Positive Steps Report

Researching how 11 to 19 year olds living in Hampshire are
supported when they have experienced domestic abuse
February 2015, by Kylie Barton

This report was commissioned by Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner,
and carried out by One Community.
Published February 2015
Written by Kylie Barton
Further copies of this report are available from www.1community.org.uk
One Community
16 Romsey Road
Eastleigh
SO50 9AL
Tel: 023 8090 2462
Email: kbarton@1community.org.uk

3 | P a g e
CONTENTS
Section Page
Acknowledgements pp.4
Executive Summary pp.5-6
Abbreviations pp.7
Introduction pp.8
Definition of Terms pp.9-10
Research Methods pp.11-12
Literature Review pp.13-19
The Hampshire Context; Current Provision in Hampshire pp.20-28
What’s Happening Elsewhere pp.29-32
Primary Research with Participants pp.33-49
Conclusions pp.50-51
Recommendations pp.52
Areas Requiring Further Research pp.53
References pp.54-56
Appendices pp.57-68

4 | P a g e
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to each organisation, and their staff, for taking the time out of their busy schedules to work with us to help create this
report and resultantly improve knowledge on what it is that young people need. Thank you also to the number of survivors that
engaged in the project – each of you is an inspiration.

5 | P a g e
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Background
One Community’s Positive Steps project was commissioned by the Office of the Police Crime
Commissioner. Its aims to look at what provision already exists for the target group of 11-19 year olds,
what is missing, and what kind of support is most beneficial to young people in Hampshire. This follows
other research conducted on behalf of the PCC on victim support and elder abuse. Together they will help
the PCC form a cohesive and informed strategy for how best to protect and support some of the county’s
most vulnerable people. The research was undertaken as it became apparent there was a county wide
lack of understanding of what support there is available for young people who have experienced domestic
abuse. The report is to clarify what provisions there already are, which are proving most effective, and
where there are gaps and room for improvement.
Existing Research
Within existing research there is a consensus that the needs of young people can often be peripheral
when it comes to service provision. What is clear is that domestic abuse exposure (direct or indirect) is
incredibly harmful to the development of children and young people and to wait until it can be classified
as ‘post’ is not necessarily the best course of action. Research shows that it is best to put preventative
measures alongside support post abuse, not instead of, as this will help decrease the level of harm to
children and young people as well as the level of resources and support they are likely to need across
their lifespan.
Findings
The clearest message from the research is that services cannot assume children and young people are
supported just because their parent is, however it may also be true that if the parent is inadequately
supported the child will also be experiencing greater adversities. It is apparent that taking the ‘whole
family approach’ to support is the most conducive way of ensuring young people and the abused parent
are suitably supported. It was found that in Hampshire geographically the areas with least provision were
East Hants, Eastleigh, Test Valley, and Rushmoor and Hart. The areas of weakness noted were:
Strategically:
 Terminology
 Communication,
cooperation, and
coordination
 Timing and access
 Capacity
 Training
Interventions:
 Male victims & young perpetrators
 Social media
 Mental health and counselling
 Education
 YPVAs and Refuge youth workers
 The Family Approach
 Drop in/respite
 Housing

6 | P a g e
Recommendations
There are 14 recommendations as a result of the research which are aimed to accurately reflect the voices
of those who participated in the primary research. These have been split into strategic and frontline
recommendations to help practice in Hampshire move forward to better support young people.
At the strategic level:
 Training must be available to all professionals that come into contact with young people and
relevant to the current context of DA including coercive control and teenage abuse.
 DA Forums must be active and useful in each area. They must be held at regular intervals,
and be led by one professional who takes responsibility for cascading information.
 Geographical gaps in provision were found as:
East Hants, Eastleigh, Hart and Rushmoor, and Test Valley
 A senior body also must ensure that databases are not duplicated and that all professionals
that need access to such information have it. Websites relating to DA and CYP, such as the
HDAF site, are up to date and user friendly for both professionals and victims.
 Services must be prepared for the change in the law on coercive control and what this
means for them in action as well as to be ready to inform victims of what this means for them.
 It is best if interventions are handled holistically (CYP, victim, and perpetrator) and if the
multi-agency approach is positively operational and understood well at all levels.
 Finally funding should be restructured as so not be reliant on impractical, immeasurable
outcomes in order to facilitate long term interventions not crisis intervention in isolation.
On the frontline:
1. Better area coverage and access is needed. A mobile drop in service could provide an
innovative solution by allowing a service to be hosted in a mobile vehicle (like mobile libraries).
This could help professionals gain access to the hard to reach areas and vulnerable groups.
2. An increase of Young Persons Violence Advocates (YPVAs) perhaps under a
different title to soften and encourage optimum engagement. IDVAs have been proven as a
useful tool for adult victims and this approach too can help young people.
3. Healthy relationship workshops are proven to be a fantastic prevention tool and
therefore every school should be encouraged to have one.
4. Provision of existing national online tools such as the hideout should be encouraged
5. More whole family approach work by frontline professionals.
6. The construction of a social media toolkit from the strategic level in the form of an
information pack and perhaps a training session for use on the frontline. This would be of great
use to help engage young people
7. A single website for young victims to use to access local and national services should be
developed. This could be a one stop shop to direct young people to targeted services much like
the new ‘advicesouthampton’ website – clean, user friendly, and simple.

7 | P a g e
ABBREVIATIONS
BME Black Minority Ethnic
CAADA Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse
CAFCASS Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service
CAMHS Child and Adolecent Mental Health Service
CSE Child Sexual Exploitation
CYP Children and Young People
DA Domestic Abuse
DASH Domestic Abuse, Stalking and 'Honour'-based Violence - Risk Identification
Checklist used by professionals including police, IDVA, and DA professionals
EHE Electively Home Educated
EYC Eastleigh Youth Counselling
HDAF Hampshire Domestic Abuse Forum
HMIC Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
LGA Local Government Authority
LA’s Local Authorities
LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
MARAC Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference - a multi agency meeting of
professionals to discuss local DA cases
NEET Not in Education Employment or Training
PCC Police and Crime Commisioner
PIPPA Prevention, Intervention and Public Protection Alliance - like a domestic abuse
forum but more active with a helpline for professionals
PSHE Personal, Social and Health Education
SDAS Southern Domestic Abuse Service
SRA Social Research Association
SRC Southampton Rape Crisis
TADIC Teenage Drop in Centre
YCP Youth Crime Prevention
YOT Youth Offending Team

8 | P a g e
INTRODUCTION
It is a priority of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Hampshire Constabulary to help
better support victims, and moreover reduce perpetration of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse prevention
and support has become a prevalent issue, with central and local government, police, health
professionals, and the voluntary sector all more openly discussing what was once (and sometimes still is)
viewed as a taboo subject.
DA costs an estimated £3.9 billion a year (Walby, 2009) and high risk DA constitutes £2.4 billion, therefore
it is logical to ensure that preventative measures are as robust as post DA support to stop individual cases
escalating to high risk. So although this project is concerned with ‘post’ it is evident that looking at this in
isolation is not practical.
It has been widely documented that services for young people have been reduced due to the current
economic climate but what hasn’t been recognised is the strain this has put on voluntary organisations
that are trying to fill the gap. This research has confirmed that this is very much the case in Hampshire,
where a number of different organisations are working to better the lives of young people in the county
who haven’t had the best start in life.
The ‘multi-agency approach’, is still very much in its infancy and so needs to be further encouraged and
developed into a fully working mechanism to best serve the users of the organisations involved.
Strategically the multi-agency approach is most definitely the right one to take, however it appears that it
is not yet filtering down all the way through the system and there appears to be an element of confusion
between smaller organisations that needs to be rectified.
The research was conducted by speaking with professionals, adults, and young people, to ensure that all
interested parties had a voice, and that the issue was investigated fully. The latter two stages were to
allow the users of services a chance to report what they feel worked best for them in helping them move
forth, as well as to share what could have been done better, and what gaps there are in services. It was
clear from professional consultation that it is impossible to consider ‘post domestic abuse’ in isolation
since as a state it does not exist that simply, also that the research was asked to cover exposure – direct
abuse and abuse in the environment of the young person. This meant that the question had to be tackled
in a much broader sense than originally anticipated taking into consideration the experience of the
abused parent, and the perpetrator.
The results of the research saw similar concerns arise from professionals and survivors alike. What
sometimes is more challenging is ensuring that those concerns are heard at every level of the process and
this is why research like this and more generally the multi-agency approach, is so important.

