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array_files[0]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/caada-enews.html","2012-01-30","18K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CAADA Enews","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CAADA Enews CAADA Enews CAADA Enews is a free bi-monthly enewsletter which keeps you in touch with the domestic violence sector and CAADA’s services. Subscribe now for: Latest news from the domestic violence sector Updates about policy and legislation Best practice case studies and interviews with professionals on the ground Exclusive comment from experts at CAADA Dedicated section for MARAC and IDVA practitioners with resources and tools to support their work News about CAADA training and other events Information for commissioners Practical examples of how CAADA’s data can help you in your work Download previous editions of CAADA Enews: November 2011 September 2011 July 2011 May/June 2011 March 2011 January 2011 November 2010 September 2010 July 2010 May 2010 March 2010 January 2010 November/December 2009 September 2009 July 2009 Back to News If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[1]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/index.html","2012-01-28","21K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) is a national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. Our work focuses on saving lives and saving public money. CAADA provides practical help to support professionals and organisations working with domestic abuse victims. The aim is to protect the highest risk victims and their children – those at risk of murder or serious harm. Recent news... Press statement: Re. government consultation to change the definition of domestic violence. Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA said: Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) welcomes a Home Office consultation on the current definition of domestic violence. In particular we warmly welcome proposals to amend the definition to include a reference to coercive control. Find out more here. Applications now open - apply today: CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence. This advanced level course will enable you to develop the specialist skills and knowledge necessary to help make victims of sexual violence safer. CAADA qualified IDVAs who attend this training will become qualified ISVAs on successful completion of this course. Find out more here. Whats new? Read our most recent Enews here: November 2011 Dont miss out: In January we will be relaunching Enews. Were also updating our mailing list, so you will only receive thenew and improved Enews if you opt in now. Youll also be entered into our prize draw to win free CPD training. Opt in If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[2]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/","2012-01-28","21K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) is a national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. Our work focuses on saving lives and saving public money. CAADA provides practical help to support professionals and organisations working with domestic abuse victims. The aim is to protect the highest risk victims and their children – those at risk of murder or serious harm. Recent news... Press statement: Re. government consultation to change the definition of domestic violence. Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA said: Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) welcomes a Home Office consultation on the current definition of domestic violence. In particular we warmly welcome proposals to amend the definition to include a reference to coercive control. Find out more here. Applications now open - apply today: CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence. This advanced level course will enable you to develop the specialist skills and knowledge necessary to help make victims of sexual violence safer. CAADA qualified IDVAs who attend this training will become qualified ISVAs on successful completion of this course. Find out more here. Whats new? Read our most recent Enews here: November 2011 Dont miss out: In January we will be relaunching Enews. Were also updating our mailing list, so you will only receive thenew and improved Enews if you opt in now. Youll also be entered into our prize draw to win free CPD training. Opt in If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[3]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_what_is_CPD.html","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Continuing Professional Development","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Continuing Professional Development What is Continuing Professional Development training? Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is training and learning delivered in ‘bite-sized chunks that build skills, knowledge and confidence in a specific subject area/topic. The vocational training is delivered at a higher (foundation degree) level. The benefits of undertaking training in this way are: It enables you to continue to work in your professional role whilst you study and gain further skills and qualifications. Your learning and development is built by you in a way that fits in with your work and life. It keeps you up-to-date with the latest practices, research and legislation in your profession. It enables you to apply your learning to your professional day-to-day role straight away. It enables you to build a suite of CPD units that could contribute towards a higher education qualification, such as a Certificate of Higher Education in Professional Development from the University of Bath. For more information on learning via CPD please visit the University of Baths website. For more information about CAADA please visit the About us section of our website. CPD unit open for applications: Responding to victims of sexual violence CPD unit open for applications: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse CPD unit open for applications: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response Back to Learning and development Back to Practitioner development If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[4]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_Use_and_Domestic_Violence_where%20is%20it%20being%20held.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence where is it being held","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence where is it being held CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response Where is it being held? Location Course dates Application closing date Manchester 24 - 27 April 2012 13 March 2012 Newcastle (Northern Rock grant beneficiaries only) 12 - 15 June 2012 1 May 2012 Timings Each training day runs from 9.30am until 4.30pm. Accommodation As this is not a residential course we advise all learners who cannot travel to the training on a daily basis to book accommodation suitable to their needs. You will need to arrange this yourself as the cost of the course does not include overnight accommodation. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[5]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_Use_and_Domestic_Violence_what%20will%20i%20learn.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence what will I learn ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence what will I learn CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response What will I learn? Topics covered A consideration of the relationship between substance misuse, addiction and domestic abuse. An overview of addiction. An introduction to theFamily Systems perspective. Tools and techniques for working with clients experiencing domestic abuse and substance misuse. Identification ofthe impact andrisksfor children experiencing domestic abuse and substance misuse. Risk identification, assessment and management with clients experiencing domestic abuse and substance misuse. Learning outcomes On successful completion of the unit, learners will be able to: Understand and assess the relationship between domestic abuse, substance misuse and addiction. Use a family systems perspective to develop an increased understanding of substance misuse and addiction within relationships and domestic abuse. Demonstrate knowledge of national approaches and treatment models for substance misuse and local service provision. Provide an effective, risk led response to clients experiencing substance misuse and domestic abuse. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[6]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_Use_and_Domestic_Violence_what%20does%20it%20cost.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence what does it cost ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence what does it cost CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response What does it cost? Description Cost Full fee (Standard) Four day CPD unit £750 Voluntary (Supported) Four day CPD unit £450 Supported places are only available to charities with an annual income of less than £1million and, as with all places, are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Once the limited supported places are allocated, we still welcome applications from voluntary and charitable organisations at the standard fee rate. Funding to support subsidised places is generously provided by Northern Rock. CAADA Leading Lights and IDVA Insights services are entitled to a 10% discount on the cost per delegate. All CPD units accommodate a maximum of 20 learners per course. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[7]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_use_and_Domestic_Violence_what%20are%20the%20benefits%20of%20the%20course.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence what are the benefits of the course","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence what are the benefits of the course CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response What are the benefits of the course? This course supports practitioners to provide a more effective risk-led response to domestic abuse victims who have substance misuse issues. A delegate from a recent course commented: I thoroughly enjoyed accessing the training and be able to think about the dual issues of both domestic violence and substance misuse. As a learner, you will benefit by: • Equipping yourself with the most up-to-date, evidence based learning so you can immediately change your practice and make victims who may be using substances safer. • Confidently applying advanced skills and knowledge gained on the course - become a Substance use and domestic violence expert within your service. • Developing your career by engaging in Continuing Professional Development. Service managers who purchase training for staff also benefit: • Recent research shows that substance misuse is a factor in more than half of high risk domestic abuse cases.* By purchasing this training for staff you can improve practice and make victims and their children safer. • Demonstrate to funders that you are commissioning ready by building the skills profile of your team in line with the needs of your service users. * Howarth, Stimpson, Barran & Robinson: Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services, 2009. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[8]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_Use_and_Domestic_Violence_meet_%20the_%20trainers.htm","2012-01-28","20K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD_Substance Use and Domestic Violence_meet the trainers ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD_Substance Use and Domestic Violence_meet the trainers CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response Meet the trainers The training team includes: Hannah Fisher Hannah graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2004 with a Degree in Law and Criminology. She worked for the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, before developing an IDVA service which specialised in support and advocacy for victims of domestic abuse involved in the Specialist Domestic Violence Court. Hannah joined CAADA in 2008. She has undertaken the role of lead trainer on the MARAC programme and the FIP training programme on behalf of the Department of Health. She is now the lead trainer for IDVA training and is a University of Bath accredited trainer for the Substance Use and Domestic Violence CPD unit. She is also the CAADA representative on the DAPHNE project for Women Against Violence Europe. Jo Morrish Jo studied Social Policy at the University of Plymouth and is a qualified Youth and Community Worker. She began her career in the domestic violence sector working at North Devon Womens Aid and during her 9 years there she had various roles, including Outreach worker, IDVA, Womens Safety Worker and Childrens Group Worker. She also coordinated the Outreach Project and managed a team of childrens workers and outreach workers. She is IDAP trained. Since joining CAADA in 2006, Jo has trained on the IDVA course, as well as various MARAC courses. Jo is currently the lead for the developing CPD programme and is accredited by the University of Bath as trainer for the Safeguarding children CPD unit. Jo is also a trainer for her local DV partnership, training a variety of professionals in general awareness training, impact on children, working with perpetrators and risk identification. Cat Payne Cat worked for fifteen years as a magistrate and a member of the Independent Monitoring Board of HMP Guys Marsh. She graduated from the University of Bath in 2006 with a foundation Degree in the Science of Addictions Counselling. She has worked as a counsellor in the Treatment Team at Clouds House and then for RAPT (Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust) in HMP Wandsworth. Since joining Families Plus, Action on Addiction Cat has been responsible for facilitating the Residential Family Programme and the M-PACT (Moving Parents and Children together) Programme, as well as designing and delivering workshops for family members and friends impacted by someone elses substance misuse. She is an accredited tutor with the University of Bath for Families Plus Professional Development Training, Families Plus M-PACT training, as well as for the Substance Use and Domestic Violence CPD unit. Cinzia Altobelli Cinzia is a UKCP registered psychotherapist with a nursing background. She qualified as a counsellor in 1992 and completed an MSc in Integrative Psychotherapy in 2005 and a certificate in clinical supervision in 2011. She has worked in a variety of voluntary and statutory settings as a counsellor and clinical supervisor. Cinzia is currently the Leader of Therapeutic Services for Families Plus, Action on Addiction. She has been working for Families Plus for the last ten years as a counsellor and a supervisor. She has also developed and delivered training programmes for Families Plus and is an accredited tutor with the University of Bath. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[9]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_Use_and_Domestic_Violence_is%20it%20for%20me.htm","2012-01-28","17K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence is it for me ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence is it for me CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response Is it for me? This CPD unit is suitable for: IDVAs. Domestic abuse service practitioners. Family Intervention Project practitioners. Housing support practitioners. Other frontline professionals who regularly work with domestic abuse victims with substance misuse issues. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[10]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_Use_and_Domestic_Violence_how%20does%20the%20accreditation%20process%20work.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence how does the accreditation process work","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence how does the accreditation process work CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response How does the accreditation process work? CAADA is pleased to be developing a suite of Level 4 Continuing Professional Development units in collaboration with the University of Bath. Each unit will be accredited by the University of Bath at Level 4. Course content is delivered at a foundation degree level. Each unit holds a value of six credits. Learners must complete and pass the assessment section of each unit to achieve accreditation. These credits can count towards a Certificate of Higher Education (60 credits), Diploma of Higher Education (120 credits) or BA/BSc (180 credits) degree. For more information on working towards a CPD award please visit http://www.bath.ac.uk/cpd/awards.html. The course involves: Pre-course reading. Applying academic theory to complex situations. Applying analysis and being able to critique your own practice. 100 hours of self study including preparation for classes, reading, attendance on the course and assignment. Research around the topics before preparing your assignment. Online learning and access to resources at the University of Bath. The University of Bath ranks highly in the league tables of UK universities (as published by a number of national newspapers, including the Times, Independent and Guardian ) and has an enviable international reputation. Its research, enterprise, innovation and leadership are internationally respected, and its students are in demand by employers because of the high quality of the teaching offered at the university. You can now benefit from becoming a part-time student of this leading university. For more general information about Continuing Professional Development study at the University of Bath please click here. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[11]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_Use_and_Domestic_Violence_how%20do%20i%20apply.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence how do I apply ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence how do I apply CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response How do I apply? Applications must be submitted by completing by the closing dates, as follows: Location Course dates Application closing date Manchester 24 - 27 April 2012 13 March 2012 Newcastle (Northern Rock grant beneficiaries only) 12 - 15 June 2012 1 May 2012 Dont miss out. Apply today by filling in the online application form. Successful applicants will be contacted two weeks after the respective closing dates. To ensure that appropriate learners are accepted onto the course, applications are considered by CAADA on a case-by-case basis. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[12]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance_Use_and_Domestic_Violence_about%20the%20course.htm","2012-01-28","22K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD substance use and domestic violence about the course ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD substance use and domestic violence about the course CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response About the course Domestic abuse victims with substance misuse issues are amongst the most vulnerable, isolated and challenging to engage. They often suffer from the most severe and frequent abuse and receiving the right support from skilled and experienced professionals can help to make a real difference to their lives. Recent research shows that substance misuse is a factor in more than half of high risk domestic abuse cases.* This course, developed in partnership with Action on Addiction, is designed to equip you with skills and knowledge which will help to improve your professional response to domestic abuse victims with substance misuse issues. A delegate from a recent course commented: Very informal and informative and you coud participate well... By attending this course learners experience: Four days of teaching and two written assessments. Practical and reflective learning and content. Professional training developed and delivered by CAADAs expert trainers in partnership with Action on Addiction - the only UK charity working across the addiction field in research, prevention, treatment, professional education and family support. Opportunities to connect and share best practice with other professionals at your level. Free practitioner resources that will support you in your role. Student access to the University of Baths online library for the duration of your unit. Learners will be expected to undertake up to 100 hours of self study including preparation for the course, reading, attendance on the course and assignment. To learn more about this course, please click on the links below or apply today using the University of Baths online booking form. * Howarth, Stimpson, Barran & Robinson: Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services, 2009. What are the benefits of the course? What will I learn? What does it cost? Is it for me? Where is it being held? Meet the trainers How does the accreditation process work? How do I apply? Feedback from previous learners Back to CPD homepage If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[13]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Substance%20_Use_learner_feedback_2011.htm","2012-01-28","17K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance use and domestic violence - learner feedback","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance use and domestic violence - learner feedback CPD: Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response Learner feedback The following comments represent a selection of positive feedback weve already received from our Substance Use and Domestic Violence - Providing a Risk Led Response CPD unit. September 2011 I thoroughly enjoyed accessing the training and being able to think about the dual issues of both domestic violence and substance misuse. Very informal and informative and you could participate well. Online learning is easy to use and great resource. More information on the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[14]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_when_is_it_being_held_2011.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - when is it being held?","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - when is it being held? CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse When is it being held? Location Course dates Application closing date London 6 - 8 March, 3 April 2012 24 January 2012 Newcastle (Northern Rock grant beneficiaries only) 24 - 26 April, 22 May 2012 13 March 2012 All CPD units accommodate a maximum of 20 learners per session. Timings Each training day runs from 9.30am until 4.30pm. Accommodation As this is not a residential course we advise all learners who cannot travel to the training on a daily basis to book accommodation suitable to their needs. You will need to arrange this yourself as the cost of the course does not include overnight accommodation. More information on the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[15]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_what_will_I_learn_2011.htm","2012-01-28","22K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - what will I learn? ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - what will I learn? CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse What will I learn? Observations from a previous learner: “Really useful, exactly the right balance between theory and practice.” Topics covered The risks of abuse and neglect to children living with domestic abuse. Legislation and policy including the historical context of child protection. The processes for safeguarding children and child protection. The role of practitioners from universal services in safeguarding children and child protection including making an appropriate referral to local authority childrens services. Using motivational interviewing to work with the family to safeguard the child. Working with the family courts in relation to safeguarding children. Serious case reviews. Discussing safeguarding children and child protection with an adult client. Forced marriage and honour based violence in relation to child protection. Working with the family to safeguard the child. “Guest speakers were useful, honest and informative. The content was excellent and I thought the structure was practical and straightforward.” Day and approx timings Session detail Day 1 The impact that witnessing domestic abuse has on children The risks that children experience as a result of witnessing domestic abuse Hesters 3 planets theory Child protection legislation Day 2 The role of Childrens Services Assessment frameworks Thresholds for intervention Multi-agency working to support children who are witnessing domestic abuse Day 3 The role of the family court in safeguarding children Child contact issues in relation to children who are witnessing domestic abuse Perpetrators as parents Reflections on the implications of the training as a whole for practice Learning outcomes On successful completion of the units learners will be able to: understand the effects of domestic abuse on children in different contexts and the implications for their safety and well-being. recognise the risks to and protective factors for, children who are living with domestic abuse. demonstrate an understanding of the practical application of current legislation to safeguard children and its historical context. work effectively with families to support them to safeguard their children. understand their professional role and responsibilities in safeguarding children in relation to their work with families. understand their professional role and responsibilities in safeguarding children in relation to other relevant agencies and the Family Courts. More information on the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[16]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_what_does_it_cost_2011.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD - Safeguarding children - what does it cost?","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD - Safeguarding children - what does it cost? CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse What does it cost? Description Cost Full fee Four day CPD unit £750 Voluntary Four day CPD unit £450 Supported places are only available to charities with an annual income of less than £1m and, as with all places, are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Once the limited supported places are allocated, we still welcome applications from voluntary and charitable organisations at the standard fee rate. Funding to support subsidised places is generously provided by Northern Rock. CAADA Leading Lights and IDVA Insights services are entitled to a 10% discount on the cost per delegate. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[17]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_safeguarding_children_what_%20are_%20the_%20benefits_of_the_course.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - what are the benefits of the course","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - what are the benefits of the course CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse What are the benefits of the course? A previous delegate commented: I found the course very enjoyable, it really helped me to challenge my practice. This course equips practitioners with the skills and knowledge to provide a more effective risk-led response to domestic abuse victims and their children. As a learner, you will benefit by: • Equipping yourself with the most up-to-date, evidence based learning so you can immediately change your practice and make victims and their children safer. • Confidently applying advanced skills and knowledge gained on the course - become a Substance use and domestic violence expert within your service. • Developing your career by engaging in Continuing Professional Development. Service managers who purchase training for staff also benefit: • Recent research shows that 70% of high risk victims have children.* By purchasing this training for staff you can improve practice and make victims and their children safer. • Demonstrate to funders that you are commissioning ready by building the skills profile of your team in line with the needs of your service users. * Howarth, Stimpson, Barran & Robinson: Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services, 2009. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[18]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_living_with_domestic_abuse_meet_the_trainers_2011.htm","2012-01-28","21K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD - Safeguarding children - meet the trainers ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD - Safeguarding children - meet the trainers CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse Meet the trainers The core trainers and guest speakers were fantastic. (London delegate, 2011) CAADA trainers are friendly and professional, with considerable expertise in the domestic abuse field. Lead Trainers Jo Morrish Jo studied Social Policy at the University of Plymouth and is a qualified Youth and Community Worker. Jo began her career in the domestic violence sector working at North Devon Womens Aid and during her 9 years there she had various roles, including Outreach worker, IDVA, Womens Safety Worker and Childrens Group Worker. She also coordinated the Outreach Project and managed a team of childrens workers and outreach workers. She is IDAP trained. Since joining CAADA in 2006, Jo has trained on the IDVA course, as well as various MARAC courses. Jo is currently the lead for the developing CPD programme. Jo is also a trainer for her local DV partnership, training a variety of professionals in general awareness training, impact on children, working with perpetrators and risk identification. Hannah Fisher Hannah graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2004 with a Degree in Law and Criminology. She worked for the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service, before developing an IDVA service which specialised in support and advocacy for victims of domestic abuse involved in the Specialist Domestic Violence Court. Hannah joined CAADA in 2008. She has undertaken the role of lead trainer on the MARAC programme and the FIP training programme on behalf of the Department of Health. She is now the lead trainer for IDVA training and the Domestic abuse and Substance misuse CPD unit. She is also the CAADA representative on the DAPHNE project for Women Against Violence Europe. Guest Speakers Valerie Cannon has worked in social care for 20 years, qualifying as a Social Worker in 1997 and gaining the Post Qualifying Award in Child Care in 2003. Her experience includes working with adults with a range of difficulties and working with children and families. She has worked for North Yorkshire and Cornwall County Councils and has been a Family Court Advisor for CAFCASS for the last seven years. Valeries primary role is as a Childrens Guardian, although she also carries out assessments in private law cases. Valerie delivers training independently and within CAFCASS. Karen Fox has worked in the social care sector since 1996. She started her career working for two charities, Sisterling (a womens charity which provides support for socially excluded women) and a HIV/AIDs charity providing support to women living with HIV/AIDs in Toronto, Canada. On returning to the UK, Karen studied for a diploma in Social Work/MA in Applied Social Studies at the University of Durham. Whilst studying she worked on placement at a Bail Hostel (a Young Carers project) and in a childrens home working with young people with complex needs. After completing her studies, Karen worked for Durham County Council Children and Families Team. In 2004 she joined Oxford County Council Family Support Team working within Child Protection, children in need and with court proceeding cases. In 2008 Karen took a years secondment to work with Oxfordshire Independent Domestic Advisory Service as an IDVA case worker, developing positive links between IDVA and Childrens Services and building knowledge among both agencies of childrens needs and the role each service played in increasing safety for those experiencing domestic abuse. For the last five years Karen has worked with the Children and Families Assessment Team. His Honour Judge John Platt has been a family judge in East London for more than 25 years. He has written and lectured extensively to professionals and judges on the subject of Domestic Abuse in England and abroad and has pioneered new procedures for court intervention to protect victims of Domestic Abuse. Apply today using our online booking form. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[19]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_learner_feedback_2011.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - learner feedback","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - learner feedback CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse Learner feedback The following comments represent a selection of positive feedback weve already received from our Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse CPD unit. March 2011 “Guest speakers were useful, honest and informative. The content was excellent and I thought the structure was practical and straightforward.” “Very informative. Changed my way of thinking. Intelligent. Trainers knew their stuff!”. “Really enjoyed the training and it will impact on my practice”. “Great training, it’s a nice atmosphere. I never feel awkward on CAADA training”. “Jo is always a good trainer. Creates a safe learning environment”. “Guest speakers were spot on and very knowledgeable. Trainers were very good and I felt comfortable to ask questions”. In our most recent Safeguarding course, when learners where asked to rate on a scale from 1 to 10 whether they would recommend the course to a colleague or friend, the average score was 9.2. More information on the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[20]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_is_it_for_me_2011.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - is it for me?","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - is it for me? CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse Is it for me? Observations from a previous learner: “Really enjoyed the training and it will impact on my practice”. This CPD unit is suitable for: IDVAs. Childrens IDVAs. Domestic abuse service practitioners. Childrens workers working with domestic abuse services. Family Intervention Project workers. Health professionals who work within the community - in particular midwives, health visitors and school nurses. Parent Support Advisers. SureStart professionals. Housing officers. Front line professionals working in Child and Adult Mental Health Services. More information on the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[21]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_how_does_the_accreditation_process_work_2011.