CAADA consultation responses |Press contacts |Latest news | Facts and statistics |
Frequently asked questions about CAADA's work
If you would like to reproduce any of the material on this page, please contact CAADA by emailing copyright@caada.org.uk.
What is domestic abuse?
What is high risk domestic abuse?
Why does CAADA focus on high risk victims of domestic abuse? Surely all victims are vulnerable?
Do men and women experience domestic abuse equally?
What services does CAADA provide?
How is CAADA funded?
What is an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA)?
How are victims referred to an IDVA service?
Where can I find an IDVA?
Does CAADA fund IDVAs?
How many IDVAs currently work in the UK? Where are they based?
How many cases would an IDVA look after?
What is a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)?
How are victims’ cases referred to a local MARAC?
Does CAADA fund MARACs?
How many MARACs currently operate in the UK? Where are they based?
What sort of actions can occur as a result of safety planning at MARAC? How does this help victims in practical terms?
Do victims know that their cases are being heard at MARAC? What happens if they don't want this to happen?
If agencies are sharing information, could this increase the risk to victims experiencing abuse?
Are children discussed at MARAC? Can IDVAs assist children who are witnessing or experiencing abuse?
Can victims with no recourse to public funds be referred to MARAC?
What are Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs)?
How does witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse impact upon children?
I am experiencing domestic abuse. Where can I access help and support?
What is domestic abuse?
The Government defines domestic violence as "Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality." This includes issues of concern to black and minority ethnic (BME) communities such as so called 'honour based violence', female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. (An adult is defined as any person aged 18 years or over. Family members are defined as mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, and grandparents, whether directly related, in laws or stepfamily).”
It is important to understand that domestic abuse is not the same as a bad relationship. Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviour which is designed to control an intimate partner or family member. Each situation is unique; it is the combination of behaviours that can be so intimidating. It can occur both during a relationship or after it has ended.
What is high risk domestic abuse?
High risk domestic abuse is a pattern of abuse which presents a risk of serious harm or homicide. CAADA estimates that around ten per cent of all domestic abuse cases can be described as high risk. The charity has pioneered the development of an Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) aligned risk identification checklist, to assist practitioners and professionals on the ground with establishing whether victims may be categorized as high risk. The level of risk which victims face can continuously change; with this in mind, CAADA advises that regular risk reviews are undertaken with all victims of domestic abuse.
Why does CAADA focus on high risk victims of domestic abuse? Surely all victims are vulnerable?
Every year in the UK, domestic abuse accounts for the deaths of two women per week. One in four women and one in six men will experience it in their lifetimes. Of these, approximately 10 per cent are at very high risk of serious harm or death. In a climate of restricted resources, focusing on high risk victims will ultimately save more lives. Additionally, high risk domestic abuse presents a serious threat to children within the household and causes spiralling, entrenched cost to public services and employers. Do men and women experience domestic abuse equally?
Research and practice experience reveals that domestic abuse remains a gendered issue. The 2008/09 British Crime Survey shows that in over three-quarters (77%) of incidents of domestic violence, the victims were women. The Survey also shows that around 33% of all violent incidents against women were incidents of domestic abuse, compared with five per cent of incidents against men. However, it is important to remember that individual men can and do experience abuse and these victims also require support in their own right.
What services does CAADA provide?
CAADA has four main areas of activity:
1. Professional training: CAADA runs a nationally accredited programme for IDVAs that covers all aspects of the knowledge and skills that are needed when working with high risk victims and partner agencies. We have trained over 800 IDVAs to date. The course runs over five months and involves 15 days of in-room training and an equivalent amount of time to complete assessments. We also run training for practitioners working in Family Intervention Projects (FIPs), which focuses on increasing awareness and skills around risk and domestic abuse.
2. MARAC implementation: through training, guidance and the provision of practical tools, we have supported the implementation of over 220 domestic abuse Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) across the whole of the UK. The MARAC is a meeting where information is shared on the highest risk cases of domestic abuse between criminal justice, health, child protection, housing representatives, IDVAs as well as other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors. A safety plan for each victim is then created. Between October 2008 and end of September 2009, there were over 33,000 adult cases heard at MARAC, involving over 46,000 associated children.
3. Quality assurance: there is a great need for consistent standards in the field of domestic abuse service provision, to ensure that victims get the support they need. CAADA undertakes quality assurance of both IDVA services and MARACs. Our Leading Lights programme gives formal recognition to effective and safe practice among IDVA services. This is currently being rolled out following a successful pilot.
4. Data collection, analysis and evaluation: we believe that one of the key historic weaknesses of the domestic abuse sector is the lack of data in relation to safety outcomes. We are currently piloting a service that builds on our expertise in evaluation which will allow all IDVA projects and MARACs to measure their outcomes in order to increase effectiveness.
How is CAADA funded?
Currently, about 50 per cent of our funding comes from the Home Office and Department of Health for IDVA, MARAC implementation and Family Intervention Project training services. We also receive some funding for Northern Ireland MARAC implementation the Northern Ireland Office, the Department for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, and the Police Service for Northern Ireland. The balance is split between grant making trusts and the fees that we charge for our services.