9 | P a g e
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY DOMESTIC ABUSE?
‘Abuse may consist of a single act or repeated acts. It may be physical, verbal, or
psychological, it may be an act of neglect or an omission to act, or it may occur when a
vulnerable person is persuaded to enter into a financial or sexual transaction to which
he or she has not consented, or cannot consent. Abuse can occur in any relationship
and may result in significant harm to, or exploitation of, the person subjected to it’
(No Secrets, 2000)
In 2013, the UK government redefined domestic abuse to include 16 and 17 year olds as opposed to 18
plus. This change was made after a series of consultations with relevant bodies and was enacted to try
and encourage young people to come forward with information regarding their situation at home.
The government’s new definition of domestic violence and abuse is:
‘Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse
between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of
gender or sexuality.’1
There are five main categorisations of abuse; physical; emotional (psychological); sexual; financial; and
neglect. This project is specifically looking at domestic abuse either in the environment of, and/or directed
towards persons between the ages of 11 and 19. Therefore by official definition, the project is actually
looking at domestic abuse as outlined above for the cohort of 16 to 19 year olds, and child abuse for those
aged between 11 and 16. Child abuse is defined in the same way as domestic abuse bu the government
and relevant organisations, but it applies when adults abuse children under 16. Child to child abuse is also
classified as child abuse. The same five categories apply. There is also a lesser discussed term of ‘complex
child abuse’ or ‘complex abuse’ which relates to one or more abusers and an element of organisation. In
addition there is teenage abuse, which is intimate partner abuse between teenagers. The NSPCC (2006)
says that girls between 16 and 18 are as likely to be abused by their boyfriends as their parents.
DEFINITIONS BROKEN DOWN BY CATEGORY
Physical
‘Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scolding, drowning,
suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm.’2
Emotional
Emotional abuse of a child is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child such as to cause severe and
persistent effects on the child’s emotional development. Emotional abuse also incorporates coercive
control: ‘Controlling behaviour is a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or
dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for
personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and
1
https://www.gov.uk/domestic-violence-and-abuse#domestic-violence-and-abuse-new-definition
2

10 | P a g e
regulating their everyday behaviour. Coercive behaviour is an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats,
humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.’3
Some level of emotional abuse is involved in most types of ill treatment of children, though emotional
abuse may occur alone, unlike other forms of abuse.
Sexual
‘Using force, threats or intimidation to make someone perform sexual acts, having sex with a person
when they don't want to have sex, and any degrading treatment based on your sexual orientation.’
Financial
‘Financial abuse is one form of control used by domestic violence perpetrators in order to gain power over
their partner, and is the most direct way in which domestic violence and financial issues relate to each
other. Financial abuse can take many different forms, but all are aimed at limiting and controlling the
partner’s current and future actions and freedom of choice4
.
Neglect
Neglect involves the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and or psychological needs, likely to
result in the serious impairment of the child’s health and development. Neglect may occur during
pregnancy as a result of maternal substance misuse.
3
4
http://www.womensaid.org.uk/core/core_picker/download.asp?id=3607

11 | P a g e
RESEARCH PLAN
Research question
How are young people between the ages of 11 and 19 living in Hampshire supported when they have
experienced historical domestic abuse?
Aims
The aim of the research project was threefold. Firstly to assess existing support provision for people
between the ages of 11 and 19 who have experienced historic domestic abuse (including accessibility,
sustainability, and suitability), secondly to establish the types of support that are working best for those
young people, and thirdly to ascertain where there are gaps and where Hampshire needs to improve in
supporting young people.
Methodology
The research project followed a phenomenological method; utilising a mixed methods design, and was
broken into three stages; stakeholder analysis, consultation with adults who experienced domestic abuse
as a young person, and consultation with 11-19 year olds who experienced historic domestic abuse.
The stakeholder analysis allowed the researcher to make contact with organisations in the locality
(statutory and voluntary, frontline and second tier) who directly or indirectly work with the cohort with
which the research question is concerned. The sample was drawn from existing provision lists, through
utilising contacts, and though a general web search for services. The researcher consulted with services in
the area being addressed by the research question, but also in the wider locality and nationally to expand
knowledge and find examples of good practice.
Professionals in these organisations were asked to firstly complete a questionnaire (Appendix 1)
comprising of a balance of open and closed questions to provide a quantitative grounding to what will be
a mainly qualitative study.
Secondly that person was contacted to arrange a face to face interview5
with the researcher to give them
a chance to expand on their initial answers in detail, and for the researcher to ask any follow up
questions.
Thirdly the researcher invited the interviewee to the stakeholders’ focus group6
(Appendix 4), and then
assessed whether the stakeholder in question could provide access to participants for the second and
third stages. If deemed appropriate and if agreed by the stakeholder, the researcher then discussed and
made plans with the professional on how best for this to be orchestrated with the target group keeping in
mind their individual vulnerabilities.
The plan for the adult consultation stage was always going to be flexible dependent on the groups the
researcher gained access to. The researcher aimed to carry out observations7
of projects that work with
these adults, and then provide the adults with a questionnaire and the opportunity for a One to One
5
Interviews were conducted in an open, unstructured manner and were very interviewee led to allow participants to naturally focus
on the areas they felt key to the research question. Interviews always started with the researcher providing an overview of the
project and ensuring the person being interviewed understood the aims of the research project.
6
Focus groups were structured around the three aims of the project
7
Observations are where the researcher attended a group/project/programme hosted by a stakeholder and simply observed. No
interaction was had with participants, nor questions asked. This was to see the how current services work and how well participants
in them engage as well as a route to accessing adult and young person participants for stages 2 and 3.

12 | P a g e
(Appendix 2) where appropriate8.
The plan for consultation with young people (Appendix 3) was even
more heavily dependent on access to participants but followed the same structure as the adult
consultation.
Analysis
The questionnaires (Appendix 1) were read before moving onto the next stage with each individual
stakeholder, but were not analysed as a unit until the end of each stage, when statistics were drawn from
the answers given. The interviews, observations, and focus groups were typed up immediately after the
research was undertaken, and analysis of these occurred as an ongoing process throughout each stage,
with initial themes being highlighted and used to direct further questioning in the rest of the research
project.
Ethics
All research undertaken in the project was carried out following SRA ethical guidelines. Participant
confidentiality was ensured where requested through the changing of names.
Reliability
With qualitative research one of the main concerns is researcher bias. However in this project this has
been limited due to a wide literature review and reflexivity has been addressed through utilisation of a
researcher who is new to the topic area allowing bias towards certain types of provisions or services to be
minimised.
Project outcomes:
A report to be completed by March 2015 for use by the PCC.
8
After initial meetings it became clear that the format of a questionnaire may not always be compatible with the literacy level of the
target group, and so this stage had to be omitted for some participants.

13 | P a g e
LITERATURE REVIEW
Despite the increasing focus on domestic abuse issues, there is still relatively little research specifically
looking at how children who have experienced domestic abuse (DA) historically (direct abuse or exposure)
are supported. Secretiveness and stigma around DA being a private problem continues to be a hurdle to
help being obtained.
‘Current measures do not adequately address child exposure
to adult domestic abuse effects’
(Edleson et al 2007)
The literature review looked at what methods of
support are thought to be most effective and
where the biggest challenges lay to help inform the
rest of this study to help Hampshire move forward.
Parent victim support post abuse was also taken
into consideration, as frequently parent victim
experiences have a profound effect on what
support is needed for the young person. According
to Buckley et al (2007) abuse between parents
more often than not overspills into the parent-child
relationship.
Hester’s three planet model (2011) is a useful way to conceptualise domestic abuse provision and
demonstrates the ‘systematic problems that undermine the effectiveness of practice’.
The three ‘planets’ are DA work (focussed on the
victim and the perpetrator therefore omitting
needs of the child), child protection (protecting
the child’s welfare without taking into
consideration the wider context of the situation),
and child contact (the state should not dictate
matters of the family and assume that contact
with both parents is the best course of action).
According to Hester these three areas have
different priorities and histories that lead them to
“The hardest part was
having to keep re-living it
again and again with
different workers.”
- Sienna
“It’s like leaving one
controlling person behind to
be at the mercy of 10 plus
controlling organisations”
-Lilly
DA Work
Victim focused
Child Protection
Child focused
Child Contact
Parent focused

14 | P a g e
different conclusions when it comes to DA support – something which is manifest in DA provision today.
The move towards multi-agency working was to bridge these differences, however on the ground the
effect of this is still minimal. There are currently only sporadic, poorly attended meetings held. Agencies
are still lacking in information and victims are still being passed from service to service.
The impact of DA on children and young people is profound. This can include anxiety, depression, and
other mental health problems that our young people should not be burdened with; an increased
likelihood to offend (UNICEF, 2006), and difficulties sustaining relationships, education, and employment
(DCSF, 2010). Children that experience DA are more likely to internalise (girls) or externalise (boys)
behaviours and certain triggers can re-traumatise them (Evans et al, 2008). The multiple stressors
experienced by such young people are labelled the ‘adversity package’ by Rossman (Buckley et al, 2007).
This adversity places the child or young person at a significant disadvantage early on in life, and is why
support needs to be plentiful, relevant, and accessible.
Mental health and behaviour replication
Mental Health is a sector highlighted as particularly struggling with capacity across the county, and the
country. The House of Commons Health Committee of 2014 picked up on some of these difficulties, such
as waiting times, thresholds, GP inadequacy, and the transition from CAMHS to adult mental health
services being a ‘cliff edge’. The LGA (2014) go as far as to say that only a full overhaul of the system can
now guarantee improvement. Wolpert (2014) describes how the ‘Thrive’ model could be implemented to
improve coherence through community work as well as individualised support to help tackle the low
attendance problems. In Wolpert’s research only 40 per cent of providers reported providing crisis access
and that waiting times often exceed 15 weeks. In society in general there are increased emotional
problems and capacity has not been raised to cope with the demand.
Research by Kelly, Sharp and Klein (2014) showed that mothers who have experienced DA fear their
daughters will become victims and sons will become perpetrators. The mothers that had access to
specialist counselling for their children felt it had a positive effect, but services are not often specialist
enough or accessible enough. Children are also known to worry about this themselves. UNICEF (2006)
states that DA is more common in homes with younger children. This could be because parents assume
younger children are unaware of what is happening when actually it is agreed that abuse can be highly
detrimental to pre-natal infants as well as babies and young children, as this is a crucial development
stage.
‘Some of the biggest victims of domestic violence are the smallest’
(UNICEF, 2006)
For years the focus has been on young people as offenders as opposed to victims and this label is hard to
break even though victims and offenders are not always separate people. Many offenders are also victims
and victims also offenders (Tapley et al, 2014a). Fox et al (2014) state that 92 per cent of perpetrators
report to have experienced DA earlier in their lifetime. UNICEF (2006) acknowledges there is a significant
risk of increased harm as the child grows up and that the likelihood of the DA cycle continuing throughout
generations is a strong one (Ofsted, 2013).
Crime and justice
Policing is sited as another problematic area for DA victims. The HMIC report of 2014(b) ’Everyone’s
business: improving the police response to domestic abuse’ looked into the effectiveness of policing of DA

