Women’s Aid charity seeks expert IT support to develop robust information governance policy

What do they need help with?

Solace Women’s Aid is seeking pro bono IT and tech support to create a robust and future-proof IT policy that reflects best practice, aligns with legal requirements, and helps protect the organisation’s sensitive data and digital infrastructure.

The charity holds confidential information about service users, staff, and suppliers – and the risk of mismanagement or data loss poses serious implications, particularly for the safety of survivors of domestic abuse. Solace currently operates within the Microsoft 365 environment and uses a range of specialist third-party software to manage services, HR, finance, contract management, and health and safety. Their IT administration is outsourced, but the organisation now requires strategic governance input to enhance resilience, compliance, and consistency across its systems.

Solace is looking for a pro bono partner to:

• Review and understand their IT environment and operations

• Engage with teams across the charity to gather key information

• Audit and align their GDPR policies with the new IT framework

• Draft a full IT policy that is Cyber Essentials+ and ISO27001-compliant

• Recommend improvements and help identify practical solutions

• Support the development of an accompanying online staff training module

The policy should cover a comprehensive range of topics including information security, access control, acceptable use, remote and mobile working, encryption, data retention, business continuity, vendor security, AI governance, and physical device security – with clear roles, responsibilities, and board-level approval processes.

This support will make a measurable difference to Solace’s operational resilience, ensuring that staff, trustees, and volunteers have the systems and training needed to safeguard vital information and deliver services with confidence.

Timeline

As soon as possible

About the organisation

Solace Women’s Aid has supported women and girls affected by domestic abuse and gender-based violence for over 50 years. What began as Camden Women’s Aid in 1974 is now the largest provider of VAWG (violence against women and girls) services in London, and the second largest in the UK.

Solace operates 24 refuges across 11 London boroughs, a specialist North London Rape Crisis service, a 24-hour advice line, and holistic programmes supporting children, young people, and families. Their services include emergency accommodation, counselling, community-based advocacy, immigration support, and training to help survivors move towards safety and long-term independence.

In 2023 alone, Solace supported 14,435 adults and children, trained over 2,400 professionals, and partnered with 44 organisations to raise awareness and improve responses to abuse. Their current strategy focuses on long-term recovery, empowerment, prevention, and systemic change – ensuring every survivor can access safety, justice, and support.

https://www.solacewomensaid.org