I work with victims of severe domestic abuse, and am based in a hospital so I can identify potential victims who come in via A&E. Like other independent advisers I also get referrals from the police, health visitors, refuges and self-referrals. When someone comes to our service, my team and I assess their needs so we can support them, discuss their options and develop a plan with other agencies.

We spend Monday reviewing cases; there is a mother with three children who we're very concerned about as she recently visited A&E with head injuries and cuts on her face. We conclude the abuse is getting worse, so with her consent we forward her case to a multi-agency risk assessment conference – a safety planning meeting .

I attend this meeting the next day and am informed that the police have pressed a charge of common assault. It's likely the abuser will be given a lifetime restraining order so that he can't contact the victim again. We agree that a panic alarm should be fitted on her property, the locks changed and that the family will be referred to a counselling service. I talk to the victim later to make sure she's happy with the support she's being offered.

Wednesday is spent in a local school, where I explore with a hundred 14-year -olds how domestic abuse can start, and I share some statistics with them to help them to understand the scale of the problem. Sadly, it's clear some of the children present have already witnessed domestic abuse. I'm later approached by one girl and, in confidence, talk to her about the support we can offer her and her mum.

On Thursday I check Insights, a research programme run by the domestic abuse charity CAADA. The team analyse the support we've offered to allow us to see what works best.

On Fridays there is usually an emergency in the afternoon – for a victim, Fridays can be hard; the kids are home from school, the abuser may be on his or her way home from work or the pub, and a whole weekend of treading on eggshells looms ahead. If a crisis happens and refuges are full, we have a small pot of emergency money to rehouse victims in a bed and breakfast out of the area.

The best thing about my job is the difference that my team makes to the lives of victims and their children – research shows that two thirds of victims report no further violence after they have engaged with an independent domestic violence adviser. The worst thing is that our service is so stretched. More advisers are desperately needed and the government should be doing more to support this.

Mel Markwick works for Worth Services and is based in the A&E department at the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath, West Sussex.