Responding to Domestic Abuse
in Suffolk
TRAINING PROGRAMME
Working & Learning Together
February 2015 – July 2015
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Responding to Violence and Abuse Training Programme
Working & Learning Together
Applications are invited from statutory and voluntary agencies in Suffolk
Introduction
‘Working and learning together’ continues to be the theme of our training
programme. While recognising each agency’s independence and contribution in
responding to violence and abuse in Suffolk multi-agency training is aimed to bring
together representatives of all partner agencies to determine how an effective and
consistent response to domestic and honour based abuse can be provided across
agency boundaries. It is in this context that the training programme supports the
development of attitudes and behaviour, skills and competencies to underpin
effective collaborative working
Training has previously focused on domestic abuse as it disproportionately affects
women, children and young people and this continues to be the most common
victim experience. This has been expanded to include other types of abuse and
issues such as forced marriage, honour based violence and male victims of domestic
abuse to promote the message that:
Abuse is never acceptable, regardless of the gender of the victim or of the
perpetrator
Key Objectives
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To improve the response to those experiencing all forms of abuse, including
domestic violence through training that informs and develops working practices
across agencies, to enable effective interventions for victims / survivors including
children.
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To ensure all relevant staff are equipped with the knowledge, understanding and
skills necessary for working across professional boundaries.
Content of Training Courses
The following are recognised in the content of training courses
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Nature, extent, effect and causes of domestic abuse
Developing awareness, looking at prejudices, assumptions and attitudes to
gender issues and links between different forms of violence against women
Children and young people's experiences of domestic abuse
Empowerment of women, children and young people
Awareness about men who use violence and how they "explain" their
behaviour
Relevant agency protocols/systems
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Safeguarding procedures to protect children, young people and vulnerable
adults
Information about County services: MARAC, Domestic Violence Courts,
Sexual Assault Referral Centre, IDAP, IDVA and related support services,
Suffolk Hate Crime Service
Specific issues relating mostly to women and girls - Honour Based Violence;
Forced Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation, children and young people who
experience additional discriminations/difficulties (including black and
minority ethnic women, disabled women, women in rural areas, older
women , lesbians and gay men.
Multi-agency and joint working
Applying for training
Places on the courses detailed in this training programme are administered by
Children and Young People Services (CYP) Workforce Development, applications can
only be made through the on line system detailed below.
Go to www.suffolkcpd.co.uk click on ‘multi agency’, click ‘events search’ and type in
the course code. Alternatively search using the calendar on the right hand side for
the course date, then just click ‘request a place’. You may have to register to get a
login but this then gives you access to all the training events. Please call the
helpline on 01473 264851 if you would like any further assistance using the system
Charging Policy
All courses are offered FREE of CHARGE unless otherwise stated due to support from
Suffolk County Council, Community Safety and Children and Young People Services
and Suffolk Constabulary. A charge of £35 will be levied for non attendance unless
cancelation is notified 10 working days prior to the course date. If another
participant is substituted into the training place this will not incur costs.
Lunch and Refreshments
Lunch is not provided at any of the courses and not all venues have canteen facilities.
Participants can bring a packed lunch to all venues. Tea/coffee will be available on
arrival and at morning and afternoon breaks.