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - how does accreditation work?","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - how does accreditation work? CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse How does the accreditation process work? A previous delegate remarked: “Very informative. Changed my way of thinking. Intelligent. Trainers knew their stuff!” CAADA is pleased to be developing Level 4 Continuing Professional Development units in collaboration with the University of Bath. • Each unit will be accredited by the University of Bath at Level 4 (foundation degree level). • Each unit holds a value of six credits. • Learners must complete and pass the assessment section of each unit to achieve accreditation. • These credits can count towards qualifications in related areas of study, such as a Certificate of Higher Education (60 credits), Diploma of Higher Education (120 credits) or BA/BSc (180 credits) degree. For more information on working towards a CPD award please visit http://www.bath.ac.uk/cpd/awards.html . The University of Bath ranks highly in the league tables of UK universities (as published by a number of national newspapers, including the Times, Independent and Guardian ) and has an enviable international reputation. Its research, enterprise, innovation and leadership are internationally respected, and its students are in demand by employers because of the high quality of the teaching offered at the university. You can benefit from becoming a part-time student of this leading university. For more general information about Continuing Professional Development study at the University of Bath please click here . More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[22]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_how_do_I_apply_2011.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - how do I apply?","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - how do I apply? CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse How do I apply? Applications must be submitted by the closing dates, as follows: Location Course date Application closing date London 6 - 8 March, 3 April 2012 24 January 2012 Newcastle (Northern Rock grant beneficiaries only) 24 - 26 April, 22 May 2012 13 March 2012 Dont miss out - apply today by filling in the online application form. Successful applicants will be contacted two weeks after the respective closing dates. To ensure that appropriate learners are accepted onto the course, applications are considered by CAADA on a case-by-case basis. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[23]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Safeguarding_children_about_the_course_2011.htm","2012-01-28","24K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - about the course ","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Safeguarding children - about the course CPD: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse About the course Domestic abuse victims with young children suffer the most severe abuse and their children are at risk of physical and psychological harm. 70% of victims accessing high risk services have children.* The Munro Review of Child Protection identifies concerns about how professionals respond to children who are living with domestic abuse. Victims need effective support from skilled and experienced professionals to help them appreciate how best to protect their children. This course is designed specifically to equip you with the skills and knowledge which will help to improve your professional response to domestic abuse victims and their children. A delegate from a recent course commented: “As I work with adult survivors I dont think I fully appreciated how crucial my role is with regards to safeguarding children and what valuable information I can gain by speaking to my clients more about their children. I have taken away valuable tools which I feel can benefit my whole team to better protect our clients children.” By attending this course learners will experience: Three days of teaching and one day of assessment. Practical and reflective learning and content. Professional training developed and delivered by one of CAADAs expert trainers together with an industry expert. Opportunities to connect and share best practice with other professionals. Free practitioner resources that will support you in your role. Student access to the University of Baths online library for the duration of your unit. Learners will be expected to undertake up to 100 hours of self study including preparation for classes, reading, and assignment completion (a 1,500 word reflective report and a verbal presentation). To learn more about this course, please click on the links below or apply today using our online booking form. * Howarth, Stimpson, Barran & Robinson: Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services, 2009. What are the benefits of the course? What will I learn? What does it cost? Is it for me? When is it being held? Meet the trainers How does the accreditation process work? How do I apply? Feedback from previous learners Back to CPD homepage If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[24]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding_to_victims_of_sexual_violence_what_are_the_benefits.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence what are the benefits of the course? ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence what are the benefits of the course? CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence What are the benefits of the course? This course will enable learners to build their skills and knowledge about sexual violence, ensuring that more effective support can be provided to help improve safety for victims of sexual violence. As a learner, you will: Apply advanced skills and knowledge gained on the training course to increase your confidence in responding to disclosures of sexual violence and make victims safer. If you are a CAADA qualified IDVA you will qualify as an ISVA on successful completion of the course, enabling you to extend your skills and the support you are able to provide. Learn from sector experts, including CPS, the Police, and Zoe Lodrick, a Sexual Trauma Specialist. Connect with like-minded professionals, sharing knowledge and best practice. Develop your career by engaging in Continuing Professional Development. Service managers who purchase training for staff also benefit: Evidence gathered by the CAADA Insights service suggests that IDVAs feel less confident in asking their clients about sexual violence than other types of abuse. By purchasing this training for staff you can improve practice and make victims and their children safer. Demonstrate to funders that you are commissioning ready by sharing best practice and building the skills profile of your team in line with the needs of your service users. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[25]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding_to_victims_of_sexual_violence_what%20will%20i%20learn.htm","2012-01-28","21K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence what will I learn ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence what will I learn CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence What will I learn? The training course will follow a care pathway for a victim of sexual violence: this starts with expert input looking at the dynamics of sexual violence and how people repond to it. These issues will inform the practice discussions during the rest of the course. Delegates will consider how to ask about sexual violence and how to respond to a disclosure. The course will look at the needs of and risks to a client who has experienced sexual violence. This will focus on their health needs both longer term and immediately after an assault and the response of the Criminal Justice System. Learners will participate in an Action Learning Set, working through a case study which they will then write up for their assessment, along with reflections on the training. The first courses will take place in the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Cardiff and learners will have the opportunity to look around the SARC. Day and approx timings Session detail Day 1 Introductions. Dynamics of sexual violence - including prevalence in society and statistics. Responses to sexual violence and the impact for practice when working with victims of sexual violence. Day 2 Asking about sexual violence - how to talk about it and responding to a disclosure. Dynamics of Intimate partner sexual violence - responding to risks. Sexual Health risks following sexual assault. How to complete a needs and risk assessment with a client - including assessment of health, social, emotional and practical needs, managing risk and addressing safety. Day 3 Criminal Justice System - The Crown Court, research about sexual violence in CJS and the justice gap, historical reporting, evidence gathering/forensics, police interview, impacts of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on CJS, the role of the practitioner in supporting a client from disclosure of an assault to the conclusion of the case. Day 4 Crown Prosecution Service - building a case for court, the role of the CPS. Action Learning Set - preparation for assignment. Learning outcomes On successful completion of the units learners will be able to: Understand the dynamics of sexual violence and its prevalence in society. Analyse the effects of sexual violence in different contexts and the implications on the health, safety and well being of the victim. Respond appropriately to a disclosure of sexual violence. Identify any risks and needs for a victim of sexual violence and respond appropriately, advocating for the client where necessary. Analyse the criminal justice response to sexual violence and how to support a client from reporting a sexual assault through to the end of the court process. Analyse the conflicting needs of the victim within the criminal justice system. Consider the additionalrisks posed to vulnerable groups, such as sex workers, victims of trafficking, etc More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[26]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding_to_victims_of_sexual_violence_meet_%20the_%20trainers.htm","2012-01-28","20K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence - meet the trainers ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence - meet the trainers CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence Meet the trainers The training team includes: Jo Morrish Jo studied Social Policy at the University of Plymouth and is a qualified Youth and Community Worker. She began her career in the domestic violence sector working at North Devon Womens Aid and during her 9 years there she had various roles, including Outreach worker, IDVA, Womens Safety Worker and Childrens Group Worker. She also coordinated the Outreach Project and managed a team of childrens workers and outreach workers. She is IDAP trained. Since joining CAADA in 2006, Jo has trained on the IDVA course, as well as various MARAC courses. Jo is currently the lead for the developing Continuing Professional Development programme and is accredited by the University of Bath as trainer for the Safeguarding children, Substance use and Responding to victims of sexual violence CPD units. Jo is also a trainer for her local DV partnership, training a variety of professionals in general awareness training, impact on children, working with perpetrators and risk identification. Zoe Lodrick Zoe is a UKCP Registered Psychotherapist and an experienced Trainer and Consultant. She gained over 14 years experience working at Portsmouth Area Rape Crisis Service providing psychotherapy to women and men who had experienced rape, sexual assault and/or childhood sexual abuse; and delivering training and consultation to professionals who work with victims/survivors of sexualised traumas. Zoe is generally recognised as having expert knowledge with regard to human response when faced with a perceived threat (especially interpersonal and sexual threat). Since April 2009 she has worked as a Trainer and Consultant, providing services to agencies including Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), St Marys SARC Manchester and the Judicial Studies Board (JSB). In October 2010 Zoe delivered the inaugural Moira Jones Memorial Lecture at COPFS Annual Conference in Glasgow and was awarded the Moira Jones Memorial Bowl in recognition of her work to increase understanding of sexualised trauma within the criminal justice system. Janine Roderick Janine completed her general nurse training at the University Hospital of Wales in 1994 and following this worked on the trauma wards and in general practice. She worked in sexual health for over 10 years as a nurse and then as a sexual health adviser. She became the manager of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Cardiff before it opened in October 2008, and she has found the challenge of developing a multiagency service has been an incredible experience. Janine is currently studying for a Masters Degree in Health Promotion and Education; this has led to a particular interest in the area of risk reduction with individuals who have experienced domestic and sexual violence. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[27]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding_to_victims_of_sexual_violence_is%20it%20for%20me.htm","2012-01-28","17K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence is it for me ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence is it for me CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence Is it for me? This CPD unit is suitable for: Unqualified domestic abuse service practitioners who want to increase their skills, knowledge and confidence in dealing with sexual violence issues. CAADA qualified IDVAs who want to change role and become qualified ISVAs. Other frontline professionals who regularly work with victims of sexual violence. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[28]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding_to_victims_of_sexual_violence_about%20the%20course.htm","2012-01-28","22K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Responding to victims of sexual violence_about the course ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Responding to victims of sexual violence_about the course CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence About the course This new course has been developed in conjunction with Janine Roderick, Manager of the Cardiff Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), to build your skills, knowledge and confidence to improve your professional response and make victims of sexual violence safer. Recent evidence gained through CAADA Insights shows that services are twice as likely to have incomplete information about sexual violence as other types of abuse. This suggests that many practitioners lack the confidence needed to ask their clients about sexual violence. CAADA qualified IDVAs who attend this training will become qualified ISVAs on successful completion of this course. However, you do not need to be a CAADA qualified IDVA to attend this course. By attending this course you will experience: 3½ days of teaching and ½ day of seminar/tutorial. Practical and reflective learning and content. Professional training delivered by CAADAs expert trainers and Janine Roderick. Guest speakers from CPS, the Police and Zoe Lodrick, a Sexual Trauma Specialist. Opportunities to connect and share best practice with other professionals. Free practitioner resources. Student access to the University of Baths online library for the duration of the course. Learners will be expected to undertake up to 76 hours of self study, including preparation for classes, reading, attendance on the course and assignment. To learn more about the specific topics covered by this course, click here. To book your place on the course email cpd@caada.org.uk . Is it for me? What are the benefits of the course? What will I learn? How does the accreditation process work? Where is it being held? What does it cost? How do I apply? Meet the trainers Back to CPD homepage If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[29]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding%20to%20victims%20of%20sexual%20violence_where%20is%20it%20being%20held.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD_Substance Use and Domestic Violence_where is it being held ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD_Substance Use and Domestic Violence_where is it being held CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence Where is it being held? Location Course date Application closing date Cardiff Sexual Assault Referral Centre Safe Island Cardiff Royal Infirmary Newport Road Cardiff CF24 0SZ 12 - 15 March 2012 1 February 2012 15 - 18 May 2012 2 April 2012 Timings Each training day runs from 9.30am until 4.30pm. Accommodation As this is not a residential course we advise all learners who cannot travel to the training on a daily basis to book accommodation suitable to their needs. You will need to arrange this yourself as the cost of the course does not include overnight accommodation. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[30]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding%20to%20victims%20of%20sexual%20violence_how%20does%20the%20accreditation%20process%20work.htm","2012-01-28","19K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance use and domestic violence how does the accreditation process work","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance use and domestic violence how does the accreditation process work CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence How does the accreditation process work? CAADA is pleased to be developing a suite of Level 4 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) units in collaboration with the University of Bath. Each unit will be accredited by the University of Bath at Level 4. Course content is delivered at a foundation degree level. Each unit holds a value of six credits. Learners must complete and pass the assessment section of each unit to achieve accreditation. These credits can count towards a Certificate of Higher Education (60 credits), Diploma of Higher Education (120 credits) or BA/BSc (180 credits) degree. For more information on working towards a CPD award please visit http://www.bath.ac.uk/cpd/awards.html. This course involves: Pre-course reading. Applying academic theory to complex situations. Applying analysis and being able to critique your own practice. 76 hours of self study including preparation for classes, reading, attendance on the course and assignment. Research around the topics before preparing your assignment. Online learning and access to resources at the University of Bath. The University of Bath ranks highly in the league tables of UK universities (as published by a number of national newspapers, including the Times, Independent and Guardian) and has an enviable international reputation. Its research, enterprise, innovation and leadership are internationally respected, and its students are in demand by employers because of the high quality of the teaching offered at the university. You can now benefit from becoming a part-time student of this leading university. For more general information about CPD study at the University of Bath please click here . More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[31]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding%20to%20victims%20of%20sexual%20violence_how%20do%20i%20apply.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence how do I apply ","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Responding to victims of sexual violence how do I apply CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence How do I apply? Applications must be submitted by completing by the closing date, as follows: Location Course date Application closing date Cardiff 12 - 16 March 2012 1 February 2012 Cardiff 15 - 18 May 2012 2 April 2012 Dont miss out. To book your place on the course email cpd@caada.org.uk . Successful applicants will be contacted two weeks after the respective closing dates. To ensure that appropriate learners are accepted onto the course, applications are considered by CAADA on a case-by-case basis. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[32]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD_Responding%20_to_victims_of_sexual_violence_what%20does%20it%20cost.htm","2012-01-28","18K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence what does it cost","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CPD Substance Use and Domestic Violence what does it cost CPD: Responding to victims of sexual violence What does it cost? Description Cost Full fee (Standard) Four day CPD unit £750 Voluntary (Supported) Four day CPD unit £450 Supported places are only available to charities with an annual income of less than £1m and, as with all places, are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Once the limited supported places are allocated, we still welcome applications from voluntary and charitable organisations at the standard fee rate. Funding to support subsidised places is generously provided by Northern Rock. CAADA accredited Leading Lights and Insights services are entitled to a 10% discount on the cost per delegate. This CPD unit can accommodate a maximum of 18 learners per course. To book your place on the course email cpd@caada.org.uk. More information about the course If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[33]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/learning_development/CPD.html","2012-01-28","20K","CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Continuing Professional Development","",""," CAADA - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Continuing Professional Development Continuing Professional Development Welcome to CAADAs Continuing Professional Development (CPD) pages. Here you will find information on our specialist programme of Continuing Professional Development, accredited by the University of Bath at Level 4 (foundation degree level). The programme provides short courses on areas of core competency for anyone working with domestic abuse victims. Our advanced training equips practitioners with the most up-to-date, evidence based learning so that they can immediately improve their practice and make victims and their children safer. By responding to service users needs through skills development, managers who purchase this training can demonstrate that their service is commissioning ready. We offer you: Expertise in the domestic abuse sector. An excellent reputation for delivering innovative training programmes. Highly experienced trainers and guest speakers who are experts in their field. The University of Baths international reputation for delivering higher education. Each unit has been accredited by the University of Bath at Level 4 and holds a value of six credits. These credits can count towards a Certificate of Higher Education (60 credits), Diploma of Higher Education (120 credits) or BA/BSc (180 credits) degree. Explore the units available and open for application, listed below, or find out more about studying via CPD. OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS CPD unit: Responding to victims of sexual violence This new course will equip you with essential skills and knowledge to improve your professional response and make victims of sexual violence safer. Evidence gained through our Insights service suggests that IDVAs feel less confident in dealing with sexual violence than other problems associated with domestic abuse. CPD unit: Substance use and domestic violence - providing a risk led response A new course developed in partnership with Action on Addiction, a leading national charity working to tackle addiction. The training has been specifically developed for IDVAs and frontline professionals who provide support to domestic abuse victims with substance use issues. CPD unit: Safeguarding children living with domestic abuse This course enables professionals working with victims of domestic abuse to improve their response to childrens safeguarding issues through support of the non-abusing parent. Back to Learning and development If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[34]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/resources/resources.html","2012-01-28","17K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - About us","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - About us Resources CAADA provides a wealth of free, downloadable resources. Please visit the following links for more information. Resources for domestic violence services IDVA toolkits, case management packs, service key criteria and other resources. Resources for practitioners involved in MARACs Access our risk identification checklists, toolkits and templates for frontline practitioners referring to MARACs and those who attend MARACs. Research resources Download a range of research papers and related resources. Statistics Read up-to-date statistics about domestic abuse. Frequently asked questions Frequently asked questions about IDVAs, MARACs and high risk domestic abuse. If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[35]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/WSU9.pdf","2012-01-28","121K"," Robinson _2005_.doc","","","The Cardiff Womens Safety Unit and the Civil/Criminal Interface 13th December 2005 http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/academicschools/socsi/staff/acad/robinson.html Dr Amanda L Robinson Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice School of Social Sciences Cardiff University Glamorgan Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3WT (02920) 875401 RobinsonA@Cardiff.ac.uk  Table of Contents Executive Summary..................................................................................................3 Introduction ................................................................................................................4 New Initiatives in Civil Justice ...............................................................................5 Aims of the Study ....................................................................................................7 Methodology...............................................................................................................7 Literature Review ......................................................................................................8 Combined or Integrated Civil/Criminal Courts ....................................................8 Use of Civil Remedies ............................................................................................9 Effectiveness of Civil Remedies......................................................................... 10 Children at the Interface ...................................................................................... 11 Experiences and Perceptions of Victims of Domestic Violence ............... 12 Experience with the Legal Process ................................................................... 12 Concern for C hildren............................................................................................ 14 Effectiveness of Occupation Orders.................................................................. 15 Assistance from Solicitors ................................................................................... 16 Advocacy from the WSU ..................................................................................... 18 Challenges of Pursuing Criminal versus Civil Justice .................................... 19 Perceived Benefits of a Combined Civil/Criminal Court ................................. 20 Improvements Needed in the Courts ................................................................ 20 Information from WSU Advocates..................................................................... 21 Particular Challenges of Pursuing Civil Justice ............................................... 21 Advocacy and Improving the Interface ............................................................. 22 Perceived Benefits of a Combined Civil/Criminal Court ................................. 24 Results of the Solicitor Survey........................................................................... 24 Particular Challenges of Pursuing Civil Justice ............................................... 24 Effectiveness of Civil Remedies......................................................................... 25 Challenges of Pursuing Criminal versus Civil Justice .................................... 26 The Civil/Criminal Interface................................................................................. 26 Perceived Benefits of a Combined Civil/Criminal Court ................................. 27 Conclusions............................................................................................................. 27 Recommendations................................................................................................. 30 References............................................................................................................... 31 Appendix A: Victim Interview ............................................................................. 34 Appendix B: Advocate Interview ....................................................................... 36 Appendix C: Solicitor Survey ............................................................................. 38 Acknowledgements ­ The author would like to thank the victims, advocates and solicitors for taking the time to participate in this research, and to commend all those who are trying to improve the `interface between the civil and criminal courts so that victims and their children can be safer. Whilst every effort has been taken in the preparation of this publication, no liability is assumed by the author for any errors or omissions. 2  The Cardiff Womens Safety Unit and the Civil/Criminal Interface Executive Summary This exploratory study investigated the `interface between the civil and criminal courts in Cardiff by reviewing the literature and then obtaining information from victims of domestic violence, advocates working in the Womens Safety Unit (WSU), and solicitors. The WSU rota scheme ­ free initial consultations provided by specialist trained solicitors ­ was identified as good practice in terms of increasing the access to civil justice for victims of domestic violence. Victims were more satisfied with their solicitors when they were referred by the WSU. Victims experiences of going to court were generally negative, as they felt nervous, intimidated, and unsafe. Victims involved in child contact disputes also had concerns about their childrens safety during contact. Victims were unsatisfied with CAFCASS and perceived family proceedings to have a bias towards `contact at any cost rather than their safety or that of their children. Victims felt that civil remedies, such as occupation orders or non-molestation orders, did help them to feel safer and prevent further abuse, but only when they had a power of arrest (POA) attached by the court. The feasibility of having the victim and perpetrator continue to live under the same roof (albeit in different rooms as stated in a court order) was questioned by all three types of respondents (victims, advocates and solicitors). Access to civil justice was constrained by financial considerations and issues such as Legal Aid not being available whilst a criminal case is ongoing. Victims of domestic violence should have access to civil remedies regardless of their financial situations. The `interface between civil and criminal courts ­ in terms of relaying information about criminal matters to civil judges, or information about civil proceedings to magistrates or judges in criminal courts ­ is completely dependent upon the WSU advocates that support victims through the legal process. Without advocacy arrangements in place, there would be no interface and decision-making by either court would be made based on partial information. Whilst in Cardiff these arrangements appear to be effective, developing the interface between civil and criminal courts needs to be a national endeavour to p rovide a consistent and streamlined response to victims of domestic violence. This study reasserts the importance of having a holistic, multi-agency response to domestic violence. Victims who are reluctant to participate in a criminal case need to have access to other types of remedies, such as those provided by the civil courts. The coordination of civil with criminal justice represents the best hope of keeping victims of domestic violence and their children safe. 3  The Cardiff Womens Safety Unit and the Civil/Criminal Interface Introduction Victims of domestic violence may seek protection from both the criminal and civil law. Criminal offences such as assaults, wounding, sexual abuse, harassment, or threats may be charged by prosecutors and offenders convicted in Magistrates or Crown Courts. There is no specific offence of domestic violence per se, but a range of abusive behaviours that occur within intimate relationships can be charged as criminal offences. Punishments following from a criminal conviction could include fines, community punishment orders, community rehabilitation orders, and/or custodial sentences. In recent years substantial attention has been paid to improving the criminal justice response to domestic violence.1 The civil justice system is another avenue by which victims of domestic violence might seek redress, yet on its own has received relatively little attention in terms of its response to domestic violence. Remedies provided in the civil law include occupation orders 2, non-molestation orders 3 and exclusion orders 4. Their aim is to protect the applicant from further violence, threats, and/or harassment by the abuser. At their discretion, courts can attach a power of arrest (POA) to these orders, allowing the police to arrest and remove a suspect found in breach of a court order. Historically police and the courts have been reluctant to do this, however, rendering many civil injunctions useless.5 Thus victims of domestic violence might be involved in criminal cases (as witnesses) or civil cases (as applicants), in an attempt to seek protection from 1 For example, the CPS updated its prosecution policy for domestic violence in 2001, ACPO issued new guidance on investigating domestic violence in 2004, the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Bill received royal assent in 2004, and the Home Office is rolling out 25 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts in 2005-6. 2 Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 ­ Regulates the occupation of the home shared by the couple and their children to protect any party or children from domestic violence. The order can exclude the abuser from the property altogether, or divide the property to exclude him from part of the accommodation. If he has already left the property, an occupation order may be used to prevent him from re -entering or coming within a certain area of the property. Therefore these types of orders are limited to those couples that previously or currently live together. 3 Part IV of the Family Law Act 1996 ­ Used to restrain someone from causing or threatening violence to the applicant or to any children, or from molesting them. The Act does not define molestation, but it can include intimidation, pestering, threats and harassment. The wording of the order   ");
