Michelle Smith

Having started a career in Health Service Administration Michelle attended night school to complete her BSc (Hons) in Psychology and volunteered at her local Women’s Aid Refuge. 
This started her passion to work with DV victims and children so made a leap from Health to the Voluntary sector direct service.  Michelle obtained an MA (DipSW) Social Work and had a research published in the International Journal of Child and Family Welfare whilst continuing to work in many frontline roles supporting women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse. Michelle has now worked within the DV Sector for over 20yrs.

Michelle specialised in Domestic Abuse & Substance misuse and focused her career on supporting women with multiple complex needs and their children.  She has worked both in the UK and USA in refuge settings as well as outreach & community-based services as well as residential substance misuse rehabilitation.  

In 2005 Michelle moved South to the bright lights of London to work within a Drug & Alcohol service as one of the first DV & substance misuse specialists.  During this work she
and a colleague established a late night drop in/needle exchange for women involved in prostitution in East London.  Michelle was one of the early members of the Stella Project Working Group (AVA) and went on to be DV & Substance Misuse coordinator in Newham.

For the last 10yrs Michelle has worked within a Local Authority Children’s Services as DV Senior Practitioners to help improve the service given to families experiencing domestic abuse. Her role was to support social workers in this area and develop best
practice when working with these families. 

Michelle is also a freelance Assessor for Women’s Aid Federation of England National Training Centre.  Michelle was excited to join the Respect team in November 2021 to help implement the Safe & Together Model.

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