15 | P a g e
and found numerous problems. It found that there still seems to be a lack of knowledge among forces,
and a failure to prioritise preventative action. The report cited good initiatives such as linking DA results to
career progression, integrating with neighbourhood teams, additional PCSO training on the issue, and
hosting IDVAs in police stations. A large problem cited was the inappropriate use of cautioning. According
to academics and professionals, this is simply not appropriate in DA cases. Evidence shows that
sometimes victims have experienced multiple incidents before they have the courage to contact the
police and if the perpetrator is allowed to return due to a standard caution this can discourage future
reporting. An example of good practice was found in North Yorkshire according to the report where
medium or standard risk cases would be followed up by the neighbourhood team, and in Nottinghamshire
a Women’s Aid worker would accompany officers. According to the Avon and Somerset PCC (2014) DA
victims need a quick response, a consistent service, more female officers, a better attitude from services
including the police about DA issues, processes explained before, to be kept updated, and to be believed
to the point a serious investigation is undertaken.
The CPS (2013) states that the model in the North West is an example of good practice with special
resource packs for use by police and other professionals and DV Courts for advocates and victims. In this
area there are also police workshops and initiatives to help young people understand healthy
relationships. In the same report the issue of ‘teenage abuse’ was said to be quite prominent. In this area
of DA the report states the victim is not as well supported and that prosecutors must be better trained to
understand the needs of young perpetrators and young victims. ‘Right to ask and right to know’ under
Clare’s Law, alongside the DV Protection Orders (Home Office 2012), seems to be an effective police tool,
but awareness is still low and victims need to be better informed of such instruments to help protect
them, which is all part of better police communications.
The rationing of legal aid has had a profound effect upon victims (Cooper, 2014) and their children as it
means non molestation orders and other good instruments are now inaccessible to the most vulnerable –
‘jeopardising their safety and freedom’ (Solace Women’s Aid, 2014). Tickle (2014) also extensively
discusses the multiple problems victims have in accessing justice including the fact the law doesn’t allow
one parent to change a child’s name, and that aid is means tested to the extreme that strict evidence
dated within 2 years is required. This means that if the perpetrator is coming out of prison after a 3 year
sentence the victim cannot be protected when the abuse is historic although the threat and risk is still
very real. 53 per cent of mothers go to court without representation – prolonging proceedings and
prolonging abuse (Cooper, 2014).
Timing
Another challenge noted by Kelly, Sharp and Klein (2014) is that there is still pressure on the victim to
leave without the logical considerations of how to do so, or the effects it will have on the children. It is at
this stage the perpetrator often manipulates agencies into collusion, meaning the victim is left
unsupported (Solace Women’s Aid, 2014). Solace said however that relationships with all agencies
improve when victims have access to an advocate. Kelly, Sharp and Klein (2014) also note that many non-
specialist DA agencies still limit DA to merely the physical, leaving victims feeling they need to have
bruises or they will be seen as over-reacting. A more holistic, empathetic model is needed. Long term
support is crucial (at least 2 years after separation) and funders need to change their short term crisis
resolution attitude when it comes to DA as this approach ends up costing more in the end.
Despite evidence supporting early intervention and long term support
funding cuts mean this is not happening.
(House of Commons Health Committee, 2014)

16 | P a g e
Laville (2014) writes on how funding changes in local authorities will mean that larger housing
associations with less specialist knowledge will be more likely to get contracts and women’s groups are
concerned that they will be forced to provide a quicker turnover and take men too. These fears are real in
Hampshire with refuges and other specialist provision already feeling the strain.
Training, awareness and understanding
Research shows that training and understanding levels are not yet adequate. For example the Kelly, Sharp
and Klien study (2014) showed that professionals such as social workers or midwives did not understand
that questions about DA need to be asked away from the potential abuser as a number of women in the
study reported workers doing so. It is essential that in DA cases it is not presumed, as in other cases of
relationship breakdown, that contact is the best option when non abusing parents often use contact to
continue abuse. This could also be through financial means resulting in the children and the abused
parent still experiencing abuse. Radford et al (2011) states that children should be reassessed after a DA
relationship has appeared to come to an end especially if there is still contact between the child and the
abuser. Solace Women’s Aid (2014) says that one oversight is the financial struggle post separation with
access to benefits harder than ever with the new Universal Credit system, and moving costs, which a
number of professionals and victims believe should be funded by central government too.
A ‘Cinderella Law’ to tackle emotional abuse was promised in this year’s Queen’s Speech and the
government has recently announced that coercive control will be implemented in law in line with their
definition of DA after a consultation (Home Office 2014). This will see coercive control forming its own
offence, and will give police a better set of tools with which to prosecute perpetrators. It is imperative that
all organisations understand what this means and how it will better support victims to ensure that when
the law comes into force it has the maximum impact.
The voluntary sector reports that it is struggling to bear the responsibility of this alone in the current
economic climate, and it is those organisations that are most likely to be serving victims who are in a post
abuse situation as statutory organisations only have the capacity to work with high risk cases and crisis
intervention. Walby (2009) states that when funding is increased or sustained, total costs are actually
reduced as health and other public service costs are reduced with earlier intervention and support. This is
particularly the case with children and young people as they have a longer lifespan though which to use
services.
Radford et al (2011) state that it is very difficult to get professionals to focus on the children and young
people as especially statutory organisations are still of the mindset that satisfying the mothers’ needs also
satisfies the child’s needs. When the mother falls below the ‘high risk’ threshold the child’s needs are
further pushed aside. According to Gardner (2008) there are particular problems with joining up adult and
children’s services in tracking referrals. He says there must be regular research and best practice updates,
single and joint training, regular case audits, and updates on best practices. The Just Rights (2014)
manifesto drawn up by young people cited statutory services ‘fobbing them off’ to save money as a main
objection. Children and young people are often an invisible group and opportunities for intervention are
often missed (Buckley et al, 2007). The severity of DA exposure effects does not yet seem embedded
throughout the professional community. Children’s human rights are violated when they are exposed to
DA as their right to a stable home environment and safety is compromised (UNICEF, 2006).
One contrasting opinion comes from Devaney (2008) who says the focus should be put on to the risk that
the perpetrator presents not the risk the children are at as perpetrators need to accept responsibility for
their behaviour. This kind of attitude can be risky however, as although the perpetrators are the source,
we cannot concentrate on them in isolation. Whilst services adjust to this preventative mode there are

17 | P a g e
still a large number of victims requiring multi-strand support. There must be balance, and the victim
should never have to go without support just because services have decided to tackle the issue from a
different angle.
Statistics and evidence
Reporting appears to be on the increase (Walby, 2009) thanks to increased media coverage and
government discussion on policy. It does not seem to be clear, however, whether this trend is the same
for children and young people. According to the Home Office (2013) 16-19 year olds are the most likely
group to suffer partner abuse, but the majority of crimes against young people are not reported as many
children do not know what they have experienced is a crime or the behaviour may have been normalised
by their peer group or family (Beckette and Warrington, 2014). A common theme is that young people
fear that adults will ‘trivialise’ the issue (Girls’ Attitudes Survey, 2014), but it is an issue that is far from
trivial when you consider the numbers.
Chaplin et al (2011) note that by the age of 16, 30 per cent of women and 17 per cent of men have
experienced a form of DA, and in 2012 CAADA estimated that around 130,000 children in the UK were
living with domestic abuse; a figure that only counted the high risk cases known to services, so it can be
assumed the number of children requiring support is much larger. Especially when one considers that a
child is never merely a witness to DA, as witnessing abuse to a family member will result in the child
feeling emotional abuse (Holt et al, 2008). This stream of thought is something that came up perpetually in
the primary research. Emotional harm is an outcome of all forms of maltreatment (Gardner, 2008), and for
many victims the psychological element is the worst part of the abuse (Liverpool Mental Health
Consortium, 2014). In 2014 the NSPCC reported that emotional neglect referrals increased by almost 50
per cent. In 2014 child protection plans were put in place for almost 60,000 children – an increase of 13.5
per cent (Beckette and Warrington, 2014). According to the NSPCC (2006) physical abuse is the third most
common reason children ring Childline and it is experienced by 21 per cent of children, and the second is
family tensions.
Holt also argues that children who grow up in a DA environment are far more likely to have an avoidant
attachment style in future relationships and to replicate aggressive behaviour. This is backed up by
Agnew’s General Strain Theory which tells us that DA exposure may pertain to later exhibiting violence to
try and regain control and deter further victimisation (Menard et al, 2014). Sabates and Dex (2012) allow
us to further conceptualise this process by describing how a child does not grow up in isolation but in
response to proximal factors such as family life and home environment and distal factors such as peer
networks and school. Proximal factors should be constant and stable; any instability such as DA exposure
can have severe effects on development.
The first findings of the Young People’s Programme by CAADA (2014) showed that 25
per cent of young people taking part in the programme had a criminal record or had
been in trouble with the police and almost 40 per cent were NEET when in the general
population this figure is 14 per cent. This suggests young people exposed to DA are
almost four times as likely to be NEET than those who aren’t.
Resolutions
4LSCB (2007) states that statutory guidance indicates that safeguarding children is everyone’s
responsibility (Children’s Act 2004 s.11) which includes protection from maltreatment, and growing up in a
safe environment. 4LSCB also state that schools should not investigate abuse but identify and refer to

