact with me when she first arrived. She didn’t speak a word of English and felt shy, often asking her 11-year-old son to translate for every little matter, which wasn’t appropriate. I was very concerned and arranged for an on-site interpreter as soon as possible. Through the interpreter, I explained the importance of engagement and urged her to speak to me despite the language barrier.

I was taken aback by how seriously she took my advice. From the next day onwards - less than a week into her stay - she began approaching me and expressing herself in a mix of her mother tongue and the little English she knew. Over time, I noticed her speaking more and more English words and slowly constructing half-sentences, even if only three words. That was a real improvement!

Is there a particular highlight that comes to mind during your time at Hestia?

It has to be the first Christmas Party I experienced at Hestia for the service users. A local hall had been hired and service users from all five houses in Hackney were invited. I was only days into my role but, having come from a smaller organisation, I’d never seen anything like it.

There were women - many with children - laughing and smiling despite the hardship they had come from. Children were running around, engaging in arts and crafts activities. Santa Claus (aka my manager!) was giving out presents to the families. It was large-scale, the atmosphere was so positive, and it was incredibly heartwarming. I’ll never forget it.

What’s one thing you’ve learnt during your time in this role?

This is going to sound very cliché, but you can only do so much for your service users. It can be hard knowing what situations they’ve fled and wanting to make life easier for them and help them achieve their goals, but there are limitations - especially with housing options. Managing their expectations is something I’ve had to learn.

In my UCaN role, I’ve learnt how to manage a project from scratch and delegate tasks to committee members to make them feel involved. I’ve learnt to trust my own ideas, which has increased my confidence. I initially found taking on the position daunting - I’d never done anything like it before and even chairing meetings felt scary - but it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass.

What did you want to be when you were younger? And how do you think that relates to what you do now?

This has varied a lot, and I don’t think there’s much direct relation between where I started and where I am now! When I was very little, I wanted to be an air hostess (I have no clue why as I have a huge fear of flying!). Then I wanted to be an author of fiction - I used to love story writing and still love reading. After that, a documentary filmmaker. I studied Media and Cultural Studies for my undergrad but my media career didn’t really take off, despite a couple of placements at the BBC.

Fun fact: I co-produced a news report that was featured on BBC London News about why young people don’t like to “snitch.” That remained the highlight of my life for about a decade!

I think there’s not always an obvious connection between the jobs you do, but there’s often an underlying theme linked to your personality and values. Despite it not being obvious at the time, there was a theme emerging in my life - helping and giving a voice to the underprivileged and vulnerable (even my BBC report was loosely related to that). This eventually led me to work with survivors of domestic abuse. I was always drawn to it after witnessing someone close to me go through it. I was too young at the time to help that person, but I knew I could help others in similar situations.