array_files[36]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/WSU8.pdf","2012-01-28","161K"," Robinson & Tregidga _2005_ MARAC Report -- FINAL FINAL.doc","","","Domestic Violence MARACS (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences) for Very High-Risk Victims in Cardiff, Wales: Views from the Victims May, 2005 Dr Amanda L Robinson Ms Jasmin Tregidga School of Social Sciences Cardiff University Glamorgan Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3WT (02920) 875401 RobinsonA@Cardiff.ac.uk http://www.cf.ac.uk/socsi/whoswho/robinson.html TregidgaJ@Cardiff.ac.uk  Table of Contents Executive Summary..................................................................................................................... 3 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 Evaluating the MARACs............................................................................................................. 4 Phase 1 Evaluation................................................................................................................ 4 Phase 2 Evaluation................................................................................................................ 4 Changes to the MARAC Process................................................................................................. 4 2. Literature Review ................................................................................................................ 5 Benefits of Multi-Agency Approaches ......................................................................................... 5 The Challenge ...................................................................................................................... 5 Ways to Meet the Challenge .................................................................................................. 5 Measuring Success................................................................................................................ 6 Victims Explanations for Abuse ................................................................................................. 8 Negotiating Safety .................................................................................................................... 9 Developing Agency ............................................................................................................... 9 Help-Seeking .......................................................................................................................10 Relationship Separation ...........................................................................................................10 Economic Dependence .........................................................................................................10 Child Contact.......................................................................................................................11 Fear of Retaliation ...............................................................................................................11 Post-Separation Violence ......................................................................................................11 Returning to Abusive Relationships .......................................................................................11 3. Methodology .......................................................................................................................12 Overview ................................................................................................................................12 Police Data .............................................................................................................................13 Sample................................................................................................................................13 Analytic Strategy..................................................................................................................13 Interviews with Victims ............................................................................................................13 Interview Schedule ..............................................................................................................13 Safety Considerations...........................................................................................................14 Sample................................................................................................................................15 Difficulties Accessing High-Risk Victims .................................................................................15 Analytic Strategy..................................................................................................................16 4. Findings from the Police Data............................................................................................16 Repeat Violence Post-MARAC ...................................................................................................16 Risk Factors ............................................................................................................................18 Correlates of Repeat Violence...................................................................................................20 5. Findings from the Victim Interviews .................................................................................20 Victim Perceptions of the Multi-Agency Approach ......................................................................21 Sharing Information.............................................................................................................21 Providing Support................................................................................................................22 Practical Assistance ..............................................................................................................23 Continuing Challenges..........................................................................................................23 Personal Factors Impacting Violence.........................................................................................24 Relationships .......................................................................................................................24 Family Support ....................................................................................................................26 Retraction ...........................................................................................................................27 Children ..............................................................................................................................27 Economic Issues ..................................................................................................................28 Mental Health/ Alcohol/ Drugs Issues ....................................................................................29 Responsibility for Ending the Violence.......................................................................................29 6. Conclusions .........................................................................................................................31 References .................................................................................................................................33 Appendix A: Victim Interview Schedule ........................................................................................35 2  Executive Summary § The first MARAC was held in April 2003 and was attended by members of 16 agencies, including police, probation, local authority, health, housing, refuge and the Womens Safety Unit. The goal of these meetings is to provide a forum for sharing information and taking actions that will reduce future harm to very high-risk victims and their children. This report is the second phase of the evaluation of the MARACs, which focuses on identifying levels of recidivism 12-months on with police data and by interviewing victims. It should be read in tandem with the first phase of the evaluation. The literature review identified five key ways that the safety of women and children experiencing domestic violence may be increased: increased and on-going communication; conducting risk assessments; providing advocacy to victims; translating policy into action; and holding perpetrators to account. The MARACs improve the response provided to highrisk victims of domestic violence in each of these ways. The literature also points out that a multi-agency response needs to take into account the complex set of issues confronting women (e.g., emotional, financial, children, etc.) to ensure that they have the resources and support that they need to make the difficult decision to leave and ultimately to remain safe. The police incident data revealed that a substantial proportion of victims, more than 4 in 10, have had no further reported incidents of domestic violence one year after the MARAC. This is particularly notable given their extensive histories of domestic violence and identification as high-risk for repeat violence. The interviews with victims revealed several important findings: § Victims knew that agencies were working together on their behalf, namely because information was shared across agencies about their cases. § Holding participating agencies accountable for their attendance and performance in the MARACs is an on-going issue noted by some victims. § Many women specifically mentioned that the support they received was from many different agencies; however the WSU was often viewed as the primary source of information, support and assistance they received. § Practical assistance, such as having their locks changed, was very highly valued by the women. § Negative comments focused on poor evidence collection by the police and not being kept informed about decisions in their cases (bail, custody, adjournments, etc.). § The majority of women have regained a sense of freedom and a degree of control over their lives since the MARAC intervention, usually as a result of separating from their abusive partners. § A strong family support network played an important role in womens ability to manage the abusive situation, and ultimately t  ");
array_files[37]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/WSU7.pdf","2012-01-28","204K"," Robinson _2005_ 2nd WSU Evaluation.doc","","","The Cardiff Womens Safety Unit: Understanding the Costs and Consequences of Domestic Violence 21st January 2005 Dr Amanda L Robinson Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice School of Social Sciences Cardiff University Glamorgan Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3WT (02920) 875401 RobinsonA@Cardiff.ac.uk http://www.cf.ac.uk/socsi/whoswho/robinson.html  Table of Contents Executive Summary.............................................................................................................................3 List of Tables........................................................................................................................................4 List of Charts........................................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 5 Evidence of Success in Cardiff............................................................................................................... 5 Victims Refusing to Make Complaints ................................................................................................. 6 Repeat Victimisation ......................................................................................................................... 7 Concern for Children Reports ............................................................................................................. 8 1. The Cost of Domestic Violence ....................................................................................................... 9 The Cost of Domestic Violence to Cardiff ............................................................................................... 9 The Cost of the WSU.......................................................................................................................... 11 Reducing the Costs of Domestic Violence in Cardiff .............................................................................. 12 2. Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 13 Sample.............................................................................................................................................. 13 Data Collection................................................................................................................................... 13 3. Findings..........................................................................................................................................14 Description of WSU Clients ................................................................................................................. 14 Victims Experiences and Perceptions of Domestic Violence................................................................... 16 Experiencing Multiple Forms of Abuse .............................................................................................. 18 Escalation of Abuse......................................................................................................................... 18 Perceptions of the Abuse ................................................................................................................ 18 Victims Perceptions of the CJS ........................................................................................................... 20 Perceptions of the Police ................................................................................................................. 20 Expectations about Criminal Justice Involvement.............................................................................. 22 The Consequences of Domestic Violence ............................................................................................. 24 Consequences of Domestic Violence on Womens Employability......................................................... 24 Consequences of Domestic Violence on Womens Health................................................................... 25 Womens Experiences with and Perceptions of the WSU ....................................................................... 26 What Women Get From the WSU..................................................................................................... 26 What Women Think About the WSU ................................................................................................ 31 4. Conclusions and Recommendations.............................................................................................33 Evidence of WSU Effectiveness ........................................................................................................... 33 Continued Expansion of WSU Service .................................................................................................. 33 Recommendations for Further Improvement ........................................................................................ 34 References ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Appendix A: Womens Safety Unit Client Assessment Form...........................................................37 Appendix B: What Health Care Providers Should Know about the Spectrum of Victimisation....50 2  The Cardiff Womens Safety Unit: Understanding the Costs and Consequences of Domestic Violence Executive Summary 1. The WSU was referred 3228 women and their 4085 children from mid-December 2001 through 31st July 2004. This report is based on a random sample of 120 structured interviews with clients coming to the WSU for a recent 12-month period (1 Aug 03 ­ 31st Jul 04), and police data on domestic violence in the Cardiff area for the years 2001-2004. 2. Similar to Cardiff residents generally, most WSU clients are white (90%), British (94%) and speak English (99%). A substantial proportion of women are struggling financially, and all care for children. 3. The average woman coming to the WSU is in a chronically abusive relationship, where she has endured nearly 6 years of emotional and physical abuse, about 5 years of financial abuse and 4 years of sexual abuse. A majority of WSU clients also report experiencing an escalation in the severity, duration and frequency of the abuse. About 9 in 10 women have told their friends or family about the abuse and have sought outside help. About 9 in 10 women already have tried to end the relationship. 4. The costs associated with domestic violence in Cardiff were conservatively estimated at Ł15.5 million annually. If distributed evenly across all households in Cardiff, this would be an annual `tax of Ł125. In contrast, the operating costs of the WSU are about Ł250,000 annually, or a tax of less than Ł2 per household. The conclusion is that implementing innovative and coordinated multi-agency approaches is a tiny fraction of the costs currently associated with domestic violence. 5. Women coming to the WSU have had negative effects on their employability as a result of domestic violence. For example, 1 in 4 had missed work at some point in their lives due to physical abuse, and 1 in 20 reported having lost their jobs. T here were similar negative effects due to emotional abuse. 6. Domestic violence also produces negative consequences on womens health. About 1 in 4 have attended A+E in their lifetimes. Unfortunately, relatively few had ever been asked by A+E staff about their experiences of domestic violence. Additionally, while 1 in 3 had seen their GP due to domestic violence, in only a fraction of incidents did the GP enquire about their experiences of domestic violence. This represents a huge loss in the potential to respond to domestic violence by the health care system. 7. Analysis of police data indicate that several positive trends continue in Cardiff. For example, the number of repeat victims has decreased from 31% in 2001 (pre-WSU) to 17% in 2002, 20% in 2003, and 16% in 2004. The number of victims refusing to make a complaint has decreased from 51% in 2001 to 39% in 2002, 33% in 2003, and 14% in 2004. The number of concern for children reports submitted by officers has increased from 14% in 2001 to 26% in 2002, 45% in 2003, and 54% in 2004. 8. About 6 in 10 women reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the police generally, while 2 in 10 were neutral and about 2 in 10 were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the police response. The majority of victims (about 6 in 10) wanted the police to perform functions consistent with the SWP proarrest policy (i.e., arrest the perpetrator). However a substantial minority of victims (about 3 in 10) wanted the police to comfort them and provide them with information and/or referrals to other agencies. Only a fraction (about 1 in 10) did not want the police involved. 9. What most women want from criminal justice involvement is to be safe. However they have different ideas as to what type of outcome will be most likely to facilitate their safety. About one-half preferred a treatment-oriented response from the CJS, whereas about one-quarter wanted the CJS to punish the perpetrator. Women felt that safety was most likely to be achieved by either providing treatment to the perpetrator or by ending the relationship (i.e., not necessarily from the perpetrator being punished). 10. The women coming to the WSU have extremely positive perceptions of the service they received. All the women rated the WSU staff as helpful or very helpful ­ none of the women perceived the WSU to be unhelpful. Similarly, all of the women were satisfied or very satisfied with the service they received ­ none were dissatisfied. Importantly, none of the women felt that meeting with the WSU would put her in more danger. All of the women agreed or strongly agreed with the idea that meeting with the WSU would result in a reduction in the violence in their lives. 3  List  ");
array_files[38]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/WSU6.pdf","2012-01-28","141K"," MARAC Report.doc","","","Domestic Violence MARACs (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences) for Very High-Risk Victims in Cardiff, Wales: A Process and Outcome Evaluation June, 2004 Dr Amanda L Robinson Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice School of Social Sciences Cardiff University Glamorgan Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3WT (02920) 875401 RobinsonA@Cardiff.ac.uk http://www.cf.ac.uk/socsi/whoswho/robinson.html  Executive Summary........................................................................................................................3 List of Tables .................................................................................................................................4 List of Charts .................................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................4 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................5 Background to Multi-Agency Partnerships in Cardiff..........................................................................5 Womens Safety Unit...................................................................................................................6 South Wales Police ......................................................................................................................6 Domestic Violence Unit ............................................................................................................6 Police Watch ...........................................................................................................................7 Risk Assessment ......................................................................................................................7 Fast-track DV Court.....................................................................................................................8 Literature on Risk Assessment in DV Cases ......................................................................................8 Correlates of Severe Harm/Mortality .............................................................................................9 Clinical Judgment vs. Victim Intuition ......................................................................................... 11 Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 11 Process Evaluation .................................................................................................................... 12 Observations ......................................................................................................................... 12 Interviews ............................................................................................................................. 12 Outcome Evaluation .................................................................................................................. 12 Police Data ............................................................................................................................ 13 Follow-up Interviews with Victims...........................................................................................13 Analytic Strategy ................................................................................................................... 13 Findings from the Process Evaluation.............................................................................................13 Workload Issues ....................................................................................................................... 13 Whats Done? ........................................................................................................................ 13 Whos There? ........................................................................................................................ 14 Perceptions of the Work.........................................................................................................14 Information-Sharing between Agencies ...................................................................................... 15 Contributing to Victims Safety ................................................................................................... 17 Raising Awareness about Children .............................................................................................. 18 Limits of the MARACs ................................................................................................................ 18 Victim Cooperation ................................................................................................................ 18 Resources ............................................................................................................................. 19 Findings from the Outcome Evaluation .......................................................................................... 20 Characteristics of Very High Risk Victims .................................................................................... 20 Demographic Information ...................................................................................................... 20 History of Domestic Violence .................................................................................................. 21 Risk Factors and Their Prevalence .......................................................................................... 22 Post-MARAC Violence and Abuse ................................................................................................ 24 Police Data ............................................................................................................................ 24 Other Data ............................................................................................................................ 25 Follow-up Interviews ............................................................................................................. 26 Agencies Actions ...................................................................................................................... 27 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 29 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 30 References...................................................................................................................................31 Appendix A .................................................................................................................................. 32 Appendix B .................................................................................................................................. 33 Appendix C .................................................................................................................................. 34 Table of Contents 2  Evaluation of the Cardiff MARACs Executive Summary § The first MARAC was held in April 2003 and was attended by members of 16 agencies, including police, probation, local authority, health, housing, refuge and the Womens Safety Unit. The goal of these meetings is to provide a forum for sharing information and taking actions that will reduce future harm to very high-risk victims and their children. The MARACs were held monthly and included about 20-30 very high-risk victims. Very high-risk victims are identified from the South Wales Police (SWP) Victim Initial Risk Indicator Form that responding officers complete at the scene of domestic violence incidents. Scores on 15 yes/no questions enable police to assess victims levels of risk. The evaluation of the MARACs lasted 6-months and included a process evaluation that involved site visits and key informant interviews, and an outcome evaluation that incorporated police data and victim interviews. Results from the process evaluation showed that the respondents viewed the MARACs as invaluable, and that the added work they undertook (which was substantial) did `pay off because agencies could assist victims more efficiently. While all agencies have an important role to play in the MARACs, the information provided by and the actions undertaken by the South Wales Police and the Womens Safety Unit appear particularly significant. The respondents made it clear that MARACs facilitate the accomplishment of many key objectives including information-sharing between agencies, contributing to victims safety, identifying key contacts within agencies, and raising awareness about the impact of domestic violence on children. Resource/time limitations and lack of cooperation from victims were viewed as the main barriers reducing the effectiveness of the MARACs. The average victim scored `yes on about 6 of the 15 risk factors. The most frequently reported risk factors were the partner/ex has a criminal record (84%), relationship separation (77%), perpetrator has aggravating problems (alcohol, drugs, and/or mental health) (71%), and perpetrator is jealous or controlling (62%). Analysis of the risk factors revealed that `perpetrator is jealous or controlling is a particularly important risk factor, as its presence makes 11 of the 14 other risk factors significantly more likely to occur. Whether MARACs were successful at improving the safety of victims was measured by the number of police domestic violence complaints post-MARAC, the number of police call-outs for domestic violence post-MARAC, and telephone interviews with victims. All three indicators revealed that the majority of victims (about 6 in 10) had not been revictimized since the MARAC. These are very positive results that reveal the benefits of taking a multi-agency approach to helping women (and their children) who are experiencing domestic violence. Four of the 15 risk factors were significantly correlated with post-MARAC domestic  ");