18 | P a g e
appropriate agencies as well as educate pupils through PSHE. However as PSHE is non-statutory the level
of DA provision and content varies considerably. It is widely agreed in the literature that such content
should be statutory in PSHE lessons alongside other related issues such as young people’s rights. Research
by Radford et al (2014) also showed that there is a need for more robust sex and relationship education in
schools given the prevalence of inappropriate touching by peers.
“We need to know how to spot abuse in
another person’s relationship and what to do about it”
(Respondent from the Girls’ Attitudes Survey, 2014)
Many authors (Hester, Cooper, Kelly, Sharp, Klein, Radford, CAADA, and more) agree on what is needed.
The core items that arose frequently throughout the literature included:
- DA in PSHE education
- Better training for police and other statutory organisations
- Better coordination and communication
- Increased advocacy and individualisation of services
- Project work and outreach services
Young Persons IDVAs (YPVAs) are also a resource not used enough by local authorities. Blackpool has 18
young person’s IDVAs to provide targeted support to 16-18 year olds (Home Office, 2013). For those
under 16 the cases tend to fall to other organisations that are not as well trained to deal with matters of
DA. As recommended by CAADA (2012a) there must be specialist provision for children and young people
living with DA, including clear referral pathways from statutory organisations and a method of
communication between MARAC, LSCBs, and providers. They also recommended that funding be made
available to widen services to 16-18 year olds in line with the new definition; however this is yet to
happen in many places including Hampshire.
Holt et al (2008) discussed how children are at increased risk of experiencing DA if they are exposed to it
however they did say that if that child has a strong positive relationship with one adult the long term
effects can be mitigated. Kiser et al (2014) said that young people who have been exposed to DA require a
wider range of social experiences to help them learn what is socially acceptable behaviour before adverse
behaviours manifest – which may not be until years later.
Buckley et al (2007) discussed how young people who manage to stay in education but face struggles
completing homework or making it in on time face a lack of understanding by teachers. School was a
strong solution focus for the young people in their study and informing staff to help them look for a
reason behind the behaviours as opposed to just dismissing young people. Signs are often labelled ‘acting
out’ or ‘poor lifestyle choices’ when this is in fact not the case and consequently they may end up in the
justice system as opposed to the child protection system (NSPCC, 2014). This was closely followed by the
need for a place to talk and a person to trust as well as group work and peer to peer support and
mentoring. In the Girls’ Attitudes Survey (2014) respondents said anonymous ways to disclose and a
clearer meaning of consent as well as teacher confidence on the issue were priorities.
It seems obvious but as every case of DA is different, each support system post DA needs to be tailored
individually to the victim and this is especially the case with young people as they respond in different
ways. The key themes that arose from the reading included how early intervention is key from each
planet, for monetary reasons which unfortunately is the first consideration, and to ensure that young
people do not get into a cycle of perpetration or victimisation themselves therefore costing the system
more in the end. It is also clear that knowledge must be improved to ensure maximum disclosure
probability and to better individualise support.

20 | P a g e
THE HAMPSHIRE CONTEXT: EXISTING PROVISION IN HAMPSHIRE
There are around 489
service providers in the Hampshire region who work with young people in one
capacity or another who may have experienced or may be experiencing domestic abuse. Excluding
Southampton this is around 40. As you will see through our interactive map there is a higher
concentration of services around the bigger cities such as Winchester, with support outside of that area
varying considerably. North Hampshire coverage is particularly sporadic. DA victims are classified as a
hard to reach group by community safety partnerships and the geographical layout of Hampshire makes it
even truer for the county.
Barnardos estimate that on average women contact 11 agencies before
they get the help they need, this rises to 17 for minority groups.
CAADA Annual Conference 2014
EXISTING RESEARCH
Coy et al (2009) found that the South and the South East are poor in terms of local specialised support for
DA victims. Tapley et al (2014a) conducted a research project on victimisation in Hampshire and she states
that there is a dire need for age appropriate interventions and that there is specifically a lack of tailored
counselling services for young people and training for the professionals working with them. Fox and Butler
(2007) found that young people value in-school counselling services and suggests they are desperately
needed when only one in four young people needed mental health support get it from a specialist service.
9
Numbers variable as projects/organisations change/close from week to week

21 | P a g e
Tapley also pointed out there are large gaps within Hampshire when it comes to support for the LGBT
community in terms of DA – something backed up by the primary research of this study.
In Hampshire 0-19 year olds make up the second largest age group (slightly less than 45-64 year olds) and
yet there is a lack of service provision due to funding cuts. Just Rights (2014) states that 44 per cent of
youth advice services have closed or were significantly scaled back last year. Tapley recommended:
- Ensuring victims are
communicated with better
- Expand IDVA services including
hospital IDVAs
- Sustainable three year funding
- Development of a women’s centre
- Expand ISVA services and YP ISVA
- To improve specialist counselling for trauma
- Sustainable and specialist children’s/YP services
- Tailored services for male victims
- Better awareness raising of crime reporting
The Hampshire Safeguarding Children’s Board thresholds include DA in threshold 3 (targeted early help)
and 4 (children’s social care) which are the thresholds that grant access to the greatest level of support. As
we have seen above however, what kind of support is available and to whom is a massive post code
lottery. Domestic Abuse forum meetings show that services across the county are busy and working at
capacity.
Eastleigh police now ensure safer neighbourhood teams deal with low risk DA referrals though offering
advice and support visits. They also have a vulnerable tracker marker on properties that are known to
them. In the HMIC (2014a) inspection, Hampshire Constabulary found that 8 per cent of all crime is DA
related and for every 100 DA crimes recorded there were 90 arrests. It is imperative to note that not all
crimes are reported and not all arrests end in a conviction and this is especially the case with DA. Not all
reported crimes are recorded, and a high percentage of recorded crimes do not get to court due to
insufficient evidence – something also more likely in DA crimes. The force uses DASH forms but there is a
capacity problem with MARAC in the county, and although frontline officers receive a certain level of
training there are no longer specialist officers to investigate cases and investigators that have taken over
often do not have the appropriate training. There is no process for information to be passed to local
officers about DA perpetrators but information is shared after a domestic homicide, which seems a little
too late. Research by the HMIC (2014a) shows that most DA disclosures to the police are made over the
phone and yet call handlers are not trained in working with DA victims. This could be particularly
damaging if a child or young person calls as they are likely to be more easily deterred if handled
incorrectly, which is another reason why training across the board is crucial.
STATISTICS
Statistics from Hampshire Constabulary provided on 21/07/14
Domestic incidents have increased by 170 between 2013 and 2014, but the percentage of repeat incidents
has dropped by 3 per cent. This could mean that the number of victims coming forward has increased due
to a better societal understanding of the issues around DA and more confidence in the system rather than
Domestic Crimes And
Incidents (inc crimes)
April-
June
2013
April-
June
2014
Domestic incidents 6345 6515
Repeat domestics 3177 3094
% repeat 50.07% 47.49%

22 | P a g e
simply more incidents occurring. In any research it is imperative to bear in mind that figures of crime
reported only reflect a fraction of the crimes actually being committed and this is especially the case with
something as sensitive as domestic abuse. The percentage of repeat incidents has decreased a little, this
could show that in those cases the incident was dealt with effectively upon the first reporting, or that it
was dealt with inappropriately making the victim dubious about reporting again.
EXISTING SERVICES
Below is a list of all services found in each district10
of Hampshire and then a section of other services
contacted in the locality or further afield that were used for examples of good practice.
Statutory/Universal services have only been listed if they have been actively participating as these should
be the same in each area. Those emboldened are those who actively participated in the research project.
In this instance primary means works directly with victims/perpetrators and secondary means a
supporting service or signposting service. Specialist DA services are shown in blue. Whether a Domestic
Abuse Forum is active or not is dependent on one professional taking a lead on it – something that needs
addressing.
Basingstoke and Deane
There is an active Domestic Abuse Forum, but it is not easy to find out about. There is refuge support in
the area, as well as Family Group Conferences, and group support, but again capacity does not meet
need, and geographical accessibility is a particular issue in and around Basingstoke.
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas
worked in
Support
offered
Daybreak Primary Voluntary Referrals All ages Basingstoke Family
Group
Conferencing
Home Start Primary Voluntary Open &
Referrals
All ages Basingstoke Refuge and
support
workers
Stoneham Primary Voluntary Open
and
Referrals
16+ Basingstoke Housing,
refuge, and
support
workers
Taking Steps Primary Voluntary Open &
Referrals
All ages Basingstoke,
Hook,
Aldershot
Womens
support
groups, one-
to-ones
Eastleigh
There is an active Domestic Abuse Forum in Eastleigh where universal services join with specialist and
voluntary services to discuss strategy and initiatives. Other than that, there are no DA specialist services in
Eastleigh other than an overstretched refuge which mainly hosts victims from outside of Hampshire.
There are a number of youth services which do some awareness raising work, and YCP/YOT who often
find themselves working with DA victims with nowhere to refer them to for specialist support. There are
counselling facilities with counsellors trained in DA issues, however capacity does not meet the need and
effectiveness is dependent on the age group.
10
I have listed services in the area that they are physically situated, however it is important to note many of them work wider. Those
physically situated in Southampton but that work within other Hampshire districts have been listed in those districts. All of this
information is correct as of September 2014 when stage 1 of this research project ended.