Service Specific Training
Most courses can be delivered in house and can be customised to meet individual
agency requirements. Some courses may incur a cost. For organisations wishing to
arrange this type of training please contact: Shirley Osborne Lead for Domestic
Abuse / VAWG shirley.osborne@suffolk.gov.uk
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Equal Opportunities
We are committed to a policy of Equal Opportunities and of valuing, acknowledging
and respecting difference and diversity. We also aim to provide access to training
and equal treatment in all aspects of domestic violence developments, including
policy development, irrespective of:
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Race
Gender and gender re-assignment
Disability
Sexual Orientation
Age
Religion and belief
In all course programmes we aim to ensure that Equal Opportunities are an integral
feature and at all times undertake to:
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Ensure that all people are treated as individuals
Respect the opinion and experience of others
Ensure that assumptions are not made about people
Appropriately challenge discriminating language or any oppressive behaviour
Confidentiality
We recognise domestic violence and other forms of abuse affect many adults and
children throughout society. It is a sensitive and distressing issue for many people
and training often prompts disclosure of present or past experiences. At all times
during training we undertake to protect and respect individual disclosures on any
subject, including domestic violence. In all cases if approached, safety advice and
information will be offered and respect given to a participant’s request for autonomy
and their right for self determination. However, if significant concerns arise about
the safety and security of a child, young person or any adult who may be vulnerable
we will:
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Raise concerns (in private) directly with the participant concerned unless
there are exceptional circumstances where this may not be appropriate
Negotiate a mutually agreed plan of action
Ensure participants are supported and informed of the limits to
confidentiality in circumstances where significant concerns arise.
Shirley Osborne
Suffolk County Council
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Trainers Profile
The trainers involved in this programme specialise in working in partnership with
statutory and voluntary agencies; all have accomplished significant pieces of work
and projects that have influenced domestic and honour abuse developments in
Suffolk and further afield. As trainers, we are committed to multi-agency and multiprofessional responses and collectively focus our expertise on interventions that
respond to victims of all ages, at high and lower levels of risk. We do not work in
insolation and link training to underpin safeguarding protocols and quality outcomes
for victims and families.
Shirley Osborne
Shirley is Suffolk County Council’s lead officer for Domestic Abuse and Violence
Against Women and Girls (VAWG) working for many years in this area of practice and
to develop front line practitioner skills and knowledge. As well as designing and
delivering Suffolk’s annual multi agency domestic abuse training programme, Shirley
is responsible for domestic abuse/VAWG strategy and policy, coordinating service
development and project management. Shirley works with Suffolk’s County
Domestic Abuse Partnership and local domestic abuse forums to support an ethos of
partnership working inherent in Suffolk’s approach to domestic abuse.
Shirley works closely with CAADA and other national organisations to integrate
approved models of intervention into professional practice across statutory and
voluntary agencies. Through these close associations, Shirley is able to offer valuable
insights to prevent domestic homicide, an escalation of violence and respond to
domestic abuse affecting victims and families in Suffolk. Shirley is accredited to the
Home Office as an independent Domestic Homicide Review Chair.
For more information contact: shirley.osborne@suffolk.gov.uk
Bal Kaur Howard
Bal is the Suffolk Police Project Officer for honour based abuse, forced marriage and
female genital mutilation and is based in the Suffolk Police Domestic Abuse Unit. Bal
has a wealth of knowledge and experience both in training and operational practice
and has been at the forefront of raising awareness of honour based abuse, forced
marriage and female genital mutilation. Bal delivers training within police
establishments and to partner agencies, including health services, education
settings, Social Care services and the voluntary sector.
Bal was a victim of forced marriage. Born in India and brought to Britain aged one,
Bal was forced into marriage at the age of 17 in Darlington and was forced to
sponsor her husband for permanent residency in the UK. Bal is keen to share her
experiences to raise awareness and to reduce the isolation of victims to increase
reporting.
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Bal’s skills extend to working with girls/women’s groups and being the voice of
victims and survivors who experience crimes rooted in the name of honour, giving
practical and emotional support and helping victims to recover and move on. Bal
advocates on the issues of South Asian women and men on domestic violence and
honour based crimes.
For more information contact: bal.howard@suffolk.pnn.police.uk
Cathy Press
Cathy has had a long career as a therapeutic practitioner and is an accredited
member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy as an Integrative
Counsellor and Clinical Supervisor. Cathy is commissioned by Barnados to provide
Attachment Focused Counselling with families at the onset of the adoption process
and when there is potential for placement breakdown.
