Venue: St Andrews Church, Arbroath
Summary of Domestic Abuse Conversations
Facilitator: Anne Robertson Brown, Executive Director Angus Women’s Aid
Question 1. What is domestic abuse?
Patchy understanding of Domestic Abuse. No overall clear understanding of the dynamics of domestic abuse.
Some participants noted that domestic abuse occurred within the home
Emphasis on physical assaults and police call outs to incidents
“can of worms “ mentioned
Key themes:
Control, emotional, physical, sexual, financial control. Coercion. Shame. Fear. Manipulation. Hopelessness. Women, in the main, are the victims. Violence in family home. Affects whole family. Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 only mentioned by one participant.
Recommendations:
- Clearer understanding of what makes up domestic abuse required.
- Awareness raising courses needed – eg recognition and appropriate response depending on role.
- Awareness raising across all services needed on impact of trauma
Q.2 How aware are you of existing services/resources in relation to Domestic Abuse?
There was varied responses to this question but overall it seemed that knowledge of existing services and resources was patchy. Those in addiction services, mental health and schools were the most positive in their knowledge. Others were mixed, particularly on tools available to help them.
Services can get caught up in their own role, also while knowing of the services and tools is different to being confident to use them in real life circumstances.
Key themes:
- Angus Womens Aid, including the refuge provision well known by most participants. Barnardo’s TDAS project was named by a few. . Strategic partnerships also raised by most. Glen Isla project provided by Community Justice to assist women offenders. Community Justice programmes for women offenders and male perpetrators well known to lot of organisations. Schools and suicide prevention services also very aware. The Equally Safe and Together message and champions were mentioned by a few attendees. Police services also mentioned by most groups.
Recommendations:
- Increased knowledge of services and referral routes (including when appropriate or how far their own service should be capable) is needed Upskilling of staff, particularly frontline staff needed – have to be aware, however of difference in staff settings, e.g. those in clinical setting less likely to have trusted relationship that could allow them to be alert to potential signals. Training reception staff also thought useful.
- More knowledge required on tools/resources available.
- Both Brambles residential unit and the Throughcare and Aftercare team are trying to raise awareness with young people as to what is a healthy relationship as they find many young people do not know what this should look like. As this came up at the first group this led to additional question being added.
Q2(a) Do you think young people in Angus being subject to coercive and/or unhealthy relationships is an issue?
(This issue was raised at first workshop so was added in to all following workshops)
100% agreement that this is a major issue in Angus.
Attendees noted that in their experience girls tend to be subject to coercive control from males .
Attendees noted that it is frightening how inappropriate, coercive, abusive behaviour is viewed as ‘normal’ by both perpetrators and recipients.
Schools are also aware of this being an issue.
Recommendations:
- Need to reassess our priorities to address this very real danger to our young people.
- Awareness raising required across all agencies – educating and support required for parents too.
- The messaging around child protection e.g. it’s everyone's responsibility, don’t look the other way – Could this be used effectively for our young people?
- Use of tools such as the ‘Zipit app’ - Childline tool used to address ‘Send A Dirty’ (SAD) texts.
Q3. How aware and responsive are existing housing, mental health, justice and substance misuse services in relation to Domestic Abuse?
Key themes:
Belief that this is patchy and can often depend on individual workers in those services having an awareness.
Housing can appear to punish the recipient of abuse rather than the perpetrator. Differing urgency of response when children involved.
Front door assessments not really set up to capture more sensitive information
Some acknowledgement that social work, nursing and housing assessments not robust enough around domestic abuse.
It was noted that the level of contact and settings of that contact will influence whether relationships of trust can be built up e.g. clinical settings
Timeframes for some services in primary care that can limit chances of seeing signals or even asking the questions as out with their comfort zone.
Lack of sharing of information between agencies, especially from statutory to voluntary
Corporate parenting and group settings – a grey area, clearer guidance needed.
Recommendations:
- There was an acknowledgement that services are aware of their responsibilities and what they provide but this is not coming together as a holistic service, so better understanding of what these other services can/do/should provide required, e.g Social Work section 12 payments for adults, section 22 for children can be used for innovative solutions – need the knowledge to be able to frame requests that could access these.
- Services should relook at their assessment process – is it robust in regard to domestic abuse?Recognise guidance is needed for those not in profession, e.g. parents who run youth groups – what support is available for them to raise/deal with concerns
- Tayside one of the highest referrals to Police for domestic abuse – schools could benefit from framework resource such as that available for substance use.
Q4. Can you list key good practise key messages services need to understand and use in practise in relation to Domestic Abuse?
Key themes:
Recognise that it impacts the whole family. Consistent approach when dealing with children – lead by example of what is a healthy relationship.
Trust your own professional judgements, have the confidence to ask the questions when you suspect something not right.
Recognise that passivity in women can be key signal. Be aware of the language you use.
Recommendations:
- Some myth busting required, e.g. viewed as success when relationships ended, perpetrator has left property but evidence shows this represents an increased risk. Similarly when male returns to house can be viewed by school as a success as children attendance improves, they do their homework but are living in climate of fear – need to be aware of whole picture.
- Reception staff to be trained to be trauma aware
- Need for knowledge around what language is helpful, e.g. Don’t ask what’s wrong with you, ask what happened to you.
- Need for all staff to be upskilled – short videos/e-learning/staff meetings?
Q5. What needs to be done/delivered differently?
Recommendations:
- Our child protection system is used as punishment rather than welfare – mum is made to feel she has failed
- Early intervention and prevention key
- Assessment processes not robust enough in respect of domestic abuse
- Increase awareness of what your role might be if you don’t work in a setting dealing with domestic abuse
- Males need to challenge the behaviour of their peers when they see poor attitudes/behaviour
- Work more collaboratively, including sharing of information
- Staff training and development
- Where suicide questioning and talking was previously seen as uncomfortable, we need to get to that level in regard to domestic abuse.
- Voluntary staff are often those most trusted by families but can then find themselves left out of case conferences, this needs to change