array_files[39]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/WSU5.pdf","2012-01-28","315K"," WSU Final Evaluation Report.doc","","","The Cardiff Womens Safety Unit: A Multi-Agency Approach to Domestic Violence Final Evaluation Report May 8, 2003 Dr Amanda L Robinson Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice School of Social Sciences Cardiff University Glamorgan Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3WT (02920) 875401 RobinsonA@Cardiff.ac.uk  Table of Contents List of Tables......................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ........................................................................................................................ v Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. vi Executive Summary............................................................................................................. vii Introduction...........................................................................................................................1 Background of the Womens Safety Unit (WSU) Function of the WSU WSU Staff Methodology Victim Interviews South Wales Police Data Crown Prosecution Service Data Section I: Characteristics of WSU Clients ............................................................................ 5 Selection of the Sample Description of WSU Clients Demographic Characteristics Resource Levels Current Abusive Situation Lifetime History of Abuse Disclosures of Sexual Abuse Childhood Experiences Characteristics and Criminal Justice History of WSU Clients Partners Section II: Services Offered by the WSU ........................................................................... 28 Services Offered to WSU Clients Referrals Target Hardening Advocacy Police Courts Survivors Forum Childrens Services Services Offered to the Community Training Sessions Section III: Policing Domestic Violence in Cardiff ............................................................ 33 Background Domestic Violence Unit Police Domestic Violence Policy Police Watch Programme Co-ordination and Co-operation between the WSU and the South Wales Police (SWP) ii  Joint Protocol Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference Findings from Police Domestic Violence Data WSU Clients Experiences with Police Section IV: The WSU and the Crown Prosecution Service................................................48 Background Co-ordination and Co-operation between the WSU and the CPS Court Procedures for Domestic Violence Cases Magistrates Court Crown Court Domestic Violence Prosecutor(s) Prosecutor Survey Results Background Characteristics General Attitudes about Domestic Violence Perceptions of Prosecuting Domestic Violence Agency Impact on Domestic Violence Inter-Agency Relationships Prosecutors Experiences with the WSU Domestic Violence Case Analysis Selection of the Sample Aggravating and Mitigating Factors Case Progression and Outcomes Factors Associated with Victims Retracting and Cases Being Discontinued Section V: Clients Evaluation of the WSU ......................................................................... 71 Perceptions of WSU Service Overall Satisfaction Suggestions for Improvement Section VI: Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................... 74 Evidence of WSU Effectiveness Further Improvements to Victim Service References ........................................................................................................................... 76 Appendices...........................................................................................................................80 Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: Appendix E: Appendix F: Appendix G: Appendix H: Appendix I: Appendix J: Appendix K: Victim Interview Instruments Memorandum of Understanding between the WSU and the SWP DV Protocol Agreed by the Police, CPS, Magistrates Courts and Crown Court Agenda for Domestic Violence Training Provided by the WSU Domestic Violence Policy of the SWP SWP Victim Initial Risk Indicator Form CPS Domestic Violence Survey for Prosecutors Letter of Support from the CPS CPS Domestic Violence Monitoring Form CPS Domestic Violence Case File Data Form Letter of Thanks from One WSU Client iii  List of Tables Table 1: Table 2: Table 3: Table 4: Table 5: Table 6: Table 7: Table 8: Table 9: Table 10: Table 11: Table 12: Table 13: Demographic Characteristics of WSU Clients. Resources Available to WSU Clients. WSU Clients Abusive Experiences with Current Partner. WSU Clients Perceptions Regarding Current Abuse. Results from the Violent Assessment Index. Results from the Injury Assessment Index. Results from the Emotional Abuse Index. Mental Health Outcomes of WSU Clients. Characteristics of WSU Clients Significantly Associated with Abuse Experiences and Outcomes. Characteristics of the Partners of WSU Clients. Criminal Justice History of the Partners of WSU Clients. Percentage of Clients Receiving WSU Services. Number of Community Members that have Received Domestic Violence Training from the WSU. Prevalence and Nature of Domestic Violence in Cardiff: Monthly Comparisons Pre/Post WSU. Effects of the Womens Safety Unit (WSU), Police Policy Change (PPC), and Police Watch (PW) on the Prevalence and Nature of Domestic Violence in Cardiff. WSU Clients Perceptions of Police Service. WSU Clients Expectations and Evaluations of Attending Officers Performance. Background Characteristics of Victims and Defendants in CPS Files. Aggravating Factors in Domestic Violence Cases. Mitigating Factors in Domestic Violence Cases. Actions taken by Victims and Defendants during Case Progression. Overview of Domestic Violence Cases and Their Outcomes. Variables Associated with Cases Being Discontinued and Victims Retracting. Clients Perceptions of WSU Service. Table 14: Table 15: Table 16: Table 17: Table 18: Table 19: Table 20: Table 21: Table 22: Table 23: Table 24: iv  List of Figures Chart 1: Chart 2: Chart 3: Chart 4: Chart 5: Chart 6: Chart 7: Chart 8: Chart 9: Chart 10: Chart 11: Chart 12: Percentage of WSU Clients Reporting Physical Abuse. Percentage of WSU Clients Reporting Emotional Abuse. Percentage of WSU Clients Reporting Financial Abuse. Percenta ge of WSU Clients Reporting Sexual Abuse. WSU Clients Injuries Associated with Drug Abusing Partners. Partners Previous Domestic Violence Complaints with WSU Clients. Percentage of Domestic Violence Incidents where Victims Refused to Make Complaint (Dec 00 ­ Jan 03). Percentage of Domestic Violence Incidents with Repeat Victims (Dec 00 ­ Jan 03). Percentage of Domestic Violence Incidents where Police Issued Concern for Children Reports (Dec 00 ­ Jan 03). Police Demeanour and Victim Satisfaction with the Police. Police Behaviour and Victim Satisfaction with the Police. Prosecutors Rankings of Importance of Participation/Cooperation of Victim in Promoting a Successful Resolution in Cases of Domestic Violence. Prosecutors Rankings of Importance of Quality Police Evidence Gathering in Promoting a Successful Resolution in Cases of Domestic Violence. Prosecutors Rankings of Importance of Multi-Agency Partnerships in Promoting a Successful Resolution in Cases of Domestic Violence. Prosecutors Rankings of Importance of Quality Medical Evidence in Promoting a Successful Resolution in Cases of Domestic Violence. Prosecutors Rankings of Agency Importance in Reducing Domestic Violence in the Community. Prosecutors Rankings of Agency Importance in Identifying Cases of Domestic Violence in the Community. Prosecutors Rankings of Agency Importance in Deterring Domestic Violence Offenders. Prosecutors Rankings of Agency Importance in Addressing the Needs of Domestic Violence Victims. Decreases in Cases Discontinued and Victims Retracting (Jan ­ Aug 2002). Clients Ratings of WSU Helpfulness. Clients Satisfaction with the WSU. Chart 13: Chart 14: Chart 15: Chart 16: Chart 17: Chart 18: Chart 19: Chart 20: Chart 21: Chart 22: v  Acknowledgments The assistance, advice and support provided by many people made this research a meaningful personal and professional experience. First, WSU staff were enthusiastic supporters of the evaluation process, and were tireless in their efforts, all the while supporting women and their children who were experiencing domestic violence. Over many months Sgt. Steve Bartley of the South Wales Police shared his knowledge willingly and provided extensive information about policing domestic violence in Cardiff. The experience and judgment relating to the prosecution of domestic violence that was offered by Martyn Thomas and John Lloyd of the CPS was invaluable. Finally, much gratitude is due to the women who were willing to provide such personal information about themselves and their families. Thank you for the time and effort you have invested in this project. Whilst every effort has been taken in the preparation of this publication, no liability is assumed for any errors or omissions. vi  Final Evaluation Report of the Womens Safety Unit Cardiff, Wales Executive Summary The following are highlights from the research findings contained in this report: · The WSU was referred 1150 women and their 1482 children from mid-December 2001 through January 2003. The report is based on structured interviews with 222 clients coming to the WSU during this time and official data from the South Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service on domestic violence in the Cardiff area. Most WSU clients are white females who are less than 40 years old, have children in their households, and receive benefits. Their partners tend to be white males who are less than 40 years old, employed, have previous domestic violence complaints, and are still in relationships with WSU clients. WSU clients have serious and extensive abuse histories. The typical WSU client has experienced about 6 years of physical abuse from her current partner. The average WSU client reported that she experienced more than 5 violent acts from her current partner, and more than 7 violent acts from a partner in her lifetime. This violence has left WSU clients with many injuries (e.g., from current partners more than 1 in 4 women have had bruised faces, more than 1 in 4 women ha  ");
array_files[40]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/WSU10.pdf","2012-01-28","108K"," VAW291477.qxd","","","Reducing Repeat Victimization Among High-Risk Victims of Domestic Violence The Benefits of a Coordinated Community Response in Cardiff, Wales Amanda L. Robinson Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK Violence Against Women Volume 12 Number 8 August 2006 761-788 © 2006 Sage Publications 10.1177/1077801206291477 http://vaw.sagepub.com hosted at http://online.sagepub.com The goal of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) is to provide a forum for sharing information and taking actions to reduce harm to high-risk domestic violence victims. Interviews with participants and victims, observations, and police data reveal how the MARACs work in practice and also what they can accomplish. Results showed MARACs to be invaluable: Agencies assisted victims more efficiently, primarily through enhanced information sharing. MARACs improve victims safety because both police and victim data revealed that 6 in 10 victims had not been revictimized. These positive results demonstrate the benefits of a coordinated community response. Keywords: coordinated community response; high-risk domestic violence victims; risk assessment omestic violence is considered to be a serious problem in Britain. In 2001, the British Crime Survey found that 45% of women could recall being subjected to domestic violence (abuse, threats, or force), sexual victimization, or stalking at least once in their lifetime (Walby & Allen, 2004). The cost of domestic violence to the criminal justice system, health care, social services, emergency housing, and civil legal services is estimated at Ł3.1 billion (about US5.6 billion) per year (Walby, 2004). National attention has been focused on how to reduce domestic violence and improve support to victims and their children. For example, the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004) has one of its central aims to encourage good practice in the treatment of victims and witnesses. This was partly in response D Authors Note: The author would like to thank Safer Cardiff for funding this research. Data were collected by Jasmin Tregidga, Jan Pickles, and staff of the Womens Safety Unit and officers working in the Domestic Violence Unit of the South Wales Police. Finally, participants of the MARACs deserve thanks for sharing their experiences and opinions in a frank and honest way and working so hard to improve the lives of women experiencing domestic violence. 761  762 Violence Against Women to the governments white paper on criminal justice reform entitled Safety and Justice (2003), which implemented a three-pronged approach to tackling domestic violence, including prevention, protection and justice, and support to victims. The current emphasis placed on providing both an effective and empathetic approach to domestic violence victims in England and Wales has translated into many innovations at the local level, such as the one evaluated in this study.1 In December 2002, the South Wales Police (SWP) in Cardiff, Wales, piloted a victim risk indicator form for responding officers to complete at the scene of domestic violence incidents as a third page to the standard two-page domestic violence complaint form. The risk instrument emerged from a review of 47 domestic homicides, relevant research, and communication with other community and criminal justice agencies. The aim of the risk indicator form is to identify serious cases of domestic violence that can be addressed through Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs). The first MARAC was held in April 2003 in Cardiff and was attended by members of 16 agencies, including police, probation, local authority, health, housing, Womens Aid (the British refuge organization), the NSPCC (the British child protection charity), and the Womens Safety Unit (WSU; a communitybased advocacy service for victims of domestic violence in Cardiff; see below). The MARAC process is part of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement (MAPPA) that was introduced for the management of violent and sex offenders arising from Section 67 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act (2000). Introduced in April 2001, MAPPAs are a common feature in jurisdictions throughout the United Kingdom, and their focus is getting police and probation to work more closely in managing the risks posed by dangerous offenders in the community. However, MARACs are an initiative unique to Cardiff (although the positive results in Cardiff have led to their expansion elsewhere) and differ in two important respects: Their focus is on managing the risk to victims, and the agencies involved extend beyond the criminal justice system. The MARACs occur monthly (but have recently increased to fortnightly) and provide a forum for sharing information and taking actions to reduce future harm to high-risk victims and their children. At the meetings, the circumstances of individual victims (all women) are discussed, and plans are created to help promote their safety. Representatives from various agencies contribute information, and often this process reveals discrepancies in the information held across agencies. For example, the police might have knowledge of one woman as a repeat, high-risk victim, but probation might not have any knowledge of her partner being a serious domestic abuser, or he might not be on their computer system at all. Only in a multi-agency framework can these loopholes be identified and closed. This article reports on research recently conducted on both the process and outcomes of the MARACs. However, first it will be helpful to locate the MARACs in other multi-agency work happening in Cardiff.  Robinson / Reducing Repeat Victimization 763 Background to Multi-Agency Work in Cardiff Cardiff is the capital city of Wales, with a population of approximately 308,000. During the past few years, Cardiff has been the site of much innovation in terms of providing better service to domestic violence victims through partnerships between criminal justice agencies and the voluntary support sector. MARACs are the newest addition to this long (and increasingly distinguished) line of progressive programs. All of the programs utilize a multi-agency approach and illustrate how trusting and productive working relationships among agencies are a vital ingredient for reducing domestic violence in the community (Robinson & Pickles, 2003). The exemplar of this is the WSU. The WSU provided service to its first client in December 2001, and to date more than 6,601 women and their 7,775 children have been referred to the WSU (Robinson, 2003). The WSU provides a central point of access for women and their children experiencing domestic violence or known-perpetrator rape in the Cardiff area. Although the overriding aim of the WSU is to help victims gain safety, the WSU team (consisting of one director, three administrators, six victim advocates, and one seconded police officer) also provides advice, advocacy, specialist counseling services, legal services, housing services, referrals to refuge, target hardening, and evidence collection. In this way, victims are provided with an effective, immediate, and consistent range of support services at one referral point. People from many agencies working together conceptualized how a one-stop shop for women experiencing domestic violence in Cardiff should take shape. The WSU was therefore the creation of people who had invested time and effort from the beginning. In addition, the day-to-day working relationships of people from the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the WSU, Womens Aid, and others are imbued with trust, understanding, and cooperation. Partly because many of the key players are professionals with extensive knowledge of and many years experience working within the criminal justice system, relationships go back further than the creation of the WSU. The vision of the WSU is to bring about sustainable change in the multi-agency arena and to help create a culture in Cardiff where domestic violence and nonconsensual sex are not accepted. It is believed that only through multi-agency partnerships can this be accomplished. In addition, the SWP has been particularly innovative in its response to domestic violence. One example is in the area of risk assessment. As mentioned previously, their risk assessment form was developed from a review of the past 47 domestic homicides investigated by the SWP, relevant research, and working within a multi-agency environment in which they could capitalize on the knowledge and expertise of both criminal justice and community practitioners. In addition, survivors of domestic violence reviewed and approved the form. The form contains 15 yes-no questions and an area for officers to note any additional information about the victim, such as whether the victim is particularly isolated from family or friends, how frightened the victim is, and what the victim believes the perpetrator will do in the future. The questions were  764 Violence Against Women designed with an understanding of the research on correlates of severe harm or mortality in cases of domestic violence. The multi-agency approach in Cardiff also led to discussions about how to increase the efficiency and effectiveness with which cases of domestic violence are prosecuted in Cardiff courts. The focus of the meetings was on structuring a fast-track process whereby domestic violence cases were flagged, prioritized, and streamlined through the magistrates and crown courts, where they are heard by magistrates or judges who have received training on domestic violence (provided by the WSU). The two primary goals were to shorten the process time and to increase womens safety by keeping them informed about their cases. In 2001, a joint memorandum of understanding was agreed to by the CPS and the WSU, and the new system was adopted and in place beginning January 2002. The Cardiff court was one of five Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs) in England and Wales that was recently evaluated as part of the national CPSfunded Domestic Violence Project (Cook, Burton, Robinson, & Vallely, 2004). One noteworthy finding from Cardiff was that victims continued with their cases a significantly longer amount of time bef  ");
array_files[41]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/WSU1.pdf","2012-01-28","10K"," Drawbridgeweb designCRARGDocsSWU1 Final Evaluation Report Executive Summary.prn.pdf","","","Final Evaluation Report of the Cardiff Womens Safety Unit Executive Summary The following are highlights from the research findings contained in this report: · The CWSU was referred 1150 women and their 1482 children from mid December 2001 through to January 2003. The report is based on structured interviews with 222 clients coming to the CWSU during this time and official data from the South Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service on domestic violence in the Cardiff area. Most CWSU clients are white females who are less than 40 years old, have children in their households and receive benefits. Their partners tend to be white males who are less than 40 years old, employed, have previous domestic violence complaints and are still in relationships with CWSU clients. CWSU clients have serious and extensive abusive histories. The typical CWSU client has experienced about 6 years of physical abuse from her current partner. The average CWSU client reported that she experienced more than 5 violent acts from her current partner, and more than 7 violent acts from a partner in her lifetime. This violence has left CWSU clients with many injuries (eg from current partners more than 1 in 4 women have had bruised faces, more than 1 in 4 women have had bruised arms and legs, and more than 1 in 10 have received split lips and black eyes) and negative mental health outcomes (eg about 4 in 10 are currently experiencing depression and/or anxiety). Partners with drug problems inflicted significantly more violence and injuries on their CWSU partners. Substance abuse treatment needs to include screening for domestic violence, and batterer programs need to address the implications of substance abuse on the severity and propensity of offending. One fourth of CWSU clients report that they had been sexually abused by their current partners. Prior police contact was related to sexual abuse. Specifically, about 1 in 3 perpetrators who had previous domestic violence complaints sexually abused their partners, compared to 1 in 10 perpetrators without previous domestic violence complaints. As a potential risk indicator, prior police complaints should alert both police officers and victim advocates that there is a greater likelihood of sexual abuse present in these relationships compared to couples experiencing their first police intervention. Specific domestic violence protocols have been agreed between the CWSU and the South Wales Police and Crown Prosecution Service in Cardiff. Consequently there is improved coordination between these agencies and a more victim-oriented approach to case processing. The South Wales Police was the agency that most frequently referred women to the CWSU (62%). About three-quarters of CWSU clients received referrals to other agencies. The biggest source of referrals by the CWSU was to the Homesafe agency (for target hardening). Almost 1200 persons working in criminal justice and community agencies in the South Wales area have received domestic violence training sessions from the CWSU. · · · · · · · ·  · Analysis of police data indicates that there is a positive, across the board trend in Cardiff as a result of the CWSU, the Police Watch programme and the pro-arrest police domestic violence policy. For example, the number of repeat victims has decreased by 36% (from 58 to 37 per month), the number of victims refusing to make a complaint has decreased by 18% (from 99 to 81 per month), and the amount of concern for children reports submitted by officers has increased by 139% (from 22 to 55 per month). CWSU clients were generally satisfied with how the police handled the incident. The majority of clients though the police were courteous, respectful, appeared concerned, took the time to listen, and took the situation seriously. Victim satisfaction was related to both officer behaviour and officer demeanour, but the latter exhibited a stronger impact. Police training should impart to officers the power their attitudes have over victim satisfaction. Attitudinal surveys were completed by 12 prosecutors in the Cardiff office of the CPS. Prosecutors feel that the CPS promotes taking domestic violence seriously and that the CWSU allows them to more efficiently and effectively handle cases of domestic violence. When asked to think about who impacts their ability to effectively prosecute domestic violence cases, prosecutors were most likely to list someone from the CWSU. Relationships between prosecutors and CWSU staff are very positive, and relative to other agencies in the community, prosecutors ranked their relationships with the CWSU the highest in degree of contact, trust, understanding, co-operation and empathy. New court procedures have been implemented for Magistrates Court and Crown Court in Cardiff. Now all domestic violence cases are flagged, sent to the same court, and reviewed pre-trial on the same day each week. As a result of having the Pre-Trial Review (PTR) and trial procedures streamlined and priority given to domestic violence cases, remarkable results have been achieved. For example, compared to the standard court procedure which typically lasts 14 weeks, the domestic violence procedure in Cardiff lasts approximately 7 weeks. All victims are supported by a member of the CWSU, and a member of the CWSU attends PTR each week to offer advice and information about domestic violence cases. All of these procedures allow for a timelier, more consistent approach to how cases of domestic violence are processed in Cardiff. Analysis of 77 CPS domestic violence case files showed that charging standards were used in 97% of cases and charges were maintained in 83% of cases. The percentage of cases where victims have retracted and subsequently been discontinued has been steadily decreasing, but is still substantial (over 60%). Victim participation (in the form of attending court and making a personal statement), more dangerous offenders, and cases going to PTR all reduce the likelihood of a case being discontinued. Clients perceptions of CWSU service were overwhelmingly positive. The average response on a scale rating the CWSU from 1=not effective to 10=most effective in helping clients obtain a safe outcome was 9.2. Only one of the 222 clients interviewed thought that meeting with the CWSU increased the threat of or the actual violence they experienced. This means that, for the overwhelming majority of victims, the CWSU has been able to achieve the delicate balance of intervening in difficult situations without furthering risk to victims or their children. When asked how the CWSU service could be improved, all the respondents suggested more advertising (to alert more women to the helpful service provided by the CWSU), more workers and/or more funding. · · · · ·  ");
array_files[42]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/WOL1.pdf","2012-01-28","1392K"," r","","","rri Evaluation of Wolverhampton Specialist Domestic Violence Court Final Report November 26th 2003 Dee Cook Regional Research Institute Wolverhampton Science Park Glaisher Drive Wolverhampton WV10 9RU Telephone: 01902 824103 Fax: 01902 824005 E-mail: rriadmin@wlv.ac.uk  Contents E Executive Summary 1. Introduction and context 2. Research Aims and Methods 3. The quantitative data 4. What the data does, and does not, tell us about the first year of the SDVC 5. Practitioner views of the SDVC 6. User views of the SDVC 7. Summary: Issues arising from the evaluation 8. Recommendations for action Final Report: Page 2  E. Executive Summary E1. The research reported here represents the outcome of a one year study to evaluate the effectiveness of the Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC) in Wolverhampton. The `clustering of all DV cases at the Wolverhampton Magistrates Court was piloted from July 2002, with the SDVC being officially launched, with trained support services present at court, in September 2002. E2. The Wolverhampton SDVC is committed to: improving criminal justice and support services to victims and survivors of domestic violence; more effective multi-agency working; and learning positive lessons form the innovative Leeds Inter-Agency Project. E3. The aims of the Wolverhampton SDVC are to: · increase the % of domestic violence complaints which are translate into charges · reduce the number of `not guilty pleas by alleged perpetrators · reduce the % of retracted statements that are made by victims · Overall, reduce the attrition rate in cases of domestic violence, as they proceed through the criminal justice process · Over the longer term, · Reduce the incidence of repeat victimisation. E4. By way of context, in Wolverhampton in 2003: · There were 2,506 DV incidents recorded, with 2,053 different victims identified. · Violent relationship breakdown was the principle reason for cases accepted as homeless in the City in 2002/3 (114 cases), with non-relationship breakdown being the second (with 83 cases). · In 2002, there were 1,330 women and 1,604 children referred to The Haven refuge, and in the same year there were 1,565 police referrals and 95 non-police referrals of DV victims to Victim Support (VS). E5. We reviewed 171 cases which were progressed through the Wolverhampton SDVC and found that: · By far the majority of charges (around 65%) were assaults · A total of 40 cases (23%) did not get to trial, but if bindovers are included, then there were 91 cases (53%) in which it might be said that there is a result. · Retractions did not always result in withdrawal or discontinuance (with 75 retractions there were still 29 results) · Most victims faced more than one court hearing. E7. Overall, this evaluation has demonstrated that a great deal has been accomplished in the first year of the SDVC, notably: o There are recent signs that reporting rates of DV incidents in Wolverhampton are increasing o While rates of `criming of DV incidents have decreased (from 31% to 25% over the last year) this has been accompanied by increased recording of (less serious) DV incidents, which may be seen as an encouraging signal of victims willingness to come forward. o Nationally, DV has the highest rate of repeat victimisation of any crime (at around 50%). In the area covered by the SDVC, this has been reduced to 35% in 2002/3. o The repeat victimisation rate of the police OCUs covered by the SDVC are significantly lower that of other areas within the West Midlands Police force area. This is a very significant achievement. In the G1 and G2 OCUs Final Report: Page 3  o o o o covered by the SDVC there has been a 35% fall in incidents of repeat victimisation in DV cases over the past year. Key informers involved in working with DV victims and survivors regard the SDVC positively in that it is seen to have given rise to better partnership working around DV victims care. Partners are believed to have given as much as they are able, given high workloads and the high level of need amongst DV victims and survivors However, there are some reservations about the capacity of current partners to `deliver fully, in terms of the ethos of the SDVC, without further resources for support and outreach working. Crucially, DV victims themselves regard SDVC as a very positive step forward: it is seen as more responsive to their needs and supportive of their choices. The role of the CJSS worker, and allied V&C sector support workers has been central to such feelings of increased confidence and support. E8. At the same time, this evaluation has also signalled areas where there is work yet to do. Our interviews (15) with key informers from the criminal justice and voluntary and community sectors, together with interviews/contacts with (31) victims and survivors with experience of DV proceedings in Wolverhampton indicated that the following areas needed to be addressed: 1) Data Issues: West Midlands Police DV data provided in 2003 was of significantly higher quality than that available in 2002, which is very encouraging. Remaining issues which need attention are around incident classifications, relationship with perpetrator data and, significantly, ethnicity (where data is often `missing for DV incidents). 2) Information flows and the flagging of DV cases. This was a crucial lesson in the innovative LIAP project and remains a problematic issue for the Wolverhampton model because: o While there has been considerable progress in terms of flagging DV cases in order that they can be listed in the Tuesday SDVC, we found that around 37% of DV cases in the past year were held outwith the SDVC, on days other than Tuesdays. o Information sharing remains a pressing problem, as the main CJS agencies do not share common IT systems and DP concerns may frustrate efforts of SDVC partners to share information and ensure smooth information flows to victims. o Similarly, communications between the wide range of agencies involved in the SDVC project depend significantly on a small number of committed individuals. Better communication and information systems need to be developed to support the work of the Witness Service and CJSS worker attached to the SDVC o Listing issues remain a problem, and suggests the need for further review and also staff training . Further, it is recommended that consideration is given to listing DV cases on Tuesday afternoons, both to maximise the support available to victims at court (with police and CJSSC present on the day), and to address the problem of slippage of DV cases into courts on other days. 3) Court Accommodation o Entrances to the magistrates court are still not regarded as fit for the purpose of SDVC: awareness, and the siting, of separate entrances and exits should be addressed as a matter of urgency Final Report: Page 4  o Clearly there are resource issues involved in seeking to remedy other accommodation issue, but we identified several issues which need to be addressed in both the short and longer term: Privacy for DV victims to consult solicitors and support workers. Access to court ­ for pushchairs and wheelchairs Childcare facilities in City Video link facilities Accommodation for the WS and its volunteers, whose work for the SDVC is highly valued. 4) Case Attrition Our evaluation has indicated that : o Many DV victims do not really know what they may expect from the CJS. There is a need to critically evaluate the information currently supplied and its flow to victim (perhaps as part of the current CPS led witness care initiative). o Personal contacts are seen as essential to witness care in DV cases. Once again, this may be currently addressed in the context of new CPS resources which have been made available for witness care. o Information flows to victims are problematic ­ police, CPS, courts, CJSS need to identify clearly their respective remits and points of contacts for victims to ensure consistency and avoid over-reliance on the CJSS in relation to SDVC cases. o Victims coming to the SDVC need to be offered, and have access to: a tour of the court; their statement; and personal support, before court hearings. We found much evidence of good practice by CJSS and the Witness Service in these respects, but both are overstretched. o Intimidation is a key issue for most victims. Liaison is taking place with the police to find ways of handling this in existing court setting, but there is a need for more `up front support and advice on intimidation issues. o `Justice in terms of case outcome - whether retraction, bind-over or notguilty verdict ­ needs to be seen to be done in DV cases, via better information to victims on case outcomes (many victims feel `abandoned after court hearings, and so are less likely to take the CJS route in future) 5) Retractions o Retractions may be a supported, positive and informed decision for victims o Retractions if they are appropriately managed (in the terms above) should not be seen as an indicator of the failure of the SDVC o Attention should be give to the procedures for securing retraction statements, in order to enable them to be taken in the most informed, timely and supportive fashion. Give the often conflicting organisational goals of partner agencies, SDVC partners should discuss and agree a shared strategy in relation to retractions. 6) Training o The CJSSC has delivered training to 152 workers from 15 different agencies in the first year of the SDVC. o Training for all involved in the SDVC is vital to its success (learning from Leeds model and KI interviews). There is some concern that some court staff and magistrates are not fully trained in the ethos and the detail of the working practices of the SDVC. o Much training for CJS agencies is `in-house and/or national o This evaluation has identified a need for a forum for bespoke, local, multiagency briefings and training on: DV issues and awareness Final Report: Page 5  The operation of the SDVC Information sharing between V&C sector and CJS agencies. 7) Language support and interpreting · This was identified as a key need for DV victims, at all stages from reporting a DV incident to aftercare following court proceedings or retraction. · In addition to enab  ");