What is an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA)?
The main purpose of an IDVA is to address the safety of high risk domestic abuse victims and their children. Serving as a victim's primary point of contact, IDVAs normally work with their clients from the point of crisis to assess the level of risk, discuss the range of suitable options and develop co-ordinated safety plans.
IDVAs are pro-active in implementing the safety plans, which include practical steps to protect victims and their children, as well as longer-term solutions. These plans will include actions from the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC – see below) as well as sanctions and remedies available through the criminal and civil courts, housing options and services available through other organisations. IDVAs offer independent support and work over the short- to medium-term to put victims on the path to long-term safety.
Since they work with the highest risk cases, CAADA believes that IDVAs are most effective as part of an IDVA service and within a multi-agency framework. The IDVA's role in all multi-agency settings is to keep the client's perspective and safety at the centre of proceedings.
How are victims referred to an IDVA service?
High risk domestic abuse victims identified by frontline agency professionals (such as police, health or refuge workers) are referred to IDVA services in their locality. Victims may also self refer to an IDVA service. Occasionally MARACs may refer victims to an IDVA service if contact with the victim has not already been established.
Where can I find an IDVA?
A variety of organisations which support domestic abuse victims may have an IDVA on site. For example, IDVA services, specialist domestic violence services such as women’s refuges, domestic violence outreach services or Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs). Some IDVAs work within Victim Support. Others work within public agencies, such as local police forces and primary care trusts.
Does CAADA fund IDVAs?
CAADA does not fund IDVA services. Funding for IDVAs may come from a variety of different sources, as each IDVA service undertakes its own fundraising activities. For example, IDVA teams may be funded by a local statutory agency (particularly if the IDVA is based within a local Police force). Alternatively, IDVA services with a charitable status may obtain funding from a variety of grant making trusts and foundations.
How many IDVAs currently work in the UK? Where are they based?
CAADA has trained over 800 IDVAs, around half the number required for national coverage. These IDVAs may be based in a variety of locations across England and Wales. CAADA is currently the only national provider for dedicated IDVA training in the UK.
How many cases would an IDVA look after?
The average IDVA establishes contact with around 100 victims per year. On average around 70% of these victims will engage with the IDVA and take up the support that they are offering. What is a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)?
A MARAC is a meeting where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases between representatives of local police, health, child protection, housing practitioners, Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) and other specialists from the statutory and voluntary sectors. After sharing all relevant information they have about a victim, the representatives discuss options for increasing the safety of the victim and turn these into a co-ordinated action plan. The primary focus of the MARAC is to safeguard the adult victim. The MARAC will also make links with other fora to safeguard children and manage the behaviour of the perpetrator.
At the heart of a MARAC is the working assumption that no single agency or individual can see the complete picture of the life of a victim, but all may have insights that are crucial to their safety. The victim does not attend the meeting but is represented by an IDVA who speaks on their behalf.
How are victims’ cases referred to a local MARAC?
Any frontline agency representative that undertakes a risk assessment with a victim, and thereby determines that their case meets the high risk threshold, can refer a victim’s case to a local MARAC. IDVAs, police and health professionals commonly refer high risk victims to MARAC.
Does CAADA fund MARACs?
No. MARACs received funding for initial training and support from the Home Office and in future funding will need to come from local authorities to support this work. MARACs are not a statutory provision, so whilst this is a clear priority for the current government, there is no formal obligation for MARACs to exist in every area.
How many MARACs currently operate in the UK? Where are they based?
There are between up to 250 MARACs operating across England and Wales, of which over 220 have received CAADA training. However, the model is only two thirds of the way through implementation and more MARACs are required to ensure adequate national coverage to support and protect high risk victims.
What sort of actions can occur as a result of safety planning at MARAC? How does this help victims in practical terms?
Since all cases that come to MARAC are high risk, co-ordinated action planning is an important way of reducing the risk to victims and improving the safety of other family members, especially children. As every case is different, the agency representatives present at the MARAC will discuss each case and allocate appropriate actions accordingly. Actions often fall within the normal day-to-day remit of the agency representatives. Typical actions might include:
All agencies: Identifying high risk victims through files so they can provide an enhanced and responsive service in the event of an incident.
Police: Placing the victim’s home on ‘cocoon watch’; taking further action against the perpetrator if required; target hardening; providing panic alarms.
Health: Ensuring that victim is separated from the perpetrator upon presentation so that she is attended by health care workers alone; heightened awareness around injuries sustained.
IDVA: Feeding back MARAC actions to the victim where safe; providing ongoing support to the victim; attending appointments with victims; assisting victim with finding new housing and education; ongoing co-ordination and communication between all agencies; continued risk assessment; feeding back on repeat victimisation to the MARAC; assisting victims with seeking legal assistance.
Children and Young People’s Services (CYPS): Agreeing to undertake an initial assessment of children involved in MARAC cases as appropriate; give additional support to the family; making referrals to children and adolescent mental health services.
Housing: Assisting with finding alternative accommodation; supporting applications for housing benefit and homelessness; implementing safety devices on the home property.