23 | P a g e
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas worked in
Support offered
4 Youth Secondary Voluntary Open 13-21 Hampshire, Isle of
Wight, Portsmouth,
Southampton
Training
EYC / TADIC Primary Voluntary Referral 11+ Eastleigh Counselling
Groundwork
Solent
Primary Voluntary Open 16+ Fareham, Eastleigh Training and
projects
iTalk Primary Voluntary Open All
ages
Hampshire wide Counselling
Play therapy Primary Voluntary Referral 8+ Eastleigh Therapy
Solent Youth
Action
Primary Voluntary Open 13-19 Eastleigh Borough Youth clubs,
training, and
projects
The
Anchorage
Primary Voluntary Referral 0+ Eastleigh Refuge and
support worker
Victim
Support
Primary Voluntary Open 16+ Nationwide Helpline
YCP/YOT Primary Universal Referral 13-18 Nationwide Crime
Prevention
East Hampshire
There is an active Domestic Abuse Forum, but it is not easy to find out about. Petersfield, Hazlemere, and
Bordon have no support either general or specialist. Petersfield has The Kings Arms Youth Group but it is
more of an afterschool club than advice service. Alton is served by the SDAS but this is only through 3 day
summer camps for young people and one freedom programme for women. This district has a high level of
antisocial behaviour and so it is likely that need for DA support is there.
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas
worked in
Support
offered
SDAS Primary Voluntary Open &
Referrals
7+ Alton Freedom
Programme
The Kings Arms Primary Voluntary Open 11-19 Petersfield Youth
Group
Fareham and Gosport
It appears there is a Domestic Abuse Forum in this area, although the website is very out of date and so
makes it difficult to see if it still runs. Catch 22 is a catch all11
service that used to have a number of
projects but due to funding this has been limited to a handful – none of which are DA specific. It is an
open, drop in service which seems to work well and does result in a number of disclosures. There is an
IDVA trained member of staff, but other than that there is little other localised specialist support.
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas worked
in
Support offered
Catch 22
(Young
Women’s
Support
Service)
Primary Voluntary Open &
Referrals
16+ Southampton
and Fareham
Drop in service
Fareham &
Gosport Family
Primary Voluntary Open All ages Fareham and
Gosport
Floating
support, refuge,
11
A service that doesn’t have a specialist or limited remit, but instead allows the young person to come in and speak about whatever
they wish or even nothing at all.

24 | P a g e
Aid projects & one-
to-ones for
women and YP,
Groundwork
Solent
Primary Voluntary Open 16+ Fareham,
Eastleigh
Training and
projects
Referrals
All ages Fareham and
Gosport
Refuge and
support
workers
Hart and Rushmoor
This is the only area where the DA Forum chair is paid. The Clearstone Trust provides One to One sessions
and group work for DA victims, but has limited capacity and geographical reach.
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas worked
in
Support offered
Clearstone
Trust
Primary Voluntary Open 11-21 Farnborough Crisis support, one-
to-ones, group
work, school
refuser group,
Creative art group,
respite, school
holiday clubs,
Coffee shop,
Rushmoor &
Hart’s Womens
Refuge
Primary Voluntary Open
and
Referra
ls
All ages Hart and
Rushmoor
Refuge and Support
Workers
Havant
There is an active Domestic Abuse Forum but it is not easy to find out about. Havant is the only area with
two strong and active specialist DA support services. Between SDAS and Aurora New Dawn, all elements
of support for the group in question are covered as well as adults, although capacity is still problematic.
These services have a number of different projects to ensure people are supported from pre DA
awareness raising to post therapeutic and practical support. Both services are working to expand their
working area, and are liaising with other services in the county to achieve this.
Aurora New
Dawn
Primary Voluntary Referrals 16+ Havant,
Fareham,
Gosport
IDVA & ISVA service,
DV Cars, & other
projects, IRIS
Referrals
All ages Havant Refuge and support
workers
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas
worked in
Support offered
SDAS Primary Voluntary Open &
Referrals
7+ Havant &
East Hants
Refuge, Freedom
Programme, Day
Programme, Healthy
Relationships, one-to-
ones, support
workers, drop in,
outreach, support
work

25 | P a g e
New Forest
There is an active Domestic Abuse Forum, but it is not easy to find out about. There is a refuge and
housing support as well as a strong specialist DA provider similar to SDAS that works with young people,
male perpetrators, victims, and works to raise awareness of DA issues. Yet again capacity does not meet
need, and geographically the spread of services is uneven even with outreach.
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas worked
in
Support
offered
Cis’Ters Primary Voluntary Open 18+ Southampton,
Hampshire,
Isle of Wight
Group support,
one-to-ones.
Hampton
Trust
Referral
12+ Hampshire
wide
Perp
programmes,
healthy
relationships,
one-to-ones
Referrals
All ages Fawley Refuge and
support
workers
New Forest
Women's
Refuge
(Stonham)
Referrals
All ages New Forest Refuge and
support
workers
Nightstop Primary Voluntary Referrals 16-24 Ringwood Emergency
overnight
accommodation
Ringwood YP
Drop in
Primary Voluntary Open 13-19 Ringwood Drop in, youth
clubs
The Handy
Trust
Refferal
0-25 Hythe &
Dibden and
Marchwood
Advice, helpline
Test Valley
No active Domestic Abuse Forum. The crisis centre runs the Freedom Programme, counselling, outreach,
drop-ins, and group sessions, but again capacity is limited and there is only one Child Support Worker in
house. Youth projects in the area are active, but not specialist DA trained.
Andover Crisis
and Support
Centre
Primary Voluntary Open
and
Referral
All ages Andover Hostel,
helping,
counselling,
advice
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas
worked in
Support
Offered
Youth in
Romsey
Primary Voluntary Open 11+ Romsey Advice and
signposting
Youth Options Primary Voluntary Open 12-18 Hampshire
Wide
Training,
project
Winchester
There is an active Domestic Abuse Forum, but it is not easy to find out about. There are the greatest
numbers of youth related advice services here, however only two that relate directly to DA. The Trinity
Centre is a small operation and does not have the capacity to meet the need in the city and surrounding
areas. As HCC central, the area is well covered from a strategic/managerial level, however it is not backed
up by strong specialist services on the ground like Havant.

26 | P a g e
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas
worked in
Support
offered
EIS Secondary Universal Referral 5+ Hampshire
wide
Education
Fixers Primary Voluntary Open 16-24 Nationwide Creative
projects
HCC Early Help
Hubs
Secondary Universal Referral 0-19 Hampshire
Wide (8
Hubs)
Strategic
Relateen/UTalk
(relate)
Primary Voluntary Open 11-25 Nationwide Counselling
Trinity
Women’s
Services
Referrals
16+ Winchester Freedom
Programme,
Support
Group, one-to-
ones
Willow House
(Stoneham)
Referrals
16+ Winchester Refuge and
support
workers
Winchester
Detached Youth
Project – Street
Reach
Primary Voluntary Open All ages Winchester Advice and
signposting
Winchester
Remix
Primary Voluntary Open 12-18 Winchester Drug and
alcohol
support
Winchester
YMCA
Primary Voluntary Open 16+ Winchester Drop in advice
service
Youth Tube Secondary Voluntary Open 13-24 Winchester Website advice
& signposting
Other
For Southampton, there is a PIPPA Alliance which is more than a Domestic Abuse Forum and looks to
work together as well as inform each other. It also has a professional’s helpline for advice about referrals
and training. There are positive examples in Weymouth and Southampton of positive projects. The
national organisations are among the most cited by the victims that participated in this research.
Organisation
Primary/
Secondary
Universal/
Voluntary
Access
Age
Group
Areas worked
in
Support
Offered
AVA Secondary Voluntary Open All
ages
Nationwide Strategic
Barnardos Secondary Voluntary Open All
ages
Broken
Rainbow
Refferal
All
ages
Nationwide LGBT DA
support groups
and one-to-
ones
CAADA (IDVAs
& YPP)
Secondary Voluntary Referrals 13+ Nationwide IDVA, YPP,
YPVAs,
Strategic,
Policy, Training
Chapter 1 Primary Voluntary Open &
referrals
16-25 Southampton,
Portswood,
Andover, and
Basingstoke
Refuge,
Support
Worker

27 | P a g e
Childline
(NSPCC)
Primary Voluntary Open All
ages
Nationwide Helpline
DVUK Secondary Voluntary Open All
ages
Nationwide Information and
awareness
raising
Get Connected Primary Voluntary Open All
ages
Nationwide Helpline
NAPAC Primary Voluntary Open 18+ Nationwide Helpline
NCDV Secondary Voluntary Open All
ages
Guildford Injunction
Service, legal
aid, referrals
No Limits Primary Voluntary Open 16-24 Southampton Various
projects, drop in
POTATO Secondary Voluntary Open 18+ Nationwide Support Group
Refuge Primary Voluntary Open &
Referrals
All
ages
Solace
Women’s Aid
Referrals
All
ages
London Counselling,
advocacy, legal
help, family
services, refuge
Southampton
Rape Crisis
referrals
11+ Southampton,
Test Valley,
New Forest,
Eastleigh
One-to-ones,
group work,
counselling,
projects, STAR
Southampton
Womens Aid
Referrals
11+ Southampton
and now new
pattern
changing
programme
and Sue Penna
YP programme
offered wider
Pattern
Changing, one-
to-ones, group
Sue Penna,
Healthy
Relationships
Standing
Together
Secondary Voluntary Open All
ages
London Strategic
Survive DV Primary Voluntary Open &
Referrals
All
ages
Bristol Outreach,
family support,
work in schools
Voices Against
Violence
Secondary Voluntary Open All
ages
Waves -
Children’s
Society
Primary Voluntary Open All
ages
Weymouth One-to-ones,
group, therapy,
counselling,
drop in, advice
Women’s Aid Secondary Voluntary Open All
ages
Nationwide Helpline, online
resources,
professional
support, policy
and campaigns

28 | P a g e
NEEDED SERVICES
From looking at what services are available across the county, it can be summarised that the areas
needing most support for DA projects are (in order of priority); East Hants, Eastleigh, Hart and Rushmoor,
and Test Valley. These are the areas that have no specialist DA support for young people, or only one with
limited capacity, and limited generic youth provision.
1) In East Hants, as both generic services and specialist services are extremely limited, it would be best
to establish a new ‘drop in’ style initiative in key towns such as Bordon and Hazlemere which are not
covered by any existing service. In Alton this could be done through SDAS as they already run the
Freedom Programme for adult victims there and have specialist young person projects across the
county. In Petersfield the Kings Arms project already works with youths but has no funding or trained
staff to carry out DA support work.
2) In Eastleigh, there are already a number of generic youth initiatives but no specialist DA providers.
Due to the number of drop in youth groups and general advice services here it would be most
beneficial to set up a new specialist DA project perhaps looking to emulate the types of specialist
project that exist around the county within an organisation that already has a knowledge base of DA
and experience working with vulnerable young people in the area.
3) In Hart and Rushmoor the Clearstone Trust already provides a good spectrum of interventions,
however it is unclear how specific to DA these are. The organisation perhaps could benefit from
further DA training and increased capacity to better serve the whole area with added outreach
provision.
4) In Test Valley the Andover Crisis Centre has a good number of projects but limited capacity and
outreach services which could benefit from further support. It is also possible that the more generic
provisions in the area could work to put on more DA specific interventions and projects to help
improve access to DA services.