array_files[43]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/statistics.html","2012-01-28","23K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Statistics","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Statistics Statistics The prevalence and incidence of domestic abuse: On average 2 women a week are killed by a male partner or former partner: this constitutes around one-third of all female homicide victims (Povey, 2004, 2005; Home Office, 1999; Department of Health, 2005). Almost 30 per cent of women and 17 per cent of men in England and Wales have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16 (Chaplin, Flatley, Smith 2009). An analysis of 10 separate domestic violence prevalence studies by the Council of Europe showed that 1 in 4 European women experience domestic violence over their lifetimes and between 6-10% of women suffer domestic violence in a given year (Council of Europe, 2002). In over three-quarters (77%) of incidents of domestic violence the victims were women (Walker, et al., 2009). Repeat victimisation accounts for 66% of all incidents of domestic violence and 21% of victims have been victimised three times or more (Walker et al., 2009). Domestic violence accounts for 1 in 7 (14%) of all violent incidents in England and Wales (Walker et al., 2009). Domestic abuse costs the tax payer an estimated £3.9bn per year and high risk domestic abuse makes up nearly £2.4bn of this (Walby, 2004; Walby, 2009; CAADA, 2010). It is estimated that before intervention by a MARAC or IDVA service, it costs nearly £20,000 to support the average high risk victim of domestic abuse over the course of a year (CAADA, 2010). The impact of the IDVA and MARAC approach on high risk domestic abuse: Abuse is reported to have ceased for 3 out of every 5 (57%) high risk victims working with an IDVA (Howarth, Stimpson, Barran & Robinson, 2009). Intensive support from an IDVA is linked to better outcomes for high risk victims. Abuse is reported to have ceased for 7 out of 10 victims receiving more concentrated support, compared to only 4 out of 10 victims receiving less intensive support (Howarth et al., 2009). A multi-agency response is key to achieving safety for high risk victims. Abuse is reported to have ceased in nearly 7 out of 10 cases involving access to two or more intervention strategies or agencies, compared to 3 out of 10 cases involving access to single or no additional agencies (Howarth et al. 2009). For every £1 spent on MARACs, it is estimated that at least £6 of public money can be saved annually on direct costs to agencies (CAADA, 2010). The potential estimated savings of a national MARAC programme are over £740m annually to the public purse (CAADA, 2010). CAADA collected data from 250 MARACs in the 12 months up to the end of June 2010. The annual number of high risk victim cases reviewed at MARAC during this time period was over 43,000, and the number of associated child cases was over 59,000. (CAADA, 2010). The profile of high risk victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse: On average, high risk victims accessing IDVA services have experienced 5.5 years of abuse before referral to a service (Howarth et al., 2009). 9 out of 10 high risk victims (86%) experience more than 1 form of abuse at the point of referral to an IDVA service (Howarth et al. 2009). 7 out of 10 victims (73%) report that the abuse is escalating at the point at which they are put in contact with an IDVA service (Howarth et al., 2009). 70% of victims accessing IDVA services have children (Howarth et al., 2009). 1 in every 4 (27%) victims accessing IDVA services who have children report that they are fearful of their children being harmed (Howarth et al. 2009). 1 in every 10 victims (11%) accessing IDVA services report that threats have been made to kill their children (Howarth et al., 2009). The perpetrators of high risk domestic abuse had a previous criminal record in half (1 in 2) of the cases that IDVAs worked with (Howarth et al., 2009). In 1 in 4 (25%) of the cases with which an IDVA worked, perpetrators had a previous criminal record that was domestic violence related (Howarth et al., 2009). In 1 in 2 cases (54%) the perpetrators of abuse misused alcohol, and in 2 in 5 cases (39%) the perpetrators misused drugs (Howarth et al., 2009). References: Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (2010). Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse. Bristol. Council of Europe (2002). Recommendation Rec (2002) 5 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the protection of women against violence adopted on 30 April 2002 and Explanatory Memorandum. Council of Europe: Strasbourg, France. Department of Health (2005). Responding to domestic abuse: A handbook for health professionals. Department of Health: London. Home Office (1999). Criminal statistics, England and Wales. Home Office: London. Howarth, E., Stimpson, L., Barran, D., & Robinson, A. (2009). Safety in Numbers: A Multisite Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services. London: The Henry Smith Charity. Povey, D. (Ed) (2004). Crime in England and Wales 2002/3: Supplementary Volume 1 - Homicide and gun crime. Home Office Statistical Bulletin. Home Office: London. Povey, D. (Ed) (2005). Crime in England and Wales 2003/2004: Supplementary Volume 1: Homicide and Gun Crime. Home Office Statistical Bulletin, No. 02/05. Home Office: London. Walby, S. (2004). The Cost of Domestic Violence. Women & Equality Unit: London. Walby S. The Cost of Domestic Violence: Update 2009. Lancaster, Lancaster University; 2009. Walker, A., Flatley, J., Kershaw, C., and Moon, D. (2009). Crime in England and Wales 2008/09: Findings from the British Crime Survey and police recorded crime (Volume 1). Home Office Statistical Bulletin, No. 11/09. Home Office: London. Back to Policy and research Back to Resources If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[44]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/Saving_lives_saving_money_FINAL_VERSION.pdf","2012-01-28","1019K","Saving_lives_saving_money_FINAL_VERSION.pdf","","","I received so much support because of the MARAC. Without it, Id still be in a violent relationship now. - Debbie, 46 yrs old Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse  Contents Saving lives: Why you should read on How MARACs work Debbies story Jennifers story 3 4 6 7 Saving money: National gross savings - Ł740m Who benefits most The future 8 10 11 A full cost benefit analysis, references and bibliography for this booklet are available at http://www.caada.org.uk/research/research.html ©CAADA 2010. Registered charity number 1106864. Written by CAADA staff. New Philanthropy Capital has reviewed and verified the cost benefit calculations in this document. Design and print by Fresh Communications. CAADA would like to thank IDVA staff at WORTH services for their assistance in compiling this booklet, as well as the brave women who supported our work by relaying their personal experiences. We hope this booklet succeeds in strengthening support for high risk victims across the UK. Disclaimer The content of this publication is provided for general information only. All statements made in this publication are made in good faith on the basis of CAADAs past experience and (where applicable) the assumptions referred to. Although it is CAADAs belief that the MARAC system furthers CAADAs objective of saving lives and saving public money, CAADA will not accept any liability (to the fullest extent permitted at law) for any errors or omissions in the statements and information contained in this publication or for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience arising as a consequence of any use of or reliance on any such statement or information.  Saving lives Why you should read on A new way of working is transforming the lives of some of the most vulnerable victims of domestic abuse in the UK today. Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) are voluntary meetings where information on the highest risk cases is shared between local agencies. By bringing all agencies involved in a case together to share information, a co-ordinated safety plan can be put together more quickly and effectively. The key reasons MARACs matter are: 1) Early analysis shows that following intervention by a MARAC and an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor* (IDVA) service, upto60%ofdomestic abusevictimsreportnofurtherviolence. 2) ForeveryŁ1spentonMARACs,atleast Ł6ofpublicmoneycanbesavedannually on direct costs to agencies such as the police and health services. This would save Ł740m to the public purse. MARACs save both lives and money. But the job is far from complete. Domestic abuse facts: too common and too costly 1) An average of two women are killed every week as a result of domestic abuse. 2) An estimated minimum of 120,000 victims every year are at risk of being seriously harmed or killed by domestic abuse. 3) 70% of high risk victims have children. 4) Domestic abuse costs the tax payer an estimated Ł3.9bn per year and high risk domestic abuse makes up nearly Ł2.4bn of this. * IDVAs are professional advisors that work alongside high risk victims to assess their level of risk, discuss suitable options and develop safety plans. MARACs: more to achieve The impact of MARACs since 2006 is remarkable, but there is more to be achieved: 1) There are now over 220 MARACs across England and Wales. This is still less than the estimated 300 needed nationally. 2) Last year less than a quarter of the people who we estimate needed to access MARACs were able to do so. 3) One third of all cases were identified by IDVAs, health practitioners and others. These cases were either not known to police or were not seen as being high risk. Please read this guide, find out how MARACs really work, consider their implications for your professional work and your friends and family. Then please get in touch to find out more. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse 03  Saving lives How MARACs work At the heart of a MARAC is a 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. This is because domestic abuse takes place behind closed doors and presents itself to the outside world in many ways: through calls to the police, through visits to A&E, through calls to domestic violence helplines, through poor child attendance at school, and through friends. Agencies prioritise cases for MARAC based on risk, and only the highest risk victims are referred. The victim does not attend the meeting but is represented by an IDVA. After sharing all relevant information on a victim, the meeting then discusses options for increasing her/his safety and turns this into an action plan. The diagram below shows how the meeting works in practice: An illustrative example - Neela* MARAC REFERRAL FORM Victim name and address: Neela Patel, 15 Hillside Road, Anytown, Anywhere, England DOB: 12.07.1976 Ethnicity: Asian (Indian) Children: 1 girl (7 years), 2 boys (4 and 2 years) Perpetrator name and address: Pritesh Patel, see above address Referring agency: Anytown Hospital Comments: Neela has attended Anytown Hospital on a number of occasions with injuries. The A&E nurse assessed her risk using a CAADA Domestic Abuse Risk Identification Checklist, called the local IDVA service to arrange support and made a referral to MARAC. Police Reports that they received repeated calls from neighbours because of disturbances at Neelas address. All recorded as verbal disputes. The police were unaware of A&E attendances. Health visitor service Shares that Neela has visited her GP about anxiety and panic attacks. Toddler very clingy. A+B Asian womens service Reveals that Neela has approached the outreach service in the past for support. Was offered refuge space but Neela didnt feel comfortable leaving her home. A+B Education Reports that Neelas daughter has had a high number of unauthorised absences from school and has been very anxious. 04 Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse  Saving lives * NB CAADA is unable to provide a real case study to illustrate the MARAC process as information shared remains highly confidential even after a case has closed. For real case studies (where identities have been changed) turn to pages 6 and 7. A SAFETY PLAN FOR NEELA · Police agree to flag Neelas address to ensure a speedy response in the event of a call out. A specialist police officer will offer support if she contacts the police in future. · The IDVA agrees to offer Neela assistance with organising an appointment with a solicitor to explore civil injunctions. She will liaise with A+B Neela about the actions agreed at MARAC, and with other agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach. · Housing agree to change Neelas locks and make her home safer if she pursues a civil injunction. · The Asian womens outreach service agree to prioritise support for Neela. · A&E agree to flag Neelas files to ensure that staff are informed and offer treatment in a separate area from her husband if she attends again. · Children and Young Peoples Service agree to reassess the risks facing the children. · Education agree to provide extra emotional support to the children. · Every agency agrees to note that Neelas husband isnt aware of her disclosure. Housing Does not have information to share as Neela lives in a privately-owned home. IDVA service Shares that Neela spoke to an IDVA. Neela disclosed eight years of physical and sexual abuse; she also has to account for all her movements and spending. Neela was extremely worried about receiving help. She isnt comfortable making a complaint to the police but has expressed an interest in getting help through the civil courts. Children and Young Peoples Services Does not have information to share; were aware of police callouts, but had closed the case after an initial assessment. Results of the safety plan Working with the IDVA, Neela gains injunctions to prevent her husband from contacting the family or accessing the family home. Should her husband contact the family again, the police now have the power to arrest him. Neela and her children feel a lot safer. She continues to receive support from the IDVA and Asian womens outreach service and is filing for divorce. A&E Discloses that Neela had attended A&E on five occasions in the last year; on one date Neelas A+B daughter was treated for a fractured wrist. A&E were unaware of police callouts. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse 05  Saving lives Debbies story* For 46 year old Debbie and her six children, enduring severe violence had become a way of life. She and her family were regularly beaten by her husband over a period of 18 years. On one occasion her husband had strangled her and threatened her with a knife. The children were terrified of their father, and they were all regularly told theyd be killed if they sought outside help. Unaware of the help that was available to her, Debbie didnt tell anyone about the abuse. She believed her husband would kill her if she reached out for help. She was also extremely worried that her children would be put into care. Exhausted with anxiety and depression, she talked to her GP, who referred her case to WORTH IDVA service in West Sussex. The IDVA contacted Debbie that morning, began working immediately on addressing her safety and just eleven days later, Debbies case was discussed at the local MARAC. A variety of actions came out of the MARAC meeting. The police undertook an investigation into the behaviour of Debbies husband. The IDVA assisted Debbie with gaining an occupation order and a nonmolestation order through the civil courts to prevent her husband from contacting the family. This prevented him from attending the childrens schools. Both the police and fire service flagged Debbies file, so that in the event of an incident, they would be able to respond more effectively. Finally, a home fire safety check was carried out, extra security fitted and a panic alarm added to the property. Debbie has now started divorce proceedings. She believes that without the help of her local MARAC and IDVA, she and her family would still be living with s  ");
array_files[45]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/Saving_lives_saving_money_FINAL_REFERENCED_VERSION.pdf","2012-01-28","1022K","Saving_lives_saving_money_FINAL_REFERENCED_VERSION.pdf","","","I received so much support because of the MARAC. Without it, Id still be in a violent relationship now. - Debbie, 46 yrs old Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse  Contents Saving lives: Why you should read on How MARACs work Debbies story Jennifers story 3 4 6 7 Saving money: National gross savings - Ł740m Who benefits most The future 8 10 11 A full cost benefit analysis, references and bibliography for this booklet are available at http://www.caada.org.uk/research/research.html ©CAADA 2010. Registered charity number 1106864. Written by CAADA staff. New Philanthropy Capital has reviewed and verified the cost benefit calculations in this document. Design and print by Fresh Communications. CAADA would like to thank IDVA staff at WORTH services for their assistance in compiling this booklet, as well as the brave women who supported our work by relaying their personal experiences. We hope this booklet succeeds in strengthening support for high risk victims across the UK. Disclaimer The content of this publication is provided for general information only. All statements made in this publication are made in good faith on the basis of CAADAs past experience and (where applicable) the assumptions referred to. Although it is CAADAs belief that the MARAC system furthers CAADAs objective of saving lives and saving public money, CAADA will not accept any liability (to the fullest extent permitted at law) for any errors or omissions in the statements and information contained in this publication or for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience arising as a consequence of any use of or reliance on any such statement or information.  Saving lives Why you should read on A new way of working is transforming the lives of some of the most vulnerable victims of domestic abuse in the UK today. Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) are voluntary meetings where information on the highest risk cases is shared between local agencies. By bringing all agencies involved in a case together to share information, a co-ordinated safety plan can be put together more quickly and effectively. The key reasons MARACs matter are: 1) Early analysis shows that following intervention by a MARAC and an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor* (IDVA) service, upto60%ofdomestic abusevictimsreportnofurtherviolence.1 2) ForeveryŁ1spentonMARACs,atleast Ł6ofpublicmoneycanbesavedannually on direct costs to agencies such as the police and health services. This would save Ł740m to the public purse.2 MARACs save both lives and money. But the job is far from complete. Domestic abuse facts: too common and too costly 1) An average of two women are killed every week as a result of domestic abuse.3 2) An estimated minimum of 120,000 victims every year are at risk of being seriously harmed or killed by domestic abuse.4 3) 70% of high risk victims have children.5 4) Domestic abuse costs the tax payer an estimated Ł3.9bn per year and high risk domestic abuse makes up nearly Ł2.4bn of this.6 * IDVAs are professional advisors that work alongside high risk victims to assess their level of risk, discuss suitable options and develop safety plans. MARACs: more to achieve The impact of MARACs since 2006 is remarkable, but there is more to be achieved: 1) There are now over 220 MARACs across England and Wales. This is still less than the estimated 300 needed nationally. 2) Last year less than a quarter of the people who we estimate needed to access MARACs were able to do so.7 3) One third of all cases were identified by IDVAs, health practitioners and others. These cases were either not known to police or were not seen as being high risk.8 Please read this guide, find out how MARACs really work, consider their implications for your professional work and your friends and family. Then please get in touch to find out more. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse 03  Saving lives How MARACs work At the heart of a MARAC is a 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. This is because domestic abuse takes place behind closed doors and presents itself to the outside world in many ways: through calls to the police, through visits to A&E, through calls to domestic violence helplines, through poor child attendance at school, and through friends. Agencies prioritise cases for MARAC based on risk, and only the highest risk victims are referred. The victim does not attend the meeting but is represented by an IDVA. After sharing all relevant information on a victim, the meeting then discusses options for increasing her/his safety and turns this into an action plan. The diagram below shows how the meeting works in practice: An illustrative example - Neela* MARAC REFERRAL FORM Victim name and address: Neela Patel, 15 Hillside Road, Anytown, Anywhere, England DOB: 12.07.1976 Ethnicity: Asian (Indian) Children: 1 girl (7 years), 2 boys (4 and 2 years) Perpetrator name and address: Pritesh Patel, see above address Referring agency: Anytown Hospital Comments: Neela has attended Anytown Hospital on a number of occasions with injuries. The A&E nurse assessed her risk using a CAADA Domestic Abuse Risk Identification Checklist, called the local IDVA service to arrange support and made a referral to MARAC. Police Reports that they received repeated calls from neighbours because of disturbances at Neelas address. All recorded as verbal disputes. The police were unaware of A&E attendances. Health visitor service Shares that Neela has visited her GP about anxiety and panic attacks. Toddler very clingy. A+B Asian womens service Reveals that Neela has approached the outreach service in the past for support. Was offered refuge space but Neela didnt feel comfortable leaving her home. A+B Education Reports that Neelas daughter has had a high number of unauthorised absences from school and has been very anxious. 04 Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse  Saving lives * NB CAADA is unable to provide a real case study to illustrate the MARAC process as information shared remains highly confidential even after a case has closed. For real case studies (where identities have been changed) turn to pages 6 and 7. A SAFETY PLAN FOR NEELA · Police agree to flag Neelas address to ensure a speedy response in the event of a call out. A specialist police officer will offer support if she contacts the police in future. · The IDVA agrees to offer Neela assistance with organising an appointment with a solicitor to explore civil injunctions. She will liaise with A+B Neela about the actions agreed at MARAC, and with other agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach. · Housing agree to change Neelas locks and make her home safer if she pursues a civil injunction. · The Asian womens outreach service agree to prioritise support for Neela. · A&E agree to flag Neelas files to ensure that staff are informed and offer treatment in a separate area from her husband if she attends again. · Children and Young Peoples Service agree to reassess the risks facing the children. · Education agree to provide extra emotional support to the children. · Every agency agrees to note that Neelas husband isnt aware of her disclosure. Housing Does not have information to share as Neela lives in a privately-owned home. IDVA service Shares that Neela spoke to an IDVA. Neela disclosed eight years of physical and sexual abuse; she also has to account for all her movements and spending. Neela was extremely worried about receiving help. She isnt comfortable making a complaint to the police but has expressed an interest in getting help through the civil courts. Children and Young Peoples Services Does not have information to share; were aware of police callouts, but had closed the case after an initial assessment. Results of the safety plan Working with the IDVA, Neela gains injunctions to prevent her husband from contacting the family or accessing the family home. Should her husband contact the family again, the police now have the power to arrest him. Neela and her children feel a lot safer. She continues to receive support from the IDVA and Asian womens outreach service and is filing for divorce. A&E Discloses that Neela had attended A&E on five occasions in the last year; on one date Neelas A+B daughter was treated for a fractured wrist. A&E were unaware of police callouts. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse 05  Saving lives Debbies story* For 46 year old Debbie and her six children, enduring severe violence had become a way of life. She and her family were regularly beaten by her husband over a period of 18 years. On one occasion her husband had strangled her and threatened her with a knife. The children were terrified of their father, and they were all regularly told theyd be killed if they sought outside help. Unaware of the help that was available to her, Debbie didnt tell anyone about the abuse. She believed her husband would kill her if she reached out for help. She was also extremely worried that her children would be put into care. Exhausted with anxiety and depression, she talked to her GP, who referred her case to WORTH IDVA service in West Sussex. The IDVA contacted Debbie that morning, began working immediately on addressing her safety and just eleven days later, Debbies case was discussed at the local MARAC. A variety of actions came out of the MARAC meeting. The police undertook an investigation into the behaviour of Debbies husband. The IDVA assisted Debbie with gaining an occupation order and a nonmolestation order through the civil courts to prevent her husband from contacting the family. This prevented him from attending the childrens schools. Both the police and fire service flagged Debbies file, so that in the event of an incident, they would be able to respond more effectively. Finally, a home fire safety check was carried out, extra security fitted and a panic alarm added to the property. Debbie has now started divorce proceedings. She believes that without the help of her local MARAC and IDVA, she and her family would still be livin  ");
array_files[46]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/Safety_in_Numbers_full_report.pdf","2012-01-28","1177K","Safety_in_Numbers_full_report.pdf","","","Safety in Numbers A Multi-site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services November 2009 Dr Emma Howarth Louise Stimpson MRes Diana Barran BA Dr Amanda Robinson The Hestia Fund The Sigrid Rausing Trust The Henry Smith Charity  Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of IDVA Services Foreword It is a real pleasure to commend this thorough and important research report on the work of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors. Both the researchers and the funders deserve credit for describing and evaluating so thoroughly the activities and outcomes of these very specialist staff. Domestic violence is a blight. It has a lasting impact on the lives of children, the adults in their lives and on the wider community. More than that is the clear evidence that unless this behaviour is remedied, it is likely to pass from one generation to another. The work of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors is relatively new to this country so this report is most timely. It sets out clearly the scale and range of the issues to be tackled and ways to make the greatest impact for good. The report creates a solid foundation on which to shape and build future services. This is especially so when, as the report clearly shows, these staff are dealing with victims that are in danger of death or serious harm. Most of the victims were experiencing multiple forms of abuse that was both emotionally distressing and physically dangerous. Living in such explosive circumstances must be horrific. The research shows that domestic violence often begins early in a relationship and then persists. Some 65% of the victims were in a relationship of less than five years. The most chilling fact to emerge was that 69% of cases involved children mainly of primary school age or younger. The frequency of the abuse and the accompanying risks are set out most graphically. So much so that, perhaps not surprising, in 65% of cases victims required the very focused support of an IDVA and 87% of the victims needed help from a range of services. But the good news, if there be any in this aspect of human behaviour, is that the actions of these specialist workers resulted in either a complete or near ending of the abuse previously experienced by the majority of the victims. At the beginning of my career in 1961, amongst my court duties was working in Domestic Courts. I had thought that through better education and greater equality, the use of force or domination in relationships would by now have been largely replaced by mutual respect and conflicts resolved through discussion. This research demonstrates all too clearly that these problems now need to be addressed with greater urgency. That being so, I hope this report will be widely used in tackling more successfully the blight of domestic violence. Lord Laming November 2009 Foreword 1  Acknowledgements Acknowledgements from the Authors Any report like this does not get written without the hard work and cooperation of many different people. This report is no exception. The authors would like to thank, first and foremost, the IDVA services who participated in this evaluation: Advance, HALT, The Haven, Let Go, North Devon Womens Aid, The Womens Safety Unit and Worth Services. They worked with us at every stage and each, without exception, went beyond the call of duty to ensure the collection of good quality data. Their desire to `get it right has been truly admirable and is testament to their commitment to keeping victims of domestic abuse and their children safer. The authors would also like to extend their thanks to the Expert Panel that served to provide advice, guidance and challenge throughout the evaluation process. Dr Amanda Robinson has been invaluable in bringing clarity to the structure of this report and has contributed significantly to the editing process. Her insightful and experienced feedback has brought important perspective to this work. Professor Gordon Harold has also contributed greatly to all aspects of this evaluation. In particular, we would like to thank him for his guidance around the methodology and analysis and the time he took in helping us to make sense of the numbers. We would also like to thank Laura Richards for her advice in relation to risk and Alana Diamond for her comments on an earlier version of this report. In addition, Juliet Dearden was particularly significant in overseeing this work and the production of this report would not have been possible without her. Most importantly, the authors would like to thank the literally thousands of victims who consented to the use of their information for the purposes of this study. We hope that this work will contribute to their and their childrens safety. Emma Howarth and Louise Stimpson November 2009 2 Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of IDVA Services  Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of IDVA Services Acknowledgements from the Trustees As Trustees of the Hestia Fund we would like to echo the thanks of the authors to all who have contributed to this research; it has been a great example of many different parties working together and much has been learnt by all of us along the way. In addition, our thanks must go to the Trustees of the Sigrid Rausing Trust who supported us in 2004 to embark on creating a grant programme that funded the work of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) services. Given the changes that have taken place in the sector since then, it should be remembered that at that time the term IDVA did not even exist! This was genuinely a far sighted move. Our thanks also go to the Trustees of the Henry Smith Charity who, as long time funders in this field of work, had the foresight to join the Sigrid Rausing Trust in funding this programme. The field of domestic abuse is well recognised as being under-funded and their commitment to this report and the grant making programme that underpinned it is rare and much needed. The main authors of the report, Emma Howarth and Louise Stimpson, have worked tirelessly and rigorously to create an honest and robust analysis of the work of the services that were evaluated. None of us saw quite how big a project this would be at the outset, but their intellectual curiosity and commitment to furthering our understanding of this work has been undaunted by the scale of the project. We would also like to thank Lord Laming for writing the foreword to this report. There can be few people in this country that have the knowledge of this subject matter combined with a wider perspective on other aspects of abuse and we are honoured to have his support. As Trustees of the Hestia Fund, it has been a privilege to be involved with this project. Our aims, set out initially in our applications to the Sigrid Rausing Trust in 2004 and 2005, were as follows: `The objectives of the Hestia Fund are to sustain and develop the work of independent advocacy charities in the field of domestic violence (DV), to disburse grants on behalf of donors at a minimal cost and to monitor the progress and outcomes of the grants with the aim of helping to effect real change in the sector. Hence it will take the advice offered to donors a step further than has traditionally been the case both through its active participation with grantees and in its sophisticated outcome analysis which should in turn drive grant-making strategy. Five years later, we feel that we were true to these objectives and that this report represents one important aspect of this. Safety in Numbers highlights the importance of numbers in many ways. It reminds us of the number of victims, mainly women, who suffer domestic abuse. It gives us numbers in terms of hard evidence of abuse suffered. It highlights the number of contacts and number of choices offered and acted on when it comes to providing much needed intensive support. It points to the number of pounds that can be saved through proper implementation of the reports recommendations. Lastly, it gives concrete evidence for the number of people we could protect, especially children, if proper IDVA coverage was a reality. In the words of one victim of domestic abuse who was supported by an IDVA `You gave me back my future. If this report helps to give back the future to the thousands of victims and children currently suffering abuse, our efforts will have been repaid many times over. Diana Barran, Miko Giedroyc and Elizabeth Jack Trustees of the Hestia Fund November 2009 Acknowledgements 3  Glossar y BM&E CAADA CPS Hestia Fund H&S IDVA J&C MARAC RIC SDVC Time 1 Time 2 Black and Minority Ethnic Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse Crown Prosecution Service A grant making trust funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust and The Henry Smith Charity Harassment and stalking Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Jealous and controlling behaviour Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference Risk Indicator Checklist Specialist Domestic Violence Court Time at which intake data was collected Time at which review data was collected, either after 4 months of support from an IDVA or at case closure if sooner 4 Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of IDVA Services  Safety in Numbers: A Multi-site Evaluation of IDVA Services Executive Summary This report presents the findings from a significant programme of research that was undertaken to examine the provision and impact of IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advisor) services for female victims of domestic abuse deemed to be at high risk of harm or homicide. Commissioned by the Hestia Fund and funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust and The Henry Smith Charity, this study, conducted between 1 January 2007 and 31 March 2009 and involving seven services operating in England and Wales, represents the first, large scale, multi-site evaluation of IDVA services ever undertaken in the United Kingdom. Importantly, this national-level research helps us to understand both the process of delivering IDVA services and the outcomes that may be achieved for victims. Specifically, this evaluation set out to examine: 1. The profile of victims accessing IDVA services, particularly with respect to the extent and nature of the abuse they were experiencing along with their socio-demographic   ");