Cathy is an independent trainer, training in domestic abuse issues for many years for
Suffolk and other local authorities in the UK. Cathy also provides facilitator training
across the UK in the Freedom Programme (for female victims of domestic abuse), the
Who’s in Charge? Programme (Child to Parent Violence & Abuse) and the Escape the
Trap programme (Teenage Relationship Abuse) which Cathy developed in 2013
Cathy has been Chair of Compassion, (Domestic Abuse Forum in Babergh), for 12
years. During this time the forum have developed 'Survivor's Stories' DVD, a training
tool and resource for issues related to domestic abuse and a series of commercials
addressing teenage relationship abuse. With a small team of volunteers the forum
provides three regular support groups each month, a Befriending Service, signposting and support. Cathy has recently been awarded the Sue Poole Award for her
work with Compassion.
Cathy
For more information contact: cathypress1@hotmail.com
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DOMESTIC, SEXUAL AND HONOUR BASED ABUSE
FOUNDATION COURSE
Course Aims
To increase awareness, recognition, and understanding of domestic and sexual
abuse, ‘honour’ based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation and
its prevalence and enable practitioners to develop informed and responsive
interventions that support victims and prevent repeated abuse
Who is the course for?
The foundation course in domestic, sexual and honour based abuse is open to all
staff and volunteers from statutory and voluntary organisations in Suffolk. The
course provides the opportunity for participants to increase their knowledge base of
different types of abuse and its complex nature and builds understanding of the
experiences of victims affected by intimate relationship and community abuse.
Attendance at this course or a similar course is used as a pre requirement to attend
other courses in the programme.
Course Objectives
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To consider the cycle of abuse, a ‘victim’s journey’ and the reasons why
victims stay in abusive relationships
To explore the complexities and dynamics of abusive relationships and
honour related abuse and its impact on victims and children
To challenge the common myths, stereotypes and social tolerance of
domestic and sexual abuse and those associated with honour’ based
violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation
To identify practice issues and cultural sensitivity/community beliefs to
enable effective support of victims in responding to the threat, harm and risk
of abuse
Date
30/4/2015
Time
9.30 -4.30
8/5/2015
9.30 – 4.30
Venue & Locality
Rose Room, Endeavour House,
Ipswich
Ground Floor, West Suffolk House,
Bury St Edmunds
Course Code
MA 15/426
MA 15/427
Please note that lunch is not provided and not all venues have canteen facilities.
Participants can bring a packed lunch to all venues. Tea/coffee will be available on
arrival and at morning and afternoon breaks.
To reserve a place see page 3 Applying for Training and follow web link
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APPLYING PROTECTIVE INTERVENTIONS
Using Risk Assessment, Safety Planning & MARAC
Course Aims
To enable front line practitioners to respond appropriately to victims of domestic,
sexual and honour based abuse by increasing their knowledge about effective and
safe interventions, to encourage disclosure, identify high and lower risk cases using
risk assessment and the MARAC process and complete safety planning with victims
at all levels of risk
About this course
The course brings together multi-agency risk assessment conferencing (MARAC) and
safety planning and supports the adoption of a common DASH risk assessment that
can be used by all agencies. It is focused to improve coordination between a range of
protective interventions that can used by practioners and professionals; it promotes
working in a inter-agency environment to respond to victims of domestic and honour
based abuse.
Who is the course for?
The course is appropriate for practitioners and professionals including those working
for voluntary organisations whose role involves working with/ supporting women,
children and families. As this course focuses on domestic and honour based abuse
applicants are expected to have attended the Domestic and Honour Based Abuse
Foundation course at some time prior to this training.
Course Objectives
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To improve disclosure of domestic, sexual and honour based abuse and how
interventions can be safe and effective
To assist practitioners to identify high and lower risk cases of domestic and
sexual abuse, stalking and ‘honour’ based violence
To assist decisions on which cases should be referred to a Multi-agency Risk
Assessment Conference (MARAC) based on completing risk assessment and using
professional judgement
To enable victims to be offered protective interventions based on their safety
and practitioner/agency support to prevent domestic violence homicide
Date
14/5/2015
Time
9.30 – 4.30
Venue & Locality
Course Code
Rose Room, Endeavour House
MA 15/425
Ipswich
21/5/2015
9.30 – 4.30
Ground Floor, West Suffolk
MA 15/424
House, Bury St Edmunds
Please note that lunch is not provided and not all venues have canteen facilities.