29 | P a g e
WHAT’S HAPPENING ELSEWHERE
The research project was not limited to Hampshire. This was to look for areas of good practice, and to see
what is working elsewhere which may be of use when considering how best for Hampshire to move
forward and in looking for elements that are replicable.
LONDON
In London, Standing Together acts to bring together all different facets of DA provision including statutory
and voluntary, housing and management. The organisation provides training and seeks out partnerships
as well as hosting specialist groups for different sectors to ensure mechanisms are working as they should.
Standing Together says that it is most difficult to get health services to recognise the critical role they play
in relation to DA. The organisation also has an innovative solution to the problem the issue of child
contact can create for DA victims – they are one of only a few specialist DA contact centres in the country.
If the court reports a conflict the parents get referred there, where specialists help mitigate the risk of
further DA. They work with their local organisations to ensure that they understand what one another
does and what referral protocols there are. Standing Together also believes PSHE needs overhauling, and
that support should be long term not simply crisis led, short term work reliant on short term grants. They
said there are significant gaps in provision for victims under 16, and also where it is the young person who
is the perpetrator.
A Women’s Aid’s National Children and Young People Officer, said they felt that that no one in power
listened to frontline staff, which is why organisations such as Women’s Aid are key as they become the
‘middle man’. The post of Children and Young People Officer no longer exists since concluding this
research ’ due to funding – meaning one of the largest strategic DA organisations is no longer able to
represent children and young people at a national level where policy and campaigns are concerned.
Children and Young People need representing at every stage of the process as they are a group who have
no agency. A concern at the lack of universal standardised training on working with young people who
have been exposed to DA was also raised. The officer cited Australia as an example of good practice
whereby all social workers are given a standard 8 week DA training programme no matter what
qualifications they already hold to ensure the knowledge is there. Throughout this research it has become
clear that social workers and other key professionals need to be provided with more robust and relevant
DA training.
At CAADA’s annual conference (01/07/14) Barnardos spoke on how to make young persons’ services
successful. They said that young people must feel included in their own journey and not be prescribed a
set programme or be stereotyped into a ‘victim blueprint’. Barnardos believes that identifying a young
person’s ‘safe person’ is the first important step – whether this be a family member, friend, or
professional – the rest of the recovery must be built around the already stable relationship with this
person. They also raised the issue of LGBT DA, and how people think it isn’t unusual when they see two
men or two women fighting, when in fact it may be abuse. CAADA works with local authorities to help
them take an early intervention and prevention approach in a more holistic format. Its Young People’s
Programme proved to be effective where it was active. Unfortunately the programme failed to materialise
in Hampshire, but this is a model that could be employed. Young people were supported with wellbeing,
safety planning, navigating the criminal justice system, accessing housing, training, education, and benefits
(CAADA, 2014b) and after two months the number experiencing DA dropped (see graph below taken from
the report).

30 | P a g e
When speaking with national helpline NAPAC (National Association for People Abused in Childhood) it was
clear that better education was high on the wish list of provision for young people. There needs to be
stronger pastoral care, and understanding on behalf of school staff. NAPAC also pointed out how the use
of the term ‘child’ can be off-putting for many young people over the age of 12 and that the sector should
reconsider terminology.
A representative from second tier, London based service AVA (Against Violence and Abuse) said there is
still a great deal of scope as to what can be done online to help inform young people and signpost them to
support services. Centralised national campaigns such as ‘this is abuse’ are important to raise awareness
and get young people talking. AVA are currently also undertaking a mapping exercise, as access to
appropriate counselling and mentoring are crucial parts of the recovery process for young people.
SOUTH
Bournemouth’s multi-agency working operates at a strategic county level working across boundaries with
those in Poole to ensure that work is cohesive and that the strategy is solid. They put particular emphasis
on prevention and repeat victimisation and also the problem of homelessness that DA creates. A number
of professionals reported that they feel unsure of what each other does and who to go to for what. In
Hampshire it was felt by professionals that the focus seems to be on ‘crisis point’ as opposed to
prevention and long term support. It was felt that the approach is comparatively disjointed, whilst
Southampton based services often work within Hampshire, Portsmouth services are thought of as being
slightly insular.
Devon and Cornwall’s Operation Encompass is proving to be effective according to Isle of Wight Assistant
PCC and Safeguarding lead Laura Franklin. This is where a designated person phones the school to warn
teachers if a family member of a child has been arrested the night before, allowing the school to be more
flexible and supportive to that child’s needs and mitigating the risk of exclusion. Operation Serenity is
taking place on the Island, which ensures mental health professionals are present with the police where
needed. Franklin also said that she personally feels creative solutions are beneficial, and that more needs
to be done to break the taboos surrounding DA.
Weymouth offered another interesting example, where there is a branch of the Children’s’ Society called
Waves which is focused on DA support for children and young people as opposed to simply over 16, like so
many DA specialists. Waves is a drop in service and has several strands of provision including family
mediation, mentoring, anger management, healthy relationships in schools, counselling, and signposting.

31 | P a g e
Long term support is provided at the point of need. They also use ‘Human Givens’ therapy12
which has
proved to work effectively with DA victims, as it reduces the effect of traumatic memories. What is most
interesting about the project is that each worker has a caseload, and it is the caseload that determines
what kind of interventions are put on and what approaches the facilitators are trained in. This bottom up
approach is different to most services that have a core set of interventions which service users are slotted
into. Here the whole project is structured around the family’s need, which is much more effective.
Southampton has a variety of services available for those affected by DA. Southampton Women’s Aid
provides a number of projects for women including a pattern changing programme (practical not
emotional support like the Freedom Programme), outreach services, one-to-ones, healthy relationships in
schools, and recently has been certified to carry out the Sue Penna DA programme13
with children and
young people. At present funding only allows this to be carried out in Southampton as with the two
YPVA’s which are the first two in the locality. The organisation lost its funding for the programme with the
lower age group (6-11) and there is now concern that these children have been left unsupported by a gap
in services. Georgie Davie, Service Manager says that more needs to be done in schools, with links to help
services from the school website, and that schools should be monitored on the delivery of such things. She
said:
“It’s about young people having a voice and changing attitudes about what is
acceptable. We have done it with race, and we are a good way there with sexuality,
but domestic abuse is still a taboo subject. We need to ask the question when we have
the chance as it might be the only opportunity a survivor has to access help"
She also stressed how considering the situation from a family perspective is of great importance to give
that holistic fully rounded approach from all angles.
Catch 22 and No Limits are two exemplar drop-in services that were consistently spoken of at DA events
around the county which tailor what they do to the needs of the young person. Catch 22 at one stage
facilitated up to ten different programmes but due to funding has scaled this back to two. Its flagship
Young Women Support Service works with 16-24 year olds at risk of exploitation or offending that are
victims of crime, or in inappropriate relationships. The service helps with the practical things like access to
doctors, help with budgets and other things they may not have been taught by their parents. Ange
Pilgrim, Services Co-ordinator at Catch 22 says that it is a gap filling and signposting service as opposed to
dedicated DA which she believes works better as it is more approachable by young people. There is a
trained IDVA in house but she is not advertised to young people as such because of the stigma around the
label of an IDVA which young people struggle to warm to. She said:
“You need to build a rapport with a young person as they drip feed you until they are
ready to talk. For this reason simple crisis management isn’t enough, it’s about
longer term involvement and ensuring young people feel they can
knock on the door with any issue or no issue at all”
12
A type of one to one therapy that is traditionally used to help returning soldiers experiencing post traumatic stress disorder and
which has more recently been shown to have a positive effect on DA victims
13
A new programme devised by Sue Penna to help CYP work through their issues after experiencing domestic abuse.

32 | P a g e
Catch 22 staff also offer a hand-holding style service to try and ensure young people engage in provisions
such as CAMHS when they do get access to them. Mental Health is not prioritised according to Pilgrim,
when it should be a primary concern. Pilgrim also pointed out the lack of provision and research into the
specialist needs of the LGBT and BME communities when it comes to DA, and that this is an area that
could benefit from more funding attention.
Southampton Rape Crisis is also a key service in the area. Although focused on sexual abuse, this
obviously often overlaps with physical and emotional abuse. The centre has one-to-one therapy sessions
and emotional coping skills groups as well as a helpline and counselling. They also have a specialist young
person’s counselling service for 11 plus, and a creative workshop. From the family angle there is a family
therapy service too. SRC also delivers the STAR (Start Talking About Relationships) courses in all
Southampton schools. This level of provision does not exist across Hampshire. The way these sexual abuse
specific services work is very relevant to this piece of research as unlike most dedicated DA agencies, its
work is with historic traumas in the main, and not ongoing abuse. The focus on longer term interventions,
and different work with each group, is something to be learnt from.