array_files[47]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/Safety_in_Numbers_16pp.pdf","2012-01-28","119K","Safety_in_Numbers_16pp.pdf","","","Safety in Numbers Summar y of Findings and Recommendations from a Multi-site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors November 2009 Overview The last five years have witnessed important changes in the way that the many victims of domestic abuse in the United Kingdom are supported to live in safety. In particular, attention has focused on keeping victims safe in their homes rather than being obliged to move to temporary accommodation. A key part of this process has been the introduction of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs). Working intensively with high risk victims suffering ongoing abuse, IDVAs also systematically mobilise and target the resources of up to 15 agencies on their behalf. This document highlights the key findings and recommendations from the first large scale, multi-site evaluation of these services. As Lord Laming writes in his foreword Safety in Numbersi sets out clearly the scale and range of issues to be tackled and ways to make the greatest impact for good. The report creates a solid foundation on which to shape and build future services....This research demonstrates all too clearly that these problems now need to to be addressed with greater urgency. That being so, I hope this report will be widely used in tackling more successfully the blight of domestic violence.  The study followed 2,500 women over two years across seven sites* in England and Wales who were suffering from severe, high risk physical, emotional and sexual abuse as well as stalking and harassment. It found that this abuse stopped completely in two-thirds of cases where there was intensive support from an IDVA service including multiple interventions. For the first time, we now have empirical evidence that the IDVA approach keeps victims of severe abuse and their children safe. In light of the findings, this report offers four realistic, cost effective recommendations that give choices back to those suffering abuse, while using our limited resources to best effect: ·More IDVAs are needed. While the IDVA sector has expanded in capacity over the past four years, many services - including some in the study - are facing cutbacks and current capacity is still estimated to be less than half of the 1,200-1,500 IDVAs needed for national coverageii. central. This research highlights just how effective an IDVA service can be if properly focused. IDVAs must have the capacity to offer an `intensive level of support, giving the full range of choices to victims regarding their safety and be commissioned to a clear and common framework that reflects this. confluence of domestic abuse, substance misuse and mental health problems surrounding the lives of over 3,600 children and the need to make effective links between IDVA services and those working to safeguard children. ·IDVA services need to be commissioned to a common framework that keeps the safety of the victim ·Urgent links need to be made to address the risks to children. The study highlighted the dangerous ·Stronger links need to be made with health services and those who work with perpetrators. The study showed that IDVA services need effective links with both health services and those working with perpetrators. Given the health needs of victims of domestic abuse and the complex challenges presented by the most aggressive and anti-social group of perpetrators in the sample, this is essential if safety is to be maximised. These recommendations, if implemented, will change the lives and futures of thousands of victims and their children and save hundreds of millions of pounds in direct costs to public services alone. At a time when the vulnerability of our society in general, and our young people in particular, is such an issue, the need to act on them is all the more urgent. *The IDVA services evaluated were Advance (London), HALT (Leeds), The Haven (Wolverhampton), Let Go Project (Cumbria), North Devon Womens Aid (Devon), The Womens Safety Unit (Cardiff), Worth Services (West Sussex). 1 Commissioned by The Hestia Fund and funded by The Sigrid Rausing Trust and The Henry Smith Charity Dr E Howarth, L Stimpson MRes, D Barran BA, Dr A Robinson  Introduction The background to the Safety in Numbers evaluation Safety in Numbers forms part of a wider grant programme which was started in 2004 with funding from the Sigrid Rausing Trust. This programme was built on researchiii which identified the fragmented response to victims of domestic abuse, the need for specialist support for victims and the need for more capacity in this field. The wider grant making programme had three elements: 1. To help expand capacity in the sector by making a series of grants to charities already active in the field to employ specialist case workers, or Independent Domestic Violence Advisors. This was doubled in size in 2006 when the Henry Smith Charity decided to establish a major grant programme in this area and to match fund the grants made by the Sigrid Rausing Trust. In total, grants of Ł775,630 were made to 19 charities operating in all four parts of the UK, with an average grant size of Ł20,000. 2. The establishment of the CAADA IDVA training course in early 2005 with the aim of giving practitioners in this field a recognised qualification and a common framework for their practice and the development of service standards for IDVAsiv. 3. This outcome evaluation to measure the impact of the IDVA services funded as part of the grant programme. The three elements of the grants were always conceived of as a whole with an aim to build and sustain capacity in this sector. What is an IDVA and what is unique about the service that they provide? Independent Domestic Violence Advisors or IDVAs are specialist case workers who focus on working predominantly with high risk victims, those most at risk of homicide or serious harm. They work from the point of crisis on a short to medium term basis and have a well defined role underpinned by an accredited training programme. They offer intensive short to medium term support. They also mobilise multiple resources on behalf of victims by coordinating the response of a wide range of agencies who might be involved with a case, including those working with perpetrators and children. Thus, they work in partnership with a range of statutory and voluntary agencies but are independent of any single agency. In common with other specialist domestic abuse services, their goal is safety. Why was an evaluation needed? There were several reasons that meant a large scale evaluation of IDVA services was timely. First, the UK evidence base addressing `what works in improving the safety of victims of domestic abuse is generally underdeveloped. That the work of IDVAs is relatively new in this country means that there is even less research that specifically examines this model of working. The few studies that have been undertaken in the UK represent in depth and rigorous evaluation of individual services. Single site evaluations will naturally be influenced by local operating conditions and by the individuals involved, which may potentially limit the extent to which the conclusions derived from these studies are applicable to IDVA services more widely. Finally, much of the evaluation undertaken to date in a UK context has focused on the process of service delivery rather than on the efficacy of this approach in enhancing the safety of victims and their children. Given the gaps in our knowledge with respect to the effectiveness of the IDVA approach, there was pressing need to undertake more extensive research about how IDVA services are delivered, and their impact on the safety and well-being of high risk victims and their children. As a step towards addressing this knowledge gap, this multi-site study was commissioned. The services that were evaluated Seven IDVA services participated in this evaluation. They were Advance (London), Halt (Leeds), The Haven (Wolverhampton), Let Go Project (Cumbria), North Devon Womens Aid (Devon), The Womens Safety Unit (Cardiff) and Worth Services (West Sussex). The services evaluated are based both in urban, suburban and rural locations. They range in 2 Safety in Numbers: Summary of Findings and Recommendations  Safety in Numbers: Summary of Findings and Recommendations size from 1 full time IDVA as part of a wider community based domestic abuse service, up to 12 IDVAs. Some are part of a dedicated IDVA service; others include wider services such as community outreach and refuge. Some were relatively newly established, with others having been in operation for over 30 years. Finally, some work in communities with high Black and Minority Ethnic populations and others in areas where these groups are under-represented. How was the evaluation conducted? The evaluation was carried out over a period of 27 months. In order to address the areas of enquiry, IDVAs gathered data at the point of referral to a service (Time 1), namely information relating to victim demographics and the type and extent of abuse experienced during the prior three months . Records were analysed in relation to 2,567 cases at this point. Where possible, data were gathered on a second occasion (Time 2), either at the closure of a case or after four months of engagement with the service as an interim marker of case progress (whichever came first). Information collected at this time point related to the interventions and types of support provided by IDVAs and, importantly, documented levels of victim safety and well-being. Records were analysed in relation to 1,247 cases at this point. IDVAs also conducted short interviews with victims on their exit from the service in order to garner their perspectives as to the factors that had impacted on their safety during the period of intervention. There were 412 such interviews. Finally, a small group of victims (n=34) were re-contacted six months after the closure of their case in order to examine the sustainability of any changes made with respect to safety and well-being. The data included in the study related only to female victims. Some of the services participating in the evaluation offer direct support to male victims of abuse. As a result, 44 records were fo  ");
array_files[48]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/Robinson_IDVAs_process_evaluation_2009.pdf","2012-01-28","185K"," Robinson _2009_ Independent Domestic Violence Advisors.doc","","","INDEPENDENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORS: a process evaluation FINAL EVALUATION REPORT 24th November 2009 Dr Amanda L Robinson Cardiff University http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/robinsona with the assistance of Policy Research Institute Wolverhampton University Funded by the Home Office  Robinson, A. (2009) INDEPENDENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORS: A process evaluation. Table of Contents KEY IMPLICATIONS FOR DECISION MAKERS ............................................................... 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 5 Context .................................................................................................................................... 5 Approach.................................................................................................................................5 Main findings .......................................................................................................................... 5 How to maintain the `I in IDVA........................................................................................5 The best locations for IDVAs ........................................................................................... 6 The importance of consistent referral routes ................................................................ 6 Recognizing the IDVA contribution to a coordinated community response ............. 6 Treating IDVAs like proper employees .......................................................................... 7 Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 8 MAIN REPORT........................................................................................................................10 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 10 Background to the Research.............................................................................................10 IDVAs and SDVCs...........................................................................................................11 IDVAs and MARACs ....................................................................................................... 11 Methodology.........................................................................................................................12 Research Questions ........................................................................................................ 12 Structure of Report .............................................................................................................. 13 FINDINGS ................................................................................................................................. 13 1. ROLE OF THE IDVA.......................................................................................................13 Main responsibilities............................................................................................................14 Risk assessment..............................................................................................................14 Crisis intervention and safety planning ........................................................................ 15 Supporting victims ........................................................................................................... 15 Multi-agency working and institutional advocacy ....................................................... 16 Contact between IDVAs and victims ................................................................................ 17 Role development and independence of IDVAs.............................................................18 Threats to IDVA independence ..................................................................................... 19 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 20 LOCATION OF IDVA SERVICES.................................................................................20 IDVAs in domestic violence projects ................................................................................ 20 IDVAs affiliated with refuges .......................................................................................... 21 IDVAs in statutory settings ................................................................................................. 22 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 23 WORKING WITH IDVAs ­ MULTI-AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS..............................24 Referral partners and processes.......................................................................................24 Police referrals ................................................................................................................. 24 Health referrals ................................................................................................................. 25 Housing referrals ............................................................................................................. 26 IDVAs and delivering a coordinated community response ........................................... 27 2. 3. 2  Robinson, A. (2009) INDEPENDENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORS: A process evaluation. Challenges of multi-agency work ...................................................................................... 27 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 28 4. TAKING CARE OF IDVAs..............................................................................................29 Supervision and performance monitoring of IDVAs.......................................................29 Clinical supervision..........................................................................................................30 Training ................................................................................................................................. 30 Funding and resources ....................................................................................................... 32 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 33 5. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................33 Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 34 References ........................................................................................................................... 36 Appendix A: Methodology Appendix B: Comparisons of the participating IDVA projects (Both appendices are available as separate .pdf documents) Acknowledgments This study was funded by the Home Office (SRG/07/019). The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect Home Office policy. The author would like to thank the staff at the participating projects for volunteering to be part of this study, and offering their time, assistance and cooperation with all aspects of the research process. Practitioners working in partner/referral agencies also deserve thanks, as do the victims who allowed their experiences to be included in this report. Finally the author would like to thank Dr Angela Morgan at the University of Wolverhampton, Laura Blakeborough at the Home Office, and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this report. 3  Robinson, A. (2009) INDEPENDENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVISORS: A process evaluation. KEY IMPLICATIONS FOR DECISION MAKERS Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) are trained support workers who provide assistance and advice to victims of domestic violence. They work closely with criminal justice and statutory partners, and may be based in many different settings. There has been considerable expansion of IDVA services in recent years, as they are linked to other government initiatives such as Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVCs) and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs). The governments Action Plan for Tackling Violence, 2008-11 indicates that national implementation of SDVCs and MARACs is underway, and documents the continued need for IDVAs. Whilst there is widespread recognition of the value of IDVAs, there is currently not a consistent approach to their implementation. · The key ingredients of effective IDVA services are independence, a focus on victims safety, and the ability to coordinate a range of services across agencies on behalf of victims. Successful IDVA work depends on the local availability of other necessary support services (e.g., outreach / long-term support, specialist sexual violence services, etc.). IDVAs are crucial components of the Coordinated Community Response (CCR) model, yet they are only one part. The IDVA role offers a unique opportunity to provide independent, objective advice to victims about their options, and one that is not duplicated by any other worker. IDVAs navigate multiple systems and are crucial contributors to multiagency initiatives, especially MARACs. Their specialist skills and ability to provide both individual and institutional advocacy are very highly valued. For a host of reasons, but primarily to maintain their independence, IDVAs should be managed by specialist domestic violence projects. This allows for better management of cases, collegial support and advice, supervision, and the opportunity for creating specialized IDVA positions, all of which enables better service provision for victims. Ideally IDVAs work as teams, rather than as lone attachments to agencies, and this is how they should be organized and supported in the future. IDVAs are inexorably linked to their partner agencies; therefore, referral protocols need to be consistent across both time and space. Statutory partners benefit from mak  ");
array_files[49]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/research-and-evaluation.html","2012-01-28","32K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - research and evaluation","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - research and evaluation Research and evaluation CAADA has a strong commitment to the promotion of an evidence-based, effective coordinated response to domestic violence. Listed below are a variety of evaluation studies examining high risk victim outcomes, individual services, MARACs and domestic violence courts across the UK. For more information, please contact the Research and Evaluation team by emailing insights@caada.org.uk Research and evaluation studies on MARACs Supporting high risk victims of domestic abuse: a review of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), Home Office (2011) Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse, CAADA (2010) Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse - REFERENCED VERSION, CAADA (2010) Evaluation of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences for very high risk victims, Womens Safety Unit (Cardiff 2004) DV MARACs for Very High Risk Victims, Amanda Robinson (2005) Research and evaluation studies on IDVAs and IDVA services Safety in Numbers: A Multi-Site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services - FULL REPORT (2009). By Dr Emma Howarth, Louise Stimpson, Diana Barran, Dr Amanda Robinson Safety in Numbers: A Multi-Site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services - 16 page report (2009). By Dr Emma Howarth, Louise Stimpson, Diana Barran, Dr Amanda Robinson Safety in Numbers: A Multi-Site Evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services - 2 page summary (2009). By Dr Emma Howarth, Louise Stimpson, Diana Barran, Dr Amanda Robinson IDVA Service evaluation: Evaluation report for the PATHway project at St Marys maternity hospital, Manchester. By Gillian Granville and Sue Bridge. Evaluation of Early Intervention Models for Change in Domestic Violence: Northern Rock Foundation Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (2004-2009). Islands in the Stream evaluation Independent Domestic Violence Advisors: A Process Evaluation (November 2009). By Dr Amanda Robinson Other research, evaluation studies and reviews Second evaluation of Cardiff Womens Safety Unit - The Cardiff Womens Safety Unit: Understanding the Costs and Consequences of Domestic Violence (2005). By Dr Amanda Robinson WSU Final Evaluation Report - Evaluation of work of Womens Safety Unit, Cardiff, from Dec 2001 to Jan 2003. By Dr Amanda Robinson Evaluation of Specialist DV Courts/Fast Track System - Evaluation of the effectiveness of 5 specialist domestic violence courts in Cardiff, Derby, Leeds, West London and Wolverhampton. By Dee Cook, Mandy Burton, Amanda Robinson, Christine Vallely Wolverhampton Specialist DV Court Evaluation - First Evaluation of Wolverhamptons Specialist DV Court (November 2003). By Dee Cook Evaluation of work of Womens Safety Unit, Cardiff, from Dec 2001 to Jan 2003 - Summary. By WSU Cardiff Evaluation of HALTs Work Supporting Women Complainants in the Criminal Justice System. Evaluation done by HALT of the cases of 300 women they supported through the CJS between Sept 1999 and March 2003. By HALT Evaluation of Domestic Violence Pilot Sites at Gwent and Croydon 2004/5 (September 2004). By Cook, Burton, Robinson, Tregidga and Vallely Evaluation of Domestic Violence Pilot Sites at Caerphilly (Gwent) and Croydon 2004/5 (June 2005). By Vallely, Robinson, Burton and Tregidga The Cardiff WSU and the Civil/Criminal Interface - Exploratory study to investigate the interface between the civil and criminal courts in Cardiff and the role of the advocates from the Womens Safety Unit. By Dr Amanda Robinson Reducing Repeat Victimisation among High Risk Victims of Domestic Abuse - The benefits of a co-ordinated response in Cardiff, Wales. By Dr Amanda Robinson ASSIST Final Evaluation - Report on the benefits of providing assistance to victims of domestic abuse in Glasgow. By Dr Amanda Robinson The Dyn Project: Supporting Men Experiencing Domestic Abuse. By Dr Amanda Robinson and James Rowlands Back to Policy and research Back to Information about MARACs Back to Resources Back to Information for domestic abuse services If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[50]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/policy-and-research.html","2012-01-28","17K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Policy and research","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Policy and research Policy and research CAADA’s goal is to transform the UK’s response to domestic abuse, so that victims are identified as early as possible and supported to live in safety. One of the ways we achieve this is by gathering evidence through research and evaluation and using this to shape policy and practice. Our policy work Find out about our policy work on important issues relating to domestic abuse, and how we use evidence from domestic abuse services to shape service provision. CAADA Insights CAADA Insights enables domestic abuse services to profile service users and evidence activity and outcomes. The first findings from the national data, involving cases from around 3,000 victims, will be available in 2012. MARAC data analysis CAADA is the only organisation to regularly collect data on high risk domestic abuse cases from over 250 Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) in the UK. We analyse this national data set and use it to influence national MARAC policy. Read more about our MARAC data analysis. CAADA Research and evaluation Download a range of research papers and related resources here. Statistics Read up-to-date statistics about domestic abuse. Our Research and Evaluation team Meet the Research and Evaluation Team at CAADA. If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[51]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/our-policy-work.html","2012-01-28","17K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Our policy work","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - Our policy work Our policy work Using evidence from domestic abuse services (through our CAADA Insights service) and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (through the work of our MARAC Development Programme), CAADA produces policy briefings, reports and government consultation responses to help transform the UK’s response to domestic abuse. Over the next five years, our policy themes will focus on four key areas: Promoting the early identification of domestic abuse, by using evidence to find ways to extend the reach of IDVA services to marginalised women who are not visible, or who are unwilling to access, the criminal justice system. We believe this can be achieved by integrating IDVA services with health services. Providing support and practical tools to shape service provision (especially for victims with complex needs). Sharing and embedding best practice within the domestic abuse sector both in terms of sustaining the multi-agency response and through our Leading Lights programme. Exploring ways to move to outcome driven funding for the sector, using the evidence from Insights and the practical feedback that we get from working with services, and linking it to better outcomes for victims. CAADA consultation responses CAADA has contributed formal policy consultation responses to a number of different government consultions around Violence against Women. Back to Policy and research If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[52]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/Islands-in-the-stream.pdf","2012-01-28","911K","Islands-in-the-stream.pdf","","","");
array_files[53]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/HAL1.pdf","2012-01-28","95K"," 4pp","","","Suppor t through the legal system Criminal Law We will take women through the whole criminal legal system. We explain the roles of the following agencies: the Police; Crown Prosecution Service (CPS); Probation Service; the Magistrates and Crown Courts; and the Prison Service. This includes their roles in Domestic Violence cases, their relevant policies and procedures, key personnel and what to expect. Issues that are very important to women in terms of safety, which we will keep her informed of, are: Bail Conditions which are set against the offender to protect her, for example not to contact her or approach her house/road; Dates of hearings, when he is in court, when it has been adjourned to, why it has been adjourned, what the next hearing will be and the implications of this on the court process and on her; Convictions or sentences given, for example what a Community Rehabilitation Order (formerly a Probation Order) is and what the conditions attached to that mean, what to do if he breaches those orders, what compensation is and how it works, what certain convictions mean and whether he has to go on the Sex Offenders Register for example. Any questions she may have about the process, her statement, giving evidence, why had specific events occurred, what to expect, what support is available, practical arrangements and emotional support. Excellence in advocacy and support for women involved in the criminal and civil law Civil Law Most people do not have an understanding of what their rights are under the civil law, and indeed what the differences are between the civil and criminal law. The Civil Law is used when women need to apply for an injunction. We explain to women about their options, who are eligible, how to go about accessing this protection, what the process is, what will happen, costs and benefits. We explain: Injunctions that she can obtain, for example a personal protection order (Non-Molestation Order) or an order regarding living arrangements for the `marital home (Occupation Order). Orders regarding the care of children, and their relevance. These include: ° Contact orders ° Residence orders ° Specific issues orders ° Prohibited steps orders ° Parental responsibility Relevant legislation and give her all of her options. She then knows what she can do both criminally and civilly and we support her in her decisions, and act as her advocate. We also refer to relevant family law solicitors who are experienced in Domestic Violence. HALT, PO Box 332, Leeds LS1 3RD office email: halt@ukgateway.net email: halt. helpline@ukgateway.net fax: 0113 243 1801 helpline / referrals number: 0113 243 2632 (Voice & Minicom) Charity number: 1087583  Excellence in advocacy and support for women involved in the criminal and civil law Aims of the Organisation HALT Domestic Violence (Help, Advice & the Law Team) provide support, advice and advocacy to women, and their children, experiencing violence from a man they know. We support any woman who is involved in, or is considering, court proceedings. This means making sure women in Leeds are aware of our service, and that agencies refer women to us when appropriate. We are a unique and specialised service that was thoroughly researched and a clear demand shown. There are few other services doing such innovative work in the UK. Types of Support Offered Initial Contacts Women referred to us are informed of their legal options, both in criminal and civil law. All women take this information and decide whether the time is right for them to proceed with court action and to access our services further. Some women do not feel that they have the ability to access services at that point in their lives. However many feel that by being made aware of all of their legal options, what the processes are, how to access support and what support is available, they can use this at a later stage. Research suggests that on average women experience Domestic Violence for around 7 years before they leave. Also, the majority of domestic related murders of women occur after the relationship has ended. Therefore by giving women immediate support and advice they are in a better position to plan for the future, with theirs and their childrens safety being paramount. Ongoing Support Work and Advocacy Once women have been given the above support, many receive on-going support from our advocates. Most criminal cases take between 4 and 5 months to be dealt with, some can go on for up to 18 months if in the Crown Court. This means intensive support and advocacy, preparing the woman for a difficult process of attending court. We track any cases and explain the process. We also offer her the chance to visit the relevant court before the day and visit an empty courtroom. The set up is then explained to her and she can visualise the process. We then organise a witness room for the day of the trial, which is away from the courtroom to avoid seeing the offender, and we give her emotional and practical support during the day. This may include liasing with the Police, CPS and Court Staff of any issues that arise. We then sit behind her in court as she gives evidence. We also inform her of the result and go through the implications of this and her future safety planning. In civil cases, we can arrange for her to meet a solicitor and make appropriate referrals. If she wants to apply for an injunction without a solicitor, she can do so on her own and we would support and advise her doing that. We can also attend with her to solicitors appointments and attend relevant hearings at court. Domestic Violence in Context Violence against women is a serious social, criminal and community safety issue. In an average year one in ten women are known to have experienced violence from a partner, in Leeds alone this equates to over 35,000 women. One in four women will experience domestic violence at some stage in their lives (British Crime Survey, 1998). One third of all violent crime in West Yorkshire is domestic related (West Yorkshire Police). Latest Metropolitan Police research suggests that Police are called out to a domestic incident every 60 seconds with figures estimating that an individual is violently assaulted in their home every 6 to 20 seconds. (Metropolitan Police 2000). However, the Criminal Justice System has traditionally not offered adequate protection for women. Court treatment of domestic violence cases often fail to recognise their seriousness and complexity. Often women feel let down and not supported when using the system. The Criminal and Civil Justice Systems are very complex. Often womens voices do not get heard and they have little control over proceedings. Domestic Violence is often seen as less serious than other violence. We have worked hard in order for the issue of advocacy and support to be recognised. We have made strong and pro-active relationships with professional agencies including the Police, the Courts, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Probation Service. How we achieve our aims We offer legal advice, information, support and advocacy. We increase womens access to legal options for safety by providing: ° Confidential helpline service daily for women or agencies ° One-off telephone advice to women or agencies ° Face-to-face ongoing support and advice ° Advocacy with agencies such as the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Courts ° Practical and emotional support throughout their contact with the legal system, including attendance at court hearings ° Tracking of cases through the criminal justice system ° Advice on protection orders/injunctions and issues around children ° Partnership work, for example the Leeds Domestic Violence Cluster Court Steering Group ° Training for relevant agencies and professionals ° Lobbying and campaigning around injustices and changes to the law Fur ther in-depth Legal Advice After initial contact, many women will then take up further support from our advocates. This support includes: Ba sic Tracking/Advocacy If the woman is involved in the criminal justice system in some way, we can track the relevant cases and act as her advocate. This may include liasing with any of the following agencies, with her consent, and sharing relevant information regarding the situation: the Police, CPS, Courts, Probation, and other statutory organisations (for example Housing). This is particularly useful, as `victims are often not regarded in either system and advocates can access information that she has no ability to obtain.  ");