Education: Sharing information with appropriate staff to support children effectively; monitoring school performance and behavioural issues.
Probation: Using information from MARAC for pre-sentence report writing.
Adult services: Making referrals to vulnerable adults team and/or voluntary sector support, for example, Age Concern.
Refuge: Providing refuge accommodation; providing ongoing support to the victim.
Drug and Alcohol team: Fast tracking access to specialist services and support.
The responsibility for actions lies with each agency so transparency and accountability are crucial.
Do victims know that their cases are being heard at MARAC? What happens if they don't want this to happen?
It is important that the victim is informed of the MARAC. CAADA recommends that it is good practice to work in partnership with victims where possible, in order to obtain the most up-to-date information directly from the victim, who is likely to have a complete picture of the abuse that she/he is facing. It’s relatively unusual but in cases where the victim doesn’t want to be referred, practitioners must assess whether it is proportionate and defensible to share information, depending on the level of risk which the victim is facing.
CAADA has developed an information sharing without consent form which practitioners can download from www.caada.org.uk. This helps practitioners to assess whether it is proportionate and defensible to share information based on the level of risk. The information sharing without consent forms are for use by those without a statutory duty of care (for example, via the Children Act or the Crime and Disorder Act), so the police and Children and Young People’s Services have their own procedures that reflect their statutory responsibilities.
If agencies are sharing information, could this increase the risk to victims experiencing abuse?
If a victim is at high risk of being seriously assaulted or murdered, all agencies should consider whether it is proportionate and defensible to share information in order to better protect her/him. The IDVA will often be in a position to assess what actions might contribute to safety based on their relationship with the victim. By sharing information, a safety plan can be developed. The actions arising out of this plan should provide a greater level of support and protection for the victim.
Some victims that pass through MARAC are at first concerned about the involvement of the police or social services in their case. However, where the process is well managed, most victims that engage with an IDVA come to trust both the IDVA and the MARAC process. The MARAC process itself can be a transformative experience for victims, enabling many families to be liberated from prolonged and severe domestic abuse that has been ongoing for many years.
Are children discussed at MARAC? Can IDVAs assist children who are witnessing or experiencing abuse?
The focus of the MARAC is to implement a safety plan for the adult victim of abuse. However, children which are involved in the same MARAC case as an adult high risk victim will be mentioned at MARAC. This ensures that the relevant agencies that are charged with safeguarding children are informed of the children’s situation. For example, Children and Young People’s Services may undertake a separate assessment of a child involved in a MARAC case to determine whether or not the child requires additional support or safeguarding measures. Many vulnerable, previously ‘hidden’ children who are living with domestic abuse are identified through the MARAC process.
Similarly, IDVAs are not typically able to offer a separate, individual service to children affected by domestic abuse, but all IDVAs have a duty to inform Children and Young People’s Services if they believe that a child is at risk of harm.
It’s important to understand the huge impact - physical, emotional and psychological - that domestic abuse can have on children. Children who are living with high risk abuse should not be denied professional support and help.
Can victims with no recourse to public funds be referred to MARAC?
Yes, the MARAC is available for all adult domestic abuse victims who meet the MARAC high risk threshold. A MARAC case may be used as evidence in an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (in the UK).
What are Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs)?
ISVAs work with victims of sexual violence and abuse to provide support, both to those clients who can access the criminal justice service and those who cannot. ISVAs support victims to access the services they need in the aftermath of the abuse they have experienced, helping them to live without fear of abuse.
These professionally trained specialists will start to work with victims shortly after an incident has been disclosed - initial contact might take place along with emergency services, for example. They will then continue to offer help throughout the legal process that follows, and beyond. In some areas, IDVAs undertake ISVA work alongside their domestic abuse intervention work since sexual abuse is a common feature of high risk domestic abuse.
How does witnessing or experiencing domestic abuse impact upon children?
Several studies have identified domestic abuse as a significant risk factor for child abuse. At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence, and nearly three quarters of children on the 'at risk' register live in households where domestic violence occurs. A recent study into 163 child homicides by the Channel 4 programme Dispatches revealed that domestic abuse was a background factor in 41% of cases.
I am experiencing domestic abuse. Where can I access help and support?
If you need urgent help, call 999 immediately.
CAADA doesn’t specialise in providing direct support or advice to victims of domestic abuse, but there is expert help available. If you are experiencing domestic abuse or are supporting someone who is in that situation, contact the following organisations today:
England: Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline
(run in partnership between Women's Aid and Refuge)
T: 0808 2000 247
Northern Ireland Women's Aid: 0800 917 1414
Scottish Domestic Abuse: 0800 027 1234
Wales Domestic Abuse: 0808 80 10 800
Male Advice & Enquiry: 0808 801 0327
Dyn Wales/Dyn Cymru (support for male victims in Wales): 0808 801 0321
Broken Rainbow (support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people experiencing domestic abuse): 0300 099 5428 and 08452 60 44 60
Forced Marriage Helpline: 0800 5999 247
For references, please refer to our facts and statistics page.
|