33 | P a g e
PRIMARY RESEARCH WITH PARTICIPANTS
STAGE 1
Stage 1 comprised finding local services that work within the field of domestic abuse, whether that be
with perpetrators, victims, and/or young people who fit into the victim and/or perpetrator category.
70 professionals were contacted in total, and there was a participation rate of 74 per cent with 52
professionals engaging either through the questionnaire and/or face to face interviews and focus groups.
39 questionnaire responses were received out of 52 sent giving us a 75 per cent response rate, and 22 one
to one interviews were conducted. Out of the 39 questionnaire respondents, 20 were second tier services
and 19 were frontline practitioners. The graphs below show the responses of the frontline practitioners.
81%
19%
Local Authority Support
Respondents were asked if they felt they had the
support of their local authority (beyond financial)
No
Yes
100%
Possibility to Expand
Respondents were asked if they felt given the
opportunity their service could expand to meet
the needs of 11-19yr olds who had experienced DA
Yes
69%
19%
12%
Sustainability
Respondents were asked how long their
projects have secured funding for
Less than 1yr
Between 1 & 2yrs
3yrs plus

34 | P a g e
STAGE 2
Stage two comprised accessing adult victims who experienced DA as a young person. This was done
working with professionals from stage 1 to access victims who were open to speaking and sharing their
experiences. In total 12 women took part in the one to one interviews.
Referred
to as14
Age Gender Ethnicity Religion Location
Currently
experiencing
abuse
DA
Services
Accessed
Children
Bethan
40-
50
Female White Catholic Eastleigh No Refuge Yes
Clarissa
30-
40
Female White Other Southampton Yes
Women’s
Aid
Yes
Debbs
24-
30
Female White None Eastleigh No Refuge Yes
Fiona
20-
30
Female White None St Denys
Prefer not to
say
Women’s
Aid
Yes
Ginny 50+ Female White Christian Basingstoke No Daybreak Yes
Jade
40-
50
Female Asian Sikh Hedge End No
Women’s
Aid
Yes
Lily
30-
40
Female White None Basingstoke No
Taking
Steps
Yes
Melanie
18-
24
Female White None Cosham No
Aurora
New
Dawn
No
Nadia 50+ Female White Christian Southampton No
Women’s
Aid
Yes
Sandy
24-
30
Female Asian Sikh Eastleigh No None Yes
Sienna
18-
24
Female Black Christian Eastleigh No Refuge Yes
Suzy
30-
40
Female White None Aldershot Yes None Yes
14
All names of adult and young person participants have been changed for confidentiality reasons

34 | P a g e
Case Study – Clarissa
Clarissa first experienced DA within her own family
when she was a toddler. At 11 she got into her first
relationship which was abusive – he was two years
older and spat at her and called her names. At 13 she
experienced mental abuse from an 18 year old and at
16 she met her partner of 8 and a half years who was
also abusive whilst she was pregnant.
At 29 she met her most recent ex who was ‘the worst
one’ – he abused her while she was pregnant and
strangled and punched her in her sleep. She kept
going back to him because she was more scared of
being alone and had nowhere to turn just like when
she was younger. He went to prison for 2 incidents
but the case was dropped on the third most serious
where she was admitted to hospital for head injuries
because the two witnesses (including an 11 year old)
did not want to appear in court due to fear. The
contact process meant that she was forced to see him
again which meant she ended up back with him.
He started to attack her son and that is when she
knew she had to get out. Since leaving she has been
harassed by his family and new girlfriend in person
and via social media. She was admitted to a
psychiatric unit, due to the pressure of caring for her
dad, son, and the continuing harassment. She was
diagnosed with emotionally unbalanced borderline
personality disorder, depression, anxiety, and post
traumatic stress disorder. She said the psychiatric
hospital was not helpful as they did not turn up or
check up on her after when she had several relapses.
She said that no one understood that she was still in
love with him and that the process needed to be
gradual. She tried to protect him even after hospital.
Clarissa said that the police weren’t great at
understanding but she had one officer that really
fought her corner with the CPS and other
organisations. She has complaints open with the CPS
as she feels as though there has been no justice and
no closure.
Clarissa spoke of how her social worker had been
fantastic in supporting her but not her children. She
went to them asking for help as she realised she
needed support. Her daughter has had some contact
and support in school as she suffers with anxiety from
what happened.
She has also had the support of Solent Mind, and
Women’s Aid whom she said had been really
fantastic. In the beginning she didn’t realise what DA
was as there was no support for her when she was
going through it all as a teenager. Instead she turned
to drink and drugs as a way of coping which led to
further problems. She said more needs to be done to
help young people spot the signs and to re-establish
boundaries after an abusive relationship. It is about
learning how to be safe again.
Her ex was very clever at manipulating services and
others around her to make it look as though she was
the bad one. He was attacking her and threatening to
kill her once while she was on the phone to the police
and they still didn’t prosecute. She said:
“He always turns it around, and they
believe him. They don’t understand the
level of manipulation he has not just over
me but them too. It’s incredibly
frustrating.”
She also said she felt the doctor should have noticed
things sooner and reached out to her. She said he was
not sensitive to mental health needs, and hospitals
didn’t understand either making her feel as though it
was all in her head - even throwing her out once
without a proper discharge, anywhere to stay and
without her medication.
Clarissa feels extremely let down by the hospitals and
by the CPS. The court said they would get her a screen
which she liked. She had no early support and to her
violence was normal because she grew up with it –
she was never told or taught different. Her ex was
abused as a child and saw his mum beaten by many
different men and so he didn’t know any different
either. She said there needs to be more support at
school and a standard of training for teachers and all
professionals that come into contact with potential
victims. Schools need to realise there is usually a
reason behind the naughtiness but this never looked
into.

36 | P a g e
STAGE 3
Stage three comprised accessing young people who had experienced DA. This was done working with
professionals from stage 1 to access young people who were open to speaking and sharing their
experiences. In total 10 young people took part in the one to one interviews.
Referred
to as15
Age Gender Ethnicity Religion Location
Currently
experiencing
abuse
Services
Accessed
Children
Aaron
11-
13
Male Asian Hindu Eastleigh No Refuge No
Carly
16-
18
Female White Christian Eastleigh No YOT No
Chrissy
13-
16
Female White None Winchester Yes
Victim
Support
No
Danny
16-
17
Female
White
Irish
Other Southampton No
Miriam
House
Yes
Hannah
13-
16
Female White None Andover No None No
Izzy
18-
20
Female White None Southampton No None Yes
Jamie
13-
16
Male Mixed None Eastleigh Yes Refuge No
Jayne
18-
20
Female White Christian New Milton Yes Fixers Yes
Leo
18-
20
Trans White None Andover No
Andover
Crisis
Centre
No
Raj
16-
18
Male Asian Other Eastleigh No Refuge No
15
All names of adult and young person participants have been changed for confidentiality reasons

36 | P a g e
Case Study – Carly
Carly started by talking about her most recent abusive
relationship that she got into when she was 15, he was
18. He hit her, was controlling in every way, snatched
her phone, and head butted her. From the moment she
woke up through getting dressed and walking to school
and even in lessons and breaks she had to be on the
phone to him. When she got home she wasn’t allowed
to talk to her family but had to sit in her room and talk
to him. He picked what she wore and made her wear
excessive make up (including multiple pairs of false eye
lashes) because of his severe obsession with porn. He
hit, slapped, and burnt her, he pushed her down the
stairs, pulled her hair out, and even attempted to stab
her once. This relationship ended in March, but the
court case didn’t finish until July. This only arose
because a male friend of hers saw him being violent
towards her and phoned the police. It was only then she
felt she could tell her story, once someone else told her
it wasn’t right. He completely isolated her, made her
dependent on him.
When Carly was little her dad abused her mum. He also
attacked her on occasion including trying to drown her
and throw her over the banister. She was about 4-5.
After her mum and dad split, her mum got straight into
another abusive relationship, and he was an alcoholic
and violent towards her. Carly ran away. When she was
12/13 she fell into a gang, as the situation at home was
so bad she wanted to be out all of the time. In this new
group she was gang raped multiple times by boys
between the ages of 14-26. She said:
“I didn’t know if it was right, I didn’t know if
it was wrong, but I knew I didn’t like it, but I
also knew there was nothing I could do”.
At this age Carly said she felt as though it was her fault
that this is what she deserved, just like her mum. Carly
never thought to talk about it; he threatened her and
kept her too afraid so she tried to bury it. She was used
to dealing with things on her own as she never had
support from the family as they all had their own
problems. She got admitted to the YCP after trying to
commit suicide, which she did by stealing
paracetomol.She said her punishment was YCP,
although that is actually what has helped her turn her
life around. She self harmed a lot and said, “Self
harming was a way to show people my mental pain”.
She said that people just don’t get it and professionals
need to understand more. She felt she had so many
problems that not one professional would understand.
When in her last abusive relationship Carly said she
knew it was wrong but it was what she was used to. At
school she said pupil support was great, but they just
kept phoning social services and the police whose
responses were not useful to her. Teachers had a go at
her, she was bullied. She was allocated an anti-social
behaviour officer thus dealing with the resultant
behaviour not the root cause. Her life at home, school,
and with her ‘peers’ was awful. She wanted a safe
space, a way out. She needed someone to ask her if she
was ok. As she grew up she started to realise what had
happened to her was wrong as she learnt about rape
and abuse though the media. She said the BBC
documentary ‘Murdered by my boyfriend’ was basically
her life. She said there needs to be more awareness
raising in the media. She also said there should be more
in schools, they had an acting group come in to
demonstrate abuse but there was nothing else after –
no support. She said that there needs to be more
interactive methods of getting the message across.
Once she had split up with her abusive boyfriend, she
said she was almost accorded too much freedom.
People gave her too much space and let her get away
with everything (going out for cigarettes in lessons etc.).
She needed structure – good control not the bad control
she was used to. She couldn’t handle the amount of
freedom and started to act out and started drinking. She
needed guidance on how best to use this new found
freedom productively and for good. At this point she had
at least 10 professionals in contact with her, but they
did not communicate with each other well. Not one of
them understood the full scope of her problems and
each one of them assumed some of her other needs
were being looked after by another professional and so
she actually felt more alone.
She thinks that the YCP were the main help for her
alongside youth clubs. She needed more help with how
to get back to normal, and what normal actually is. She
also said her IDVA was brilliant and that there should be
similar support for under 16 and more for 16-18. She
said she thinks there should be more healthy
relationships stuff in schools and that having one key
person is really important. She also said that social
services should have helped her earlier and that respect
for girls is poor in society and that this needs to be
addressed through the media as well.