array_files[54]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/EV1.pdf","2012-01-28","984K"," ASSIST Final Evaluation Report_v4.doc","","","Advice, Support, Safety & Information Services Together (ASSIST): The Benefits of Providing Assistance to Victims of Domestic Abuse in Glasgow Final Evaluation Report October, 2006 Dr Amanda L Robinson Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice School of Social Sciences Cardiff University Glamorgan Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff CF10 3WT (02920) 875401 RobinsonA@Cardiff.ac.uk  Table of Contents Acknowledgments.............................................................................................6 Executive Summary ..........................................................................................7 Key Findings ...............................................................................................................................7 Recommendations.......................................................................................................................8 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................9 The Scottish Criminal Justice Policy Context ......................................................................................9 The Response to Domestic Abuse in Glasgow ................................................................................. 10 Criminal Justice and Statutory Agencies......................................................................................11 Domestic Abuse Court ........................................................................................................... 11 Strathclyde Police..................................................................................................................13 ASSIST.................................................................................................................................14 Victim Information and Advice ............................................................................................... 15 Social Work Services ............................................................................................................. 15 Glasgow Community and Safety Services................................................................................16 Community and Voluntary Sector Agencies ................................................................................. 16 Glasgow Violence Against Women Partnership ........................................................................ 16 Womens Aid.........................................................................................................................17 Womens Support Project ...................................................................................................... 17 Victim Support Scotland.........................................................................................................18 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 18 2. Methodology ...............................................................................................19 Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 19 Aims of the Evaluation...............................................................................................................19 Timescale ................................................................................................................................. 19 Process Evaluation ........................................................................................................................ 20 Data from Key Informants ......................................................................................................... 20 Sample.................................................................................................................................20 Existing Data ............................................................................................................................ 21 Weekly Bulletins....................................................................................................................21 Documents and Protocols ...................................................................................................... 21 Outcome Evaluation ...................................................................................................................... 21 Victim Data ............................................................................................................................... 21 Risk Assessments .................................................................................................................. 21 Exit Interviews with Victims ................................................................................................... 21 Agency Data ............................................................................................................................. 22 3. Services Offered by ASSIST ........................................................................23 Overview of ASSIST ...................................................................................................................... 23 Aims.........................................................................................................................................23 Remit ....................................................................................................................................... 23 2  Referral Route .......................................................................................................................... 24 ASSIST Staff.............................................................................................................................25 Coordinator .......................................................................................................................... 25 Advocacy Workers.................................................................................................................25 Children and Young Peoples Advocacy Worker ....................................................................... 26 Administration ...................................................................................................................... 26 Service Delivery Process ................................................................................................................ 26 Stage 1: The immediate aftermath of the incident.......................................................................26 Risk Assessment ................................................................................................................... 27 Providing Information............................................................................................................28 Referring to Other Agencies ................................................................................................... 28 Stage 2: Support through the court process................................................................................29 Stage 3: After the court process ends.........................................................................................30 Multi-Agency Action Planning (MAAPs) ........................................................................................... 30 The MAAP Process .................................................................................................................... 31 Agency representation at the MAAPs .......................................................................................... 32 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 32 4. ASSIST: Workload and Working Practices..................................................33 Referrals to ASSIST.......................................................................................................................33 Workload Trends.......................................................................................................................33 ASSIST and the Police ................................................................................................................... 34 Domestic Abuse Unit ................................................................................................................. 35 Perspectives on ASSIST.............................................................................................................36 Overview of the DAC.....................................................................................................................37 ASSIST and COPFS........................................................................................................................39 PF Liaison Meetings...................................................................................................................39 Perspectives on ASSIST.............................................................................................................40 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 40 5. ASSIST and Victims Safety.........................................................................42 Risk Assessment ........................................................................................................................... 43 Relationships between Risk Factors ............................................................................................ 45 Risk Classification......................................................................................................................45 Changes in Victims Safety.............................................................................................................46 Physical Abuse .......................................................................................................................... 47 Emotional Abuse ..................................................................................................  ");
array_files[55]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/CPS3.pdf","2012-01-28","334K"," DV REP (Web) (22/06 update)","","","UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON University of Leicester policy research institute Evaluation of Domestic Violence Pilot Sites at Caerphilly (Gwent) and Croydon 2004/05 Final Report Christine Vallely Amanda Robinson Mandy Burton Jasmin Tregidga JUNE 2005 CPS Crown Prosecution Service  LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS The interviews with key staff are identified as being from either the criminal justice agencies (CJ) or the voluntary and community sector (VCS) ACPO BAWSO CCP CDVAS CJS CPO CPS CRARG CRO CSU DPO DV DVFC FTS GCJB HMCPSI HMIC IDVC JSB MARAC MCS NEO PS PSR PTR RO SDVC SG SPSS ST VPS VS WCU WS WLMC WSU Association of Chief Police Officers Black Association of Women Step Out Chief Crown Prosecutor Croydon Domestic Violence Advisory Service Criminal Justice System Community Punishment Order Crown Prosecution Service Co-ordinated Response and Advocacy Resource Group Community Rehabilitation Order Community Safety Unit Dedicated Police Officer Domestic Violence Domestic Violence Forum Co-ordinator Fast-Track System Gwent Criminal Justice Board HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Integrated Domestic Violence Court Judicial Studies Board Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences Magistrates Court Service (now part of HMCS = Her Majestys Courts Service) No evidence offered Project SAFF Pre-sentence report Pre-trial review Restraining Order Specialist Domestic Violence Court: Steering Group Statistical Package for Social Sciences (a data analysis software package) Standing Together Victim Personal Statement Victim Support Witness Care Unit Witness Service West London Magistrates Court Womens Safety Unit (Cardiff)  CONTENTS Inside front cover Page 2 Page 14 Page 18 Page 23 Page 34 Page 47 Page 58 Page 72 Page 73 List of Abbreviations Executive Summary Chapter 1 ­ INTRODUCTION Chapter 2 OVERALL FINDINGS FROM THE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA Chapter 3 CAERPHILLY PROCESS: INTERVIEWS WITH KEY STAFF Chapter 4 ­ CAERPHILLY OUTCOMES Chapter 5 ­ CROYDON PROCESS: INTERVIEWS WITH KEY STAFF Chapter 6 ­ CROYDON ­ OUTCOMES Chapter 7 ­ CONCLUSIONS APPENDIX 1 ­ CPS Criteria for success APPENDIX 2 ­ List of Agencies interviewed at both sites Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Inside back cover APPENDIX 3 ­ Roles of key personnel APPENDIX 4 ­ Characteristics of victims interviewed APPENDIX 5 ­ Cost of attending meetings APPENDIX 6 ­ List of tables Tables of data and data collection instrumentsavailable on line at www.cps.gsi.gov.uk Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the representatives from both sites for their valuable contributions to this work: from the Crown Prosecution Service, the Police, Magistrates Courts Service, Victim Support, Witness Service, advocates, Black Association of Women Step Out, Cardiff Womens Safety Unit, Croydon Domestic Violence Advisory Service, Probation Service, Local Authorities (including Domestic Violence Forum), and the survivors of domestic violence who gave their time to enhance this research. We would also like to thank Kulbir Kaur and Angela Morgan for their work in coding and entering data from CPS files and Dee Cook for her involvement in the project. 1  EXECUTIVE SUMMARY E1 INTRODUCTION This report constitutes the final evaluation of the Domestic Violence Pilot Sites at Caerphilly (in Gwent, Wales) and Croydon (in London, England). The Crown Prosecution Service published an Interim Report in September 20041, which assessed the progress made at these sites six months after implementation. Those initial findings are expanded on here by providing additional data (from interviews with key staff and victims, and from cases going through the courts) during the first operational year. Comparisons are made before and after the projects were implemented by analysing data relevant to key targets such as narrowing the justice gap, bringing perpetrators to justice, and increasing public confidence in the criminal justice system. The success of the pilots can therefore be clearly demonstrated. The two sites evaluated here, whilst part of the same project, piloted different ways to improve the response to domestic violence. The pilot in Caerphilly was set up by the CPS, employing a part-time CPS domestic violence coordinator (a lawyer); a part-time administrator and an advocate2, who worked closely with a dedicated police officer (DPO3) to assist victims in a widely dispersed geographical area with rural and urban elements. The pilot also developed a new system to process cases, involving a special slot for Pre-Trial Reviews; and had the involvement and sponsorship of the Gwent Criminal Justice Board. The pilot in Croydon was established by the Magistrates Court in partnership with the local agencies; used independent advocates to assist a diverse and urban victim population; looked to improve the sharing of civil/criminal court information; had the use of specially trained CPS prosecutors, Magistrates and Police; and was attempting to implement the recommendations of the HMCPSI/HMIC Inspectorate Report Violence at Home4 (2004) and the Specialist Courts report (2004).5 The key improvements identified by the process and outcome components of the evaluation, and recommendations arising from this research are detailed in the sections below. E2 Key Improvements This research has found key positive and significant changes to working practices and outcomes from both pilots at Caerphilly and Croydon: · Increasing the number of domestic violence incidents reported to police that result in a case at court; · Reducing the number of cases lost before trial (withdrawals and discontinuances); 1. Available at www.cps.gov.uk/publications/reports 2. Advocate ­ in this report this term refers to independent domestic violence advisors and not legal advocates. 3. Dedicated police officers were appointed at both sites to play a lead role in the pilots. 4. A joint thematic inspection of the investigation and prosecution of cases involving domestic violence (Feb 2004) available at www.hmcpsi.gov.uk/reports/ 5. Evaluation of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts/Fast-Track Systems. Cook, D., Burton, M., Robinson, A. L. and Vallely, C. (2004) London, Crown Prosecution Service and Dept of Constitutional Affairs. Available at www.cps.gov.uk/publications/reports/index.html 2  · Increasing the number of perpetrators brought to justice (via increased early and late guilty pleas and convictions of defendants); · Providing advocacy to victims of domestic violence, which has had a positive effect on their feelings of safety, their experience with and confidence in the criminal justice system; and · These significant changes to policy and practice were delivered in a cost-effective way. Improvements specific to the `criteria for success outlined by the CPS6 are listed in the table below.7 CAERPHILLY Early guilty pleas (up) Late guilty pleas (up) Found guilty after trial (up) Retractions (down) Withdrawn/discontinued (down) No evidence offered (down) Length of case (down) Quality of service to victims Confidence of victims Adverse outcomes Ineffective trials Pre-pilot 21% 31% 8% 53% 32% 46% 86 days Post-pilot 27% 35% 19% 27% 25% 28% 76 days Increased Increased Reduced Reduced CROYDON Found guilty after trial (up) Withdrawn/discontinued (down) No evidence offered (down) Number of successful outcomes following victim retractions Quality of service to victims Confidence of victims Adverse outcomes Ineffective trials Pre-pilot 0% 36% 42% Post-pilot 19% 20% 26% Increased Increased Increased Reduced Reduced 6. See Appendix 1. 7. Furthermore these trends were consistent with monthly monitoring data collected throughout 2004. 3  Those in the criminal justice agencies and the voluntary sector have worked together in genuine multi-agency partnerships to effect these changes, which served to improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence at both sites. E3 CAERPHILLY PILOT SITE E3.1 Caerphilly Process Evaluation: Interviews with Key Staff The interviews with key staff identified the following common views: · The benefits of having a CPS Co-ordinator lay in providing a single point of contact for police and advocate; providing a consistency of approach to prosecution; improving liaison between CPS and police; and especially improving the review and management of the case files; · Employing a designated administrator had important benefits for the pilot, particularly in identifying cases which had not been correctly flagged as domestic violence, liaising with the police and the advocate, and collecting data and monitoring performance; · The advocate was pivotal to the pilot. The advocate facilitated support for victims, enabled supportive retractions, informed decision-making (such as bail conditions) and availability of police information to the court. In liaising between the victim, police and CPS, the advocate was able to provide better, earlier information so that prosecutors were better able to make discontinuance decisions and build stronger cases. It was felt, however, that if the advocate had been independent of the criminal justice agencies, victims confidence would have improved even further. In view of the geographical nature of the area and the need to provide an outreach service, and in light of the increasing demand for services, more advocates were needed. E3.2 Caerphilly Outcome Evaluation: Data from Case Files The data from the pilot in Caerphilly found that after the pilot was implemented: · There was a noticeable rise in the number of cases proceeding through court (from an average of 8.5 per month to 12 per month); · Cases were processed more quickly, as the number of days between arrest and case finalisation was reduced from 86 to 76 days; · Attrition was reduced: the number of cases withdrawn or discontinued before trial decreased from 32% to 25%; · Since the advent of the pilot, more perpetrators were brought to justice: · More defendants offered an early guilty plea, an increase from 21% to 27%; · The proportion of cases listed for trial in which the prosecutor offered no evidence was reduced from 46% to 28%; 4  · The proportion of cases listed for trial in which the defendant pleaded guilty on the day of trial increa  ");
array_files[56]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/CPS2.pdf","2012-01-28","345K"," untitled","","","UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON University of Leicester Evaluation of Domestic Violence Pilot Sites at Gwent and Croydon 2004/05 Interim Report Dee Cook Mandy Burton Amanda Robinson Jasmin Tregidga Christine Vallely SEPTEMBER 2004 CPS Crown Prosecution Service  List of Abbreviations and Glossary of Common Terms BAWSO CCI CCP CDVAS CJS CJU CMC CPD CPO CPS CRO D DPO DV DVFC DVO DVPP GCJB IDVC KI KI, CJ KI, VS LB LCJB MCS NEO NG PID PNCs PSR PTR SDVC SG ST SV VPS VS WS WCU WLMC WMP WSU WTH Black Association of Women Step Out Centre for Court Innovation Chief Crown Prosecutor Croydon Domestic Violence Advisory Service Criminal Justice System Criminal Justice Unit: this is a term that applies to both the Police and the CPS office that deals with a particular Magistrates Court area Croydon Magistrates Court Continuing Professional Development staff training and development Community Punishment Order Crown Prosecution Service Community Rehabilitation Order Defendant/Defence Designated Police Officer Domestic Violence Domestic Violence Forum Co-ordinator Domestic Violence Officer Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programme Gwent Criminal Justice Board Integrated Domestic Violence Court Key Informant (interview) Key Informant, criminal justice agency representative Key Informant, voluntary & community sector representative London Borough Local Criminal Justice Board Magistrates Court Service No Evidence Offered: this is where a case is listed for trial, but the prosecution has insufficient/no evidence to put before the court Not Guilty plea Project Initiation Document Police National Computer - computerised records of a persons previous convictions, impending convictions, previous custodial sentences, and previous reprimands/warnings/cautions Pre Sentence Report: this is a document prepared by the Probation Service, usually upon sentence, to assist the court in imposing the correct sentence on the offender Pre-Trial Review Specialist Domestic Violence Court: term used to describe the clustering of cases of domestic violence in Magistrates Courts Steering Group Standing Together Site Visit Victim Personal Statements Victim Support Witness Service Witness Care Unit West London Magistrates Court West Midlands Police Womens Safety Unit (Cardiff) Case Withdrawn and therefore ended  Contents Inside front cover Page 2 Page 5 Page 6 Page 13 Page 19 Page 25 Page 34 Inside Back Cover List of Abbreviations and Glossary of Common Terms Executive Summary 1. Introduction 2. Croydon 3. Gwent 4. Quantitative Data Analysis 5. Victim Perspectives 6. Summary and Recommendations Annex 1: CPS Success Outcomes and Measures for Croydon and Gwent Pilots Annex 2: Victims/Survivor Interviews and Focus Group: the sample Inside Back Cover 1  Executive Summary E.1. The two domestic violence pilot projects described here were established in the context of the two-year CPS Domestic Violence project which is itself geared to: narrowing the justice gap and reducing ineffective trials; increasing public confidence, including that of black and minority ethnic communities; and achieving value for money. The pilots were established in Gwent (a rural area in Wales, characterised by high social deprivation) and the ethnically diverse London Borough of Croydon. Whilst running concurrently (from January 2004 to January 2005), the two pilots focus on different issues, which are specified in the parameters for each below. (The CPSs success criteria for the pilots are detailed at Annex 1.) Evaluation Parameters ­ CROYDON · · · · Training ­ of CPS, Magistrates, Police Implementation ­ of the Inspectorate and Specialist Courts Reports Possibilities for improving sharing of Evaluation Parameters ­ GWENT · · · · · · Impact of employing a part-time CPS DV Co-ordinator and part-time administrator Use of advocate in a widely dispersed geographical area civil/criminal court information Use of advocates (including minority, ethnic advocates) to enhance victim support and participation Streamlined `Fast Track court system, similar to that used in Cardiff Involvement and sponsorship of Gwent Criminal Justice Board Possible work with · Partnership working with the Local Authority towards (a) provision of education, counselling groups for women and children; (b) Housing and Social Services staff attending the court. perpetrators group Costs of the court · Costs of the court E.2. In order to assess the extent to which these distinctive pilots meet the stated success criteria, a range of methods are to be used in this one-year evaluation, including: · Describing the sites and their operation: by analysing existing documentation, undertaking regular site visits and conducting (repeated) interviews with key informants, both in the early stages of the pilots and then again one year on. Ascertaining the costs and benefits of the courts, in terms of initial set-up and on-going costs, through examination of existing data, monitoring at both sites and supplementary interviews with key informants. Documenting levels of victim satisfaction and safety: through undertaking two sets of interviews and focus groups with DV victims and survivors at both sites (at Phase 1 of both projects and then one year on). Statistical analysis of CPS case files from both courts: using both summary monthly monitoring forms (at Phase 1) and comprehensive file coding instruments (one year on). · · · E.3. Within this framework, this Interim Report seeks to summarise the evidence and issues emerging from the first Phase of this evaluation (to June 2004) and so constitutes a baseline study which will be used both to indicate progress thus far, and to act as a benchmark against which to evaluate the final projects, one year on. It also seeks to contribute towards the development of both pilot sites by offering preliminary recommendations for action geared to enhancing the success of both courts as they enter the second half of the pilot phase. 2  Our analyses of quantitative monitoring data collected at Croydon and Gwent indicated that positive and significant changes in policy and practice have already occurred at both sites after only a few months: E.4. · · · · · The workload of the courts has increased in both sites - in Gwent by approximately one-third and in Croydon it doubled. Referrals to advocates also are increasing. Croydon has significantly reduced its levels of withdrawals before trial (from 25% to 6%) in part due to a reduction in victim retractions (from 15% to 6%). Gwent has significantly reduced the proportion of cases where prosecutors offer No Evidence at trial (from 56% to 6%). In both sites, bindovers were rarely used (1 per site during the 8-month period). Both sites have comparable proportions of DV perpetrators brought to justice (58% in Croydon and 54% in Gwent). However, due to a large case backlog, Croydon had a larger proportion in the pre-SDVC period (64% compared to 55% post-SDVC), while the implementation of the Gwent SDVC saw an increase from 43% pre-SDVC to 63% post-SDVC. In terms of sentencing, both sites increased their use of community penalties. Both sites have made strides towards better monitoring of children being taken into consideration as victims and witnesses, civil orders, and ethnic diversity of defendants and victims, though there is much more to be done. The exercise of gathering the monitoring data analysed in this Report has also led to improvements at both sites in monitoring and data-gathering protocols and practices. · · · We therefore recommend that all SDVC partners play their part in ensuring the timely collection of accurate, comprehensive data throughout Phase 2 of the project and beyond, so that it can continue to inform and enhance policy and practice. E.5. Our research thus far has also identified positive changes from the victim/survivor perspective. Analyses of pre- and post-pilot victim views at both sites show: · · · · A marked increase in victim satisfaction following the launch of the SDVC pilots. A significant and positive impact made by advocates and advocacy groups. An increase in numbers of victims being offered pre-court visits. Improvements in the accommodation provided at court, which was valued by victims. E.6. Building on this success, we recommend that the following outstanding issues relating to victims/survivors should be closely monitored at both sites: · · · · Information flows to victims (particularly on case progression and court procedures). Information sharing at the criminal/civil interface. A more consistent approach to taking Victim Personal Statements (VPSs). While the pilots are gradually having a positive impact on victim satisfaction, there remain negative responses to the CPS (often because of lack of clarity about the CPS role), with a perceived need for greater support and consistency. More consistency in use of special measures, enhancing victim confidence and safety. Intimidation of victims remains an important problem, which needs to be addressed. There is also a problem following case completion, where victims feel they lack both information and support: continuity of support from the incident itself to after care in the community needs to be addressed in partnership. · · · 3  E.7. Site visits, observations and key informant interviews at both Croydon and Gwent support the findings and recommendations outlined above and, in addition, raised the following site-specific issues, which would further enhance the projects success in Phase 2 and beyond: Croydon: we recommend attention is paid to the identified need to: · · · · · · Provide all DV victims with an identified sole contact to enhance consistency and continuity of information and support. State a clear delineation of the objectives and roles of individuals within the criminal SDVC and IDVC, to enhance the transparency and effectiveness of partnership working. Secure funding for the court for the SDVC (for monitoring, and to improve court facilities). Seek clarification of the referral procedure to the support agencies to take into account the concerns of VS regarding working boundaries and practices. Immediately implement better administrative structures and more effective working practices for all pa  ");
