Lotus Families

Who we are

Lotus Families is a women-centred, trauma-informed charity supporting women and their children to recover and rebuild after abuse. With nearly 30 years of experience, we provide specialist services across East Sussex, empowering families to break the cycle of abuse and live safer, stronger lives.

Formerly Home-Start East Sussex, we are proud members of Women’s Aid and hold SafeLives Leading Lights QA accreditation - the gold standard for domestic abuse services.

Our Services

Domestic Abuse Recovery Programme
A 6-week group programme for women aged 16+ recovering from domestic abuse.
Each woman receives a welcome call, risk assessment, and co-designed safety and support plan. One-to-one support continues while waiting for a group place.

Child/Adolescent-to-Parent Violence (CAPVA) Programme
8-week specialist support for parents/carers experiencing child-to-parent violence (ages 8–17), with dedicated one-to-one support and personalised planning while waiting for a group place.

TNBI IDVA Support
One-to-one emotional and practical support for transgender, non-binary, and intersex (TNBI) survivors and their children.

Lotus Blossom Peer Support Groups
Ongoing, survivor-led groups offering shared empathy and recovery tools.
Participants must complete the Recovery Programme first, ensuring a safe and emotionally-ready space for peer healing.

Our culture and values

Our Approach

We work through five pillars of impact:
✔ Prevention - Raising awareness and stopping abuse before it starts
✔ Intervention - Specialist crisis support for child-to-parent violence
✔ Recovery - One-to-one and group programmes rooted in trauma-informed practice
✔ Empowerment - Peer-led groups for long-term connection and healing
✔ Advocacy - Influencing systems and policies for lasting change