Domestic Abuse in all the forms it takes is a national emergency impacting on victims and children from all walks of life irrespective of standing, status, socio economic group or gender

We have created unique resources to support  Front Line Practitioners, GP’s and Family Law Firms  to recognise and SAFELY respond to the  many different types of domestic abuse as this is a complex issue and one size does not fit all.  The legal system can be an unknowing and unwilling extension of the abusers arm reaching out to cause as much damage as possible. Professionals require specialist knowledge and skills to confidently support colleagues, families and children who may be  affected by domestic abuse.

While some high profile cases have raised awareness of Coercive Control, there is still a lack of expertise, knowledge, and skills dealing with this area of domestic abuse.

A YouGov poll from 12 August 2019, found more than 50% of front-line healthcare staff say they do not feel able to identify a domestic abuse victim. At least 48% of NHS and 65% of private-sector staff did not feel adequately trained to identify a domestic abuse victim. There are no similar surveys with other agencies involved in “Working Together to Safeguard Children.”

Front line workers in Children’s Services are overwhelmed with the high volume of referrals involving Domestic Abuse, Mental Health, and Parental Conflict. The lack of appropriate training and resources to tackle this issue is resulting in poor staff retention, low staff morale and dangerously high caseloads placing children at risk.

This issue is replicated across many disciplines and regardless of government initiatives to tackle domestic abuse,  radical changes are still required. Despite professionals using the same methods and resources for many years, things have still managed to reach crisis point. News articles and Serious Case Reviews frequently include domestic abuse but there is a lack of investment in training staff to identify the signs of specific types of abuse.