38 | P a g e
MAIN THEMES
From analysing each stage (including the focus groups from stage 1), some key themes have been
deduced in terms of what support exists and what support is needed. The graph below depicts how many
professionals felt there were significant gaps in services as shown on their questionnaires. They were
asked to tick next to which service area was lacking in relation to young people who have experienced
domestic abuse and they could tick all or none.
Throughout the first stage it was clear that despite professionals coming from different backgrounds and
organisations (or ‘planets’ in Hester terms) there was a distinct set of themes coming through on which
the majority were in agreement. The graph below depicts how many adults and young people felt
supported by the types of services as shown on their questionnaires. They were asked to tick next to
which service area they felt supported by throughout their journey and they could tick all or none.
0 5 10 15 20 25
Counselling/Health
Youth Projects
Respite
Housing
Education
Council Based Services
Probation/Justice
Other
0 2 4 6 8 10
Youth Projects
Probation/Justice
Education
Council Based Services
None
Counselling/Health
Housing
Charities
Adults
Young People

39 | P a g e
FINDINGS
Below is a culmination of the main findings from each stage of the research. The information presented is
from the participants of stage one, two, and three as a result of the one to ones, questionnaires,
observations, and focus groups. The text is an elaboration of the core themes that arose, and a reflection
of the participants’ thoughts and feelings on what needs to be improved in the field of domestic abuse
and young people in Hampshire.
Terminology
Services and professionals in all sectors agree that there must be a move from referring to ‘DV’ and
instead use the term abbreviation ‘DA’ as domestic violence does not incorporate the elements of
emotional abuse and coercive control that go along with the physical/violent side of abuse. It is believed
that miscommunication of terms can sometimes lead to funding being directed to the wrong places. This
change of usage is more important than ever with the change in government definition and the new laws
coming into place surrounding coercive control. Also using the term ‘exposure’ covers direct abuse and
abuse in the surrounding environment and so it is a better term to use especially with young people.
It was felt that YPVAs need to be renamed, as the title is not very young person friendly. They should also
have a joint remit to help young people deal with the practicalities of moving on and a softer remit to help
with the emotional side of things according to a number of frontline DA professionals.
Early Help Hub Partnership Manager, Jayne
Shelbourn-Barrow stressed the importance of
moving away from the term ‘referral’ towards
‘request for support’ to ensure victims receive
consistency. Referral can often sound as
though something has been completely
passed over when in DA cases it is not always
as clear cut as that.
There is also disagreement on the use of the
term ‘victim’ and that ‘survivor’ is more
empowering and accurate as it symbolises the
journey of the person. Providers also stated
that funders too often want things in ‘adult language’ when it is the voices of the young people that need
to be communicated.
Something new that was expressed by the focus group was that young people and children in domestic
abuse settings should be classed as young carers. The people in the room did not know if this was the case
at the time and after speaking with the young carers’ team at One Community it was clear it is not. These
young people often have to do more to support the victim and siblings both emotionally and physically
and so carry the responsibilities parallel to those of young carers.
Communication, cooperation, and coordination
Frontline professionals were unsure whether research and conferences were being duplicated. They need
to be more targeted, with precise outcomes and tangible benefits to frontline organisations. The young
people used to illustrate scenarios at many conferences are often not from the marginalised, vulnerable
backgrounds that most service users are and can give an inaccurate representation the situation. Extra
care must be taken when putting together such events to ensure accuracy is at the forefront.
“You refuse to admit that
you are a victim, that word
hurts, & so you don’t access
services for victims as you
don’t see yourself as one.”
- Sandy

40 | P a g e
Early Help Hubs are now operational in the county and they seek to streamline efforts and ensure those
who fall below thresholds are supported adequately. Hub professionals are concerned that DA
professionals do not attend hub meeting and DA professionals are concerned hub professionals do not
attend DA meetings. Hampshire Early Help Hub is setting up a web based 0-19yr old directory searchable
by age and service – something which they have the capacity to keep up to date. It would make sense to
tie this in with the Hampshire Domestic Abuse forum website somehow. Hampshire is looking at having
one directory. Some professionals thought that the reason this hasn’t happened is because Hampshire
County Council is concerned that they will be viewed to be endorsing the services listed and that they
would have to certify them in terms of DBS checks and training etc. They would feel liable if service users
had a discrepancy or complaint with a service. Hopefully this could be resolved through the use of a
disclosure statement.
Many professionals that participated said they feel the ‘multi-agency approach’ doesn’t actually exist.
Women who participated felt that when they actively sought help for the good of their children this was
not taken into account by other agencies. Jude Ruddock Atcherley, Hampshire County Council Strategic
Domestic Abuse Manager said that the county would benefit from there being a centrally coordinated
team to pull everything together and ensure a minimum level of training is delivered. Multi-agency
meetings and DA forums need to be more active with greater participation and efficacy in sharing
information and practices. The focus group felt agencies are not able to provide the multiagency approach
due to the low engagement of statutory organisations as well as concerns surrounding competition
between frontline providers for funding. The competitiveness around bidding is a hurdle to cooperation
for many organisations and the whole funding process is not conducive to victim centred, holistic,
coordinated working. Professionals in the third sector want to embrace the multi-agency approach but
feel that statutory agencies are unable to provide the support needed due to capacity. The focus group
were in agreement that voluntary services are left to do the jobs that statutory organisations do not have
the capacity to take on, with limited extra support - financial or otherwise. This is why ensuring the multi-
agency approach develops into a strong mechanism is so important to guarantee that wherever victims
enter the system they receive the best possible
service.
A number of professionals said that many
working in the sector are not aware of who runs
their local DA forum. Some participants who
said that despite DA being a large part of their
remit, they were still unsure about the levels of
organisations and groups (such as MASH,
MARAC, Early Help Hubs, etc.) and so greater
clarification is needed.
Frontline professionals also feel there is a need
for clearer communication within and between
agencies. It is felt by professionals that communication channels are overlooked. Frontline professionals
believe they know what is best for their service users and they felt that funders can set funding criteria
which are deemed by those seeking funding as unrealistic and not meeting the needs of service users.
According to the focus group, professionals stressed the need for support by senior management to
understand the need to have some leeway to be flexible in their working with young people even if slightly
outside central job remit or timescales (within safeguarding parameters). For example if a young person is
on a programme for a set amount of time but near the end of that time is re-traumatised for some reason,
then the professional is allowed to use their professional judgement as to how to continue with that
“One agency tells me I’m
on the right track and then
the other doesn’t even look
at the positive steps I am
taking, its infuriating.”
- Fiona

41 | P a g e
young person as opposed to simply cutting them off. For this level of understanding to be reached
throughout management levels there needs to be a central set of guidelines and best practice when it
comes to training to help remove poor practice and enhance understanding of the complexity of DA
issues.
The re-commissioning process that is underway in Hampshire is of great concern to many organisations.
The way it is organised could favour larger organisations with less specialist knowledge and less of a focus
on preventative measures and the needs of children and young people. The focus group spoke of how
people only measure what is easy to measure, not what needs measuring. It was mentioned that a good
example is the ‘keys to resilience’ used by Barnardo’s which tries to create a more accurate measuring
system. Claire Chatwin of SDAS said that the crèche costs and travel costs need to be taken into
consideration by funders as these are massive hurdles to young people accessing their services.
One area of collaboration that is often overlooked is the community engagement element of
organisations. This is when local businesses donate gifts and food for women and children at risk as well
as care packages and escape packs with essential items like toothbrushes and clean underwear for those
who were forced to make a quick escape. This kind of work and its impact is not measurable in ways that
funders want and can understand but certainly does have a massive impact on the service and their users.
It would be great if there were incentives for businesses to get involved in these kind of initiatives.
Timing and access
All professionals were uncomfortable with the term ‘post’ domestic abuse. A victim can be re-victimised
or re-traumatised at any point and this is especially the case with young people. With this is mind it is
imperative that support is not time bound, and is individual to each case, not merely crisis led. For
instance once a family is moved out of refuge they are assumed to be no longer vulnerable to abuse, but
this is often when the perpetrator will retry to gain contact and the cycle of abuse can begin again. Gillian
Finch from CIS’ters stresses that survivors must be able to access for as long as they need.
“Post DA cannot be dealt with in isolation. Victims and perpetrators are a moving
target; there are multiple phases of DA and it is dangerous to categorise in this way”
Debbie Willis, Hampton Trust
A number of professionals also mentioned the lack of pathway when someone is on a waiting list for a
targeted support service for them to access more generalised services in the interim. This was echoed by
the sentiment of the women and young people that participated – feeling that they were often dropped
by services. The focus group felt there is a need to move away from this ‘fixed you’ attitude and accept
that DA means a person of whatever age may need a little extra support for some time and that there is
no single formula to right the wrongs that have been done to that person.
The post code lottery issue is pertinent. At the focus group, professionals discussed how this particularly
affects access for more rural areas and those who are most vulnerable financially as services often do not
have the budget or staffing to provide outreach to the most hard to reach families. This problem of access
is where schools could play a vital role if they had internal youth workers.
Capacity
Capacity is a massive problem across the country as well as the county due to the economic restraints of
the time. However with young people, research has shown time and time again that if interventions are
put in earlier, money will be saved in the long run. In Rushmoor and Hart there are around 16000 case of

Positive Steps Report

Empfohlen

Empfohlen

Weitere ähnliche Inhalte

Was ist angesagt?

Was ist angesagt? (20)

Andere mochten auch

Andere mochten auch (12)

Ähnlich wie Positive Steps Report

Ähnlich wie Positive Steps Report (20)

Positive Steps Report