Participants can bring a packed lunch to all venues. Tea/coffee will be available on
arrival and at morning and afternoon breaks. To reserve a place see page 3 Applying
for Training and follow web link
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CHILDREN & DOMESTIC ABUSE
‘A Shift in Approach’
Course Aims
To explore the effects living with domestic violence and abuse may have on children
and young people and develop effective approaches for working with their
experiences.
Who is the course for?
The course is appropriate for practitioners, including those working for voluntary
sector organisations that have a sound working knowledge and understanding of
domestic abuse and may work directly or indirectly with children and their families.
The course underpins safeguarding procedures. Participants will be expected to
have attended the Domestic and Honour Based Abuse Foundation course at some
time prior to this training.
Course Objectives
To promote better outcomes for children and young people who experiences may
include living with domestic abuse and to raise awareness of their needs and views
to enable practitioners to develop responsive interventions that consider:
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How domestic abuse can be recognised through the responses and behaviour
of children and young people
How children and young people make sense of their experiences of domestic
abuse
The coping strategies they may use
Practical and therapeutic approaches that involve and build on children’s and
young peoples own understanding
Date
Time
Venue & Locality
Course Code
19/2/2015
9.30 – 4.30
MA 15/407
11/6/2015
9.30 – 4.30
16/7/2015
9.30 – 4.30
Rose Room, Endeavour
House, Ipswich
Main Conference Room,
Landmark House, Ipswich
East Conference Room,
West Suffolk House,
Bury St Edmunds
MA 15/422
MA 15/423
Please note that lunch is not provided and not all venues have canteen facilities.
Participants can bring a packed lunch to all venues. Tea/coffee will be available on
arrival and at morning and afternoon breaks. To reserve a place see page 3 Applying
for Training and follow web link
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WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS
Course Aims
To increase awareness of the problem of violence and abuse in teen relationships,
and enable practitioners to offer supportive interventions. The course includes
specific consideration in relation to young people to inform professional judgement,
help to identify suitable cases to be reviewed at a MARAC and inform referrals to
children’s social care.
Who is the course for?
The course is appropriate for practitioners, including those working for voluntary
sector organisations, that have a sound working knowledge and understanding of
domestic abuse and may work with young people in a range of youth settings
including social work, youth offending and other educational and youth work.
Participants will be expected to have attended the Domestic and Honour Based
Abuse Foundation course at some time prior to this training.
Course Objectives
To provide participants with information to promote better understanding of forms
of abuse that affect young people including coercion and controlling behaviours and
other sustained abusive activities that are increasingly prevalent in teen
relationships. Through discussion and exercises the course will consider:
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Who may be at risk of teenage relationship abuse and their age range
If there are similarities between adult and teenage relationship abuse
How to begin a risk assessment process with a young person being harmed
within a relationship
How to work with young people who may be experiencing a broad spectrum of
emotions and feelings, encompassing low self-esteem, low self-worth and
confusion
Date
26/3/2015
Time
9.30 – 4.30
Venue & Locality
Course Code
Ground Floor, West Suffolk
MA 15/402
House, Bury St Edmunds
16/4/2015
9.30 – 4.30
Coop Education Centre
MA 15/419
Ipswich
18/6/2015
9.30 – 4.30
Rose Room, Endeavour
MA 15/420
House, Ipswich
25/6/2015
9.30 – 4.30
East Conference Room
MA 15/421
West Suffolk House
Bury St Edmunds
Please note that lunch is not provided and not all venues have canteen facilities.
Participants can bring a packed lunch to all venues. Tea/coffee will be available on
arrival and at morning and afternoon breaks. To reserve a place see page 3 Applying
for Training and follow web link
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