There is growing recognition lhat to tackle domestic violence, you need to deal with the cause of the problem. This is in addition to helping victims to safety and supporting their recovery.
Through years of experience and research into high risk cases of domestic abuse, My Sisters Place has identified a number of gaps in the current approach which results in;
- Victims carrying responsibility for abusive and violent partners;
- A lack of early intervention with perpetrators;
- No support or advice for perpetrators who may be entering systems that will escalate them into the criminal justice system
- A missing link between victims, services and perpetrator that could address the well documented pattern of behaviour that escalates over time
Envisaged Outcome of Pilot Programme
Outcome 1 – Improve engagement with perpetrators to inform the individual’s actions and develop better strategies for change and harm reduction.
Outcome 2 – Improve risk assessment and information sharing in domestic abuse cases to reduce repeat victimisation and improve the safety of victims.
Outcome 3 – Improve pathways and practice across a range of support services by improving their knowledge and understanding of the needs of perpetrators and the importance of joint working.
The project is a learning exercise with a strong commitment to making a difference now and informing future service provision.
Funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner will allow for the increase in staffing to further support the project ensuring a wide range of other learning needs can be captured, through feedback from service users and victims.
The project will be developed and delivered over two years. It has support from Respect the National Perpetrator Accreditation Organisation, who will be overseeing evaluation to add credibility to any findings and recommendations.
Decision 47 – 2016. Specialist Men’s Advocate for Domestic Violence Perpetrators (application, 31kB)