Centring Justice and Joy!

This episode of the Destiny Creators Podcast we were joined by Natalie Johnson, Amour Destine's Social care Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate (IDVA). Natalie is a qualified children and families Social Worker whose expertise includes Leaving Care, Youth Mental Health First Aid and supporting those in the LGBTQ+ community. Natalie has a Masters in Women and Child Abuse studies and has a working background in Domestic abuse, including trafficking and Harmful Practices. She has just embarked on a fully funded PhD, demonstrating her continued commitment to advancing knowledge and practice in this critical field. As an IDVA at Amour Destine, Natalie supports women and girls who are but not limited to being affected by the care system and provides advocacy support to those at risk of or experiencing any forms of Harmful Practices, Domestic Abuse and/or Sexual Harm. She advocates for reclaiming justice, fighting against oppression and unconscious bias, particularly supporting those who often face discrimination due to a lack of cultural competency within institutions, which poses greater risks and difficulties to accessing services. In this episode, we explore what inspired Natalie to join Amour Destine and what the name represents in day to day practice to her personally, the critical service gaps that Amour Destiné was created to address, and get a comprehensive walkthrough of Amour Destine's core services. You will hear Natalie share an inspiring transformation story that showcases the real impact of their advocacy work, and discusses why her work is vital in ensuring that survivors receive culturally competent support, whilst challenging the systemic barriers that prevent access to life-saving services in this vital field, how the dedicated team overcomes them, and offers essential advice for women who may be hesitating to seek support or feeling stuck in difficult situations.