array_files[57]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/CPS1.pdf","2012-01-28","1880K"," Domestic Courts book","","","rri Evaluation of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts/ Fast Track Systems Dee Cook Mandy Burton Amanda Robinson Christine Vallely March 2004  Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the representatives from all five sites of the Crown Prosecution Service, the Police, the Magistrates Courts Service, Witness Service, Derby City Partnership, Leeds Inter-Agency Partnership, Cardiff Womens Safety Unit, Standing Together, HALT, ADVANCE, Eaves, West Yorkshire Probation Service, Wolverhampton Criminal Justice Support Services Co-ordinator and The Haven. This study could not have been completed without the cooperation and efforts of CPS staff and prosecutors who, on top of their already busy schedules, assisted with data collection. We are very grateful to all those at the agencies listed above for their time and their views. We should also like to thank our research assistants Jasmin Tregidga, Anna Clancy, Kulbir Kaur and Angela Morgan for their work in coding and entering the data from the CPS files. List of Abbreviations and Common Terms ABH ­ it is an offence under s.47 Offences Against the Person Act 1861 to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Advocates/advocacy support: Through victim support workers Bail ­ Period of adjournment. Can be imposed by the Court and the Police. Can be conditional or unconditional. Bindover ­ specify a sum of money over a specific period of time that requires defendants to keep the peace CJU ­ Criminal Justice Unit. This is a term that applies to both the Police and the CPS office that deals with a particular Magistrates Court area. CJS ­ Criminal Justice System Cracked trial ­ This is a case, which has been set down for trial, but the case has been terminated on the day of trial. Reasons include: a late guilty plea accepted on the day by the prosecutor; a bind-over; an offer of no evidence by the prosecutor; absence of witness. The case will not be adjourned and is dismissed. CPS ­ Crown Prosecution Service D ­ Defendant/Defence DCP ­ Derby City Partnership DCV letter-direct communication with victims. This is the letter that must be sent to all victims of crime, where the CPS either substantially alter the charge or discontinue a case. DISCON ­ Case discontinued, by the Prosecution, by means of a formal letter giving notice to defence and the court. DNA ­ did not attend. Indicates that someone did not come to Court, when they should have. DSM ­ Case dismissed. This can happen either after the case has gone only halfway or after a full trial. DV ­ domestic violence EAH ­ Early Administrative Hearing. This is a case where a not guilty plea is anticipated. EFH ­ Early First Hearing. This is a case where a guilty plea is anticipated. FTS ­ Fast Track System, used in Cardiff to describe their procedures for processing domestic violence cases. HALT ­ Help Advice and the Law Team (Leeds) Ineffective trial ­ when, on the date of trial, the case cannot proceed and is adjourned to another date. Reasons include prosecution or defence not ready, witnesses for either side (including the defendant) absent, lack of court time. Evaluation of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts/Fast Track Systems Page 1  KI ­ key informant (interview) LDVCC ­ Leeds Domestic Violence Cluster Court LIAP ­ Leeds Inter-Agency Partnership MCS ­ Magistrates Court Service NEO ­ No Evidence Offered. This is where a case is listed for trial, but the Prosecution has insufficient/no evidence to put before the court. NG ­ Not guilty plea PNCs ­ computerised records of a persons previous convictions, impending convictions, previous custodial sentences, and previous reprimands/warnings/cautions. PSRs ­ Pre sentence reports. This is a document prepared by the Probation Service, usually upon sentence, to assist the court in imposing the correct sentence on the offender. PTR ­ Pre-Trial Review s.23 ­ of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (first hand hearsay principle), which permits the reading out in court of a statement made by a witness in certain circumstances (such as the witness is in fear). SDVC ­ specialist domestic violence court, used to describe the clustering of cases of domestic violence in a particular court room. ST ­ Standing Together SV ­ site visit SWP ­ South Wales Police V ­ Victim VPS ­ Victim Personal Statements WLMC ­ West London Magistrates Court WMP ­ West Midlands Police WTH ­ Case withdrawn and therefore ended. WSU - Womens Safety Unit (Cardiff) WYP ­ West Yorkshire Police List of Charts in text 4A Percentage of DV Incidents Resulting in Arrest 4B Percentage of DV Incidents with Repeat Victim 6A 6B 6C 6D 6E 6F 6G 6H 6I 6J 6K 6L 6M 6N 6O 6P 6Q Information on Womens Ethnicity Information on Mens Ethnicity Initial Charged Offences Initial Pleas by Defendants Attrition of Cases Received by the CPS Sentences Received by Offenders Evidence in Case Files Number of Previous Convictions Civil Orders in Place Matters Pending in Civil Court Children and Domestic Violence Initial Guilty Pleas, by Site Cases Sent to PTR, by Site No Evidence Offered (NEO) Rate, by Site Late Guilty Plea Rate, by Site Bindover Rate, by Site Victim Retraction, by Site Page 2 Evaluation of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts/Fast Track Systems  Overall, our research indicates the notable and positive benefits of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts and Fast Track Systems in three key ways: · Both `clustering and `fast-tracking DV cases enhances the effectiveness of court and support services for victims. · Both SDVC and FTS arrangements make advocacy and information-sharing easier to accomplish. · Victim participation and satisfaction is improved and thus public confidence in the CJS is increased. All the courts have created the infrastructure necessary for continued improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency in dealing with domestic violence cases Such courts enable the development of best practice in multi-agency, integrated ways of working that place the victim at the heart of the process. Evaluation of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts/Fast Track Systems Page 3  E Executive Summary Introduction E1. The evaluation of the effectiveness of specialist domestic violence courts needs to be addressed in the context of the dynamics of domestic violence, which is a complex problem, incorporating emotional and psychological abuse as well as crimes of a physical and/or sexual nature. Victims are often (understandably) reluctant to be witnesses in court because of their own relationship to the defendant and, in relationships where children are present, the defendants relationship with their children. They are almost always vulnerable and often intimidated. E2. The work of the criminal justice system (CJS) in addressing domestic violence needs to be evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in providing safety for victims, within a multiagency framework that works with victims, perpetrators and their children. Thus, the Governments Safety and Justice document addressed issues of prevention, protection and support. E3. Jurisdictions or communities that have taken the innovative step of setting up specialist courts should be commended, because they are enabling domestic violence to be tackled within a multi-agency framework designed with the specific needs of domestic violence victims in mind. In addition, they also help reinforce the seriousness of the commitment of CJS, statutory and voluntary agencies to reducing domestic violence. E4. The evaluation research reported here was commissioned by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). The Governments 2001 election manifesto included a commitment to consider whether specialist domestic violence courts would offer more effective protection for victims. This evaluation aims to assist the criminal and civil justice government agencies to judge the effectiveness of specialist courts and thereby help to inform the government policy debate as to whether and how specialist courts should be developed. E5. The research also forms a key part of the CPS two-year Domestic Violence Project, established in the summer of 2003. This project seeks to gather evidence on the efficacy of measures in relation to domestic violence cases that would: · Narrow the justice gap and reduce ineffective trials · Increase public confidence, including that of black and minority ethnic communities · Achieve value for money Research Methods E6. The research, carried out in November 2003 ­ January 2004, evaluated five models of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVC) or Fast Track Systems (FTS) in England and Wales, namely those at magistrates courts in: · Cardiff · Derby · Leeds · West London · Wolverhampton Evaluation of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts/Fast Track Systems Page 4  The five courts are at very different stages of their development ­ one (Derby) being in operation for six months, and another (Leeds) for four years. Police data indicate widely varying case loads ­ ranging from 99 domestic violence arrests in one site (West London) over a 3-month period to 853 in another (Leeds) over the same period. They also operate in very different spatial and organisational contexts. E7. The evaluation adopted a mixed method approach, designed to meet the wide ranging project aims and objectives. Although the research process was reflective and iterative, with regular research team discussions and much learning from the process itself, there were three broad components of the evaluation: · Mini-literature review of relevant literature from the US, Canada and UK · Qualitative information including analysis of existing reports, site visits, interviews with key informants, process maps for each site, and information about costs and benefits of differing SDVC/FTS models, where available. · Quantitative analysis of CPS files for all sites for one comparable period: August ­ October 2003. Overview E8. A review of relevant literature on specialist courts identified their core components as: · Access to advocacy services. · Coordination of partners. · Victim and child friendly court. · Specialist personnel. · Even handed treatment. · Integrated information systems. · Evaluation and accountability. · Protocols for   ");
array_files[58]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/caada-consultation-responses.html","2012-01-28","17K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CAADA consultation responses","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - CAADA consultation responses CAADA consultation responses Ministry of Justice - Proposal for the reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales: February 2011 The 2011 Ministry of Justice consultation invited views on proposals for the reform of legal aid in England and Wales.The proposals represent a radical and wide-ranging programme of reform, many of which would have an implication for victims of violence and their families. Read the original consultation document Read CAADAs formal consultation response Home Office - Together We can End Violence against Women and Girls Strategy: November 2009 The 2009 Home Office consultation looked at the action that Government has taken to tackle all forms of violence against women and girls. The proposals build on a programme of action that Government has delivered to tackle sexual violence and transform the way the Criminal Justice System deals with domestic and sexual violence. Home Office information about the strategy Read CAADAs formal consultation response Back to Policy and research If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[59]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/policy/about-the-research-and-evaluation-team.html","2012-01-28","21K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - About the Research and Evaluation Team","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - About the Research and Evaluation Team About the Research and Evaluation Team The Research and Evaluation Team has four core purposes: To support frontline domestic abuse services, commissioners and funders to measure and communicate the impact they have on clients accessing their services. To contribute to the UK evidence base examining what works to keep victims of domestic abuse and their children safer. To collate, quality assure and analyse MARAC performance data. To evaluate the effectiveness of CAADA’s own programmes and services, with a view to ensuring high standards, relevance and impact for those that access them. The Research and Evaluation Team is made up of the Director of Strategy and Development Victoria Hill, Head of Research and Evaluation Amanda Kilroy, Research Analyst Louise Stimpson, Research Analyst Jessica Nevins and MARAC Data Analyst Nanya Coles. Victoria Hill, Director of Strategy and Development Joining CAADA In November 2009, Victoria set up and now leads our growing research and evaluation team. Victoria is a qualified accountant and has worked for KPMG, Sainsbury’s and as a management consultant in the not-for-profit sector. She has expertise in research, service design and cost benefit analysis. She is also a trustee for StreetGames, a national charity which develops sport with disadvantaged communities and makes sport accessible to young people, regardless of their social circumstances. Jill Prodenchuk, London Development Manager Jill brings to the team her wealth of experience as a practitioner in the domestic violence sector, having worked in Canada and the UK as an IDVA and deputy program manager. She has been with CAADA since 2009, spending the first 2 years in the MARAC Quality Assurance Team. Prior to joining CAADA Jill worked as an Advocacy Officer for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and completed an MA in Gender Studies from SOAS, University of London. Jill’s role is to strengthen voluntary sector domestic violence services in London by promoting and supporting the implementation of the Leading Lights quality assurance framework and Insights Service. Louise Stimpson, Research Analyst Louise has a degree in psychology, a post graduate diploma in research methods and a Masters of Research. She has extensive experience in quantitative research and evaluation methods from her time in academia and her roles as a research consultant and research analyst. Louise is co-author of Safety in Numbers and is project managing the systemisation of our CAADA Insights service. She manages the quality and validity of the data, the training of practitioners and the production and dissemination of data reports. In addition to this, Louise is responsible for the management of the CAADA Insights service tools and technical resources within the department. Jessica Nevins, Research Analyst Jessica graduated from the University of Bristol in 2009 with a degree in Economics. She has experience in research and data management from her roles as a Research Support Officer for the Welsh Assembly Government and as a Business Data Analyst for AXA UK. Jessica provides methodological, analytical and administrative support to the Research and Evaluation Team. Since joining CAADA in April 20-11, Jessica has developed the CAADA Insights Service data management systems, improving the accessibility of Management Information to the team. She also provides ongoing support to frontline practitioners using the CAADA Insights Service. Nanya Coles, MARAC Data Analyst Nanya joined CAADA in June 2011, and is responsible for collecting and analysing data from around 250 MARACs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Nanya has a Sociology degree and is an experienced researcher and information analyst. Susan Reynolds, Data Support Officer Susan joined CAADA in November 2011. She is responsible for the logging, input and validation of data, and reporting on the progress of CAADA Insights services. Susan graduated from the University of the West of England in 2011 with a degree in psychology. For more information on the Insights team please email insights@caada.org.uk or alternatively contact Victoria Hill, Director of Strategy and Development on 0117 317 8750. Back to Policy and research If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[60]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/Saving_lives_saving_money_FINAL_VERSION.pdf","2012-01-28","1019K","Saving_lives_saving_money_FINAL_VERSION.pdf","","","I received so much support because of the MARAC. Without it, Id still be in a violent relationship now. - Debbie, 46 yrs old Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse  Contents Saving lives: Why you should read on How MARACs work Debbies story Jennifers story 3 4 6 7 Saving money: National gross savings - Ł740m Who benefits most The future 8 10 11 A full cost benefit analysis, references and bibliography for this booklet are available at http://www.caada.org.uk/research/research.html ©CAADA 2010. Registered charity number 1106864. Written by CAADA staff. New Philanthropy Capital has reviewed and verified the cost benefit calculations in this document. Design and print by Fresh Communications. CAADA would like to thank IDVA staff at WORTH services for their assistance in compiling this booklet, as well as the brave women who supported our work by relaying their personal experiences. We hope this booklet succeeds in strengthening support for high risk victims across the UK. Disclaimer The content of this publication is provided for general information only. All statements made in this publication are made in good faith on the basis of CAADAs past experience and (where applicable) the assumptions referred to. Although it is CAADAs belief that the MARAC system furthers CAADAs objective of saving lives and saving public money, CAADA will not accept any liability (to the fullest extent permitted at law) for any errors or omissions in the statements and information contained in this publication or for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience arising as a consequence of any use of or reliance on any such statement or information.  Saving lives Why you should read on A new way of working is transforming the lives of some of the most vulnerable victims of domestic abuse in the UK today. Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) are voluntary meetings where information on the highest risk cases is shared between local agencies. By bringing all agencies involved in a case together to share information, a co-ordinated safety plan can be put together more quickly and effectively. The key reasons MARACs matter are: 1) Early analysis shows that following intervention by a MARAC and an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor* (IDVA) service, upto60%ofdomestic abusevictimsreportnofurtherviolence. 2) ForeveryŁ1spentonMARACs,atleast Ł6ofpublicmoneycanbesavedannually on direct costs to agencies such as the police and health services. This would save Ł740m to the public purse. MARACs save both lives and money. But the job is far from complete. Domestic abuse facts: too common and too costly 1) An average of two women are killed every week as a result of domestic abuse. 2) An estimated minimum of 120,000 victims every year are at risk of being seriously harmed or killed by domestic abuse. 3) 70% of high risk victims have children. 4) Domestic abuse costs the tax payer an estimated Ł3.9bn per year and high risk domestic abuse makes up nearly Ł2.4bn of this. * IDVAs are professional advisors that work alongside high risk victims to assess their level of risk, discuss suitable options and develop safety plans. MARACs: more to achieve The impact of MARACs since 2006 is remarkable, but there is more to be achieved: 1) There are now over 220 MARACs across England and Wales. This is still less than the estimated 300 needed nationally. 2) Last year less than a quarter of the people who we estimate needed to access MARACs were able to do so. 3) One third of all cases were identified by IDVAs, health practitioners and others. These cases were either not known to police or were not seen as being high risk. Please read this guide, find out how MARACs really work, consider their implications for your professional work and your friends and family. Then please get in touch to find out more. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse 03  Saving lives How MARACs work At the heart of a MARAC is a 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. This is because domestic abuse takes place behind closed doors and presents itself to the outside world in many ways: through calls to the police, through visits to A&E, through calls to domestic violence helplines, through poor child attendance at school, and through friends. Agencies prioritise cases for MARAC based on risk, and only the highest risk victims are referred. The victim does not attend the meeting but is represented by an IDVA. After sharing all relevant information on a victim, the meeting then discusses options for increasing her/his safety and turns this into an action plan. The diagram below shows how the meeting works in practice: An illustrative example - Neela* MARAC REFERRAL FORM Victim name and address: Neela Patel, 15 Hillside Road, Anytown, Anywhere, England DOB: 12.07.1976 Ethnicity: Asian (Indian) Children: 1 girl (7 years), 2 boys (4 and 2 years) Perpetrator name and address: Pritesh Patel, see above address Referring agency: Anytown Hospital Comments: Neela has attended Anytown Hospital on a number of occasions with injuries. The A&E nurse assessed her risk using a CAADA Domestic Abuse Risk Identification Checklist, called the local IDVA service to arrange support and made a referral to MARAC. Police Reports that they received repeated calls from neighbours because of disturbances at Neelas address. All recorded as verbal disputes. The police were unaware of A&E attendances. Health visitor service Shares that Neela has visited her GP about anxiety and panic attacks. Toddler very clingy. A+B Asian womens service Reveals that Neela has approached the outreach service in the past for support. Was offered refuge space but Neela didnt feel comfortable leaving her home. A+B Education Reports that Neelas daughter has had a high number of unauthorised absences from school and has been very anxious. 04 Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse  Saving lives * NB CAADA is unable to provide a real case study to illustrate the MARAC process as information shared remains highly confidential even after a case has closed. For real case studies (where identities have been changed) turn to pages 6 and 7. A SAFETY PLAN FOR NEELA · Police agree to flag Neelas address to ensure a speedy response in the event of a call out. A specialist police officer will offer support if she contacts the police in future. · The IDVA agrees to offer Neela assistance with organising an appointment with a solicitor to explore civil injunctions. She will liaise with A+B Neela about the actions agreed at MARAC, and with other agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach. · Housing agree to change Neelas locks and make her home safer if she pursues a civil injunction. · The Asian womens outreach service agree to prioritise support for Neela. · A&E agree to flag Neelas files to ensure that staff are informed and offer treatment in a separate area from her husband if she attends again. · Children and Young Peoples Service agree to reassess the risks facing the children. · Education agree to provide extra emotional support to the children. · Every agency agrees to note that Neelas husband isnt aware of her disclosure. Housing Does not have information to share as Neela lives in a privately-owned home. IDVA service Shares that Neela spoke to an IDVA. Neela disclosed eight years of physical and sexual abuse; she also has to account for all her movements and spending. Neela was extremely worried about receiving help. She isnt comfortable making a complaint to the police but has expressed an interest in getting help through the civil courts. Children and Young Peoples Services Does not have information to share; were aware of police callouts, but had closed the case after an initial assessment. Results of the safety plan Working with the IDVA, Neela gains injunctions to prevent her husband from contacting the family or accessing the family home. Should her husband contact the family again, the police now have the power to arrest him. Neela and her children feel a lot safer. She continues to receive support from the IDVA and Asian womens outreach service and is filing for divorce. A&E Discloses that Neela had attended A&E on five occasions in the last year; on one date Neelas A+B daughter was treated for a fractured wrist. A&E were unaware of police callouts. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse 05  Saving lives Debbies story* For 46 year old Debbie and her six children, enduring severe violence had become a way of life. She and her family were regularly beaten by her husband over a period of 18 years. On one occasion her husband had strangled her and threatened her with a knife. The children were terrified of their father, and they were all regularly told theyd be killed if they sought outside help. Unaware of the help that was available to her, Debbie didnt tell anyone about the abuse. She believed her husband would kill her if she reached out for help. She was also extremely worried that her children would be put into care. Exhausted with anxiety and depression, she talked to her GP, who referred her case to WORTH IDVA service in West Sussex. The IDVA contacted Debbie that morning, began working immediately on addressing her safety and just eleven days later, Debbies case was discussed at the local MARAC. A variety of actions came out of the MARAC meeting. The police undertook an investigation into the behaviour of Debbies husband. The IDVA assisted Debbie with gaining an occupation order and a nonmolestation order through the civil courts to prevent her husband from contacting the family. This prevented him from attending the childrens schools. Both the police and fire service flagged Debbies file, so that in the event of an incident, they would be able to respond more effectively. Finally, a home fire safety check was carried out, extra security fitted and a panic alarm added to the property. Debbie has now started divorce proceedings. She believes that without the help of her local MARAC and IDVA, she and her family would still be living with s  ");
array_files[61]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/Saving_lives_saving_money_FINAL_REFERENCED_VERSION.pdf","2012-01-28","1022K","Saving_lives_saving_money_FINAL_REFERENCED_VERSION.pdf","","","I received so much support because of the MARAC. Without it, Id still be in a violent relationship now. - Debbie, 46 yrs old Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse  Contents Saving lives: Why you should read on How MARACs work Debbies story Jennifers story 3 4 6 7 Saving money: National gross savings - Ł740m Who benefits most The future 8 10 11 A full cost benefit analysis, references and bibliography for this booklet are available at http://www.caada.org.uk/research/research.html ©CAADA 2010. Registered charity number 1106864. Written by CAADA staff. New Philanthropy Capital has reviewed and verified the cost benefit calculations in this document. Design and print by Fresh Communications. CAADA would like to thank IDVA staff at WORTH services for their assistance in compiling this booklet, as well as the brave women who supported our work by relaying their personal experiences. We hope this booklet succeeds in strengthening support for high risk victims across the UK. Disclaimer The content of this publication is provided for general information only. All statements made in this publication are made in good faith on the basis of CAADAs past experience and (where applicable) the assumptions referred to. Although it is CAADAs belief that the MARAC system furthers CAADAs objective of saving lives and saving public money, CAADA will not accept any liability (to the fullest extent permitted at law) for any errors or omissions in the statements and information contained in this publication or for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience arising as a consequence of any use of or reliance on any such statement or information.  Saving lives Why you should read on A new way of working is transforming the lives of some of the most vulnerable victims of domestic abuse in the UK today. Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) are voluntary meetings where information on the highest risk cases is shared between local agencies. By bringing all agencies involved in a case together to share information, a co-ordinated safety plan can be put together more quickly and effectively. The key reasons MARACs matter are: 1) Early analysis shows that following intervention by a MARAC and an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor* (IDVA) service, upto60%ofdomestic abusevictimsreportnofurtherviolence.1 2) ForeveryŁ1spentonMARACs,atleast Ł6ofpublicmoneycanbesavedannually on direct costs to agencies such as the police and health services. This would save Ł740m to the public purse.2 MARACs save both lives and money. But the job is far from complete. Domestic abuse facts: too common and too costly 1) An average of two women are killed every week as a result of domestic abuse.3 2) An estimated minimum of 120,000 victims every year are at risk of being seriously harmed or killed by domestic abuse.4 3) 70% of high risk victims have children.5 4) Domestic abuse costs the tax payer an estimated Ł3.9bn per year and high risk domestic abuse makes up nearly Ł2.4bn of this.6 * IDVAs are professional advisors that work alongside high risk victims to assess their level of risk, discuss suitable options and develop safety plans. MARACs: more to achieve The impact of MARACs since 2006 is remarkable, but there is more to be achieved: 1) There are now over 220 MARACs across England and Wales. This is still less than the estimated 300 needed nationally. 2) Last year less than a quarter of the people who we estimate needed to access MARACs were able to do so.7 3) One third of all cases were identified by IDVAs, health practitioners and others. These cases were either not known to police or were not seen as being high risk.8 Please read this guide, find out how MARACs really work, consider their implications for your professional work and your friends and family. Then please get in touch to find out more. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse 03  Saving lives How MARACs work At the heart of a MARAC is a 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. This is because domestic abuse takes place behind closed doors and presents itself to the outside world in many ways: through calls to the police, through visits to A&E, through calls to domestic violence helplines, through poor child attendance at school, and through friends. Agencies prioritise cases for MARAC based on risk, and only the highest risk victims are referred. The victim does not attend the meeting but is represented by an IDVA. After sharing all relevant information on a victim, the meeting then discusses options for increasing her/his safety and turns this into an action plan. The diagram below shows how the meeting works in practice: An illustrative example - Neela* MARAC REFERRAL FORM Victim name and address: Neela Patel, 15 Hillside Road, Anytown, Anywhere, England DOB: 12.07.1976 Ethnicity: Asian (Indian) Children: 1 girl (7 years), 2 boys (4 and 2 years) Perpetrator name and address: Pritesh Patel, see above address Referring agency: Anytown Hospital Comments: Neela has attended Anytown Hospital on a number of occasions with injuries. The A&E nurse assessed her risk using a CAADA Domestic Abuse Risk Identification Checklist, called the local IDVA service to arrange support and made a referral to MARAC. Police Reports that they received repeated calls from neighbours because of disturbances at Neelas address. All recorded as verbal disputes. The police were unaware of A&E attendances. Health visitor service Shares that Neela has visited her GP about anxiety and panic attacks. Toddler very clingy. A+B Asian womens service Reveals that Neela has approached the outreach service in the past for support. Was offered refuge space but Neela didnt feel comfortable leaving her home. A+B Education Reports that Neelas daughter has had a high number of unauthorised absences from school and has been very anxious. 04 Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse  Saving lives * NB CAADA is unable to provide a real case study to illustrate the MARAC process as information shared remains highly confidential even after a case has closed. For real case studies (where identities have been changed) turn to pages 6 and 7. A SAFETY PLAN FOR NEELA · Police agree to flag Neelas address to ensure a speedy response in the event of a call out. A specialist police officer will offer support if she contacts the police in future. · The IDVA agrees to offer Neela assistance with organising an appointment with a solicitor to explore civil injunctions. She will liaise with A+B Neela about the actions agreed at MARAC, and with other agencies to ensure a co-ordinated approach. · Housing agree to change Neelas locks and make her home safer if she pursues a civil injunction. · The Asian womens outreach service agree to prioritise support for Neela. · A&E agree to flag Neelas files to ensure that staff are informed and offer treatment in a separate area from her husband if she attends again. · Children and Young Peoples Service agree to reassess the risks facing the children. · Education agree to provide extra emotional support to the children. · Every agency agrees to note that Neelas husband isnt aware of her disclosure. Housing Does not have information to share as Neela lives in a privately-owned home. IDVA service Shares that Neela spoke to an IDVA. Neela disclosed eight years of physical and sexual abuse; she also has to account for all her movements and spending. Neela was extremely worried about receiving help. She isnt comfortable making a complaint to the police but has expressed an interest in getting help through the civil courts. Children and Young Peoples Services Does not have information to share; were aware of police callouts, but had closed the case after an initial assessment. Results of the safety plan Working with the IDVA, Neela gains injunctions to prevent her husband from contacting the family or accessing the family home. Should her husband contact the family again, the police now have the power to arrest him. Neela and her children feel a lot safer. She continues to receive support from the IDVA and Asian womens outreach service and is filing for divorce. A&E Discloses that Neela had attended A&E on five occasions in the last year; on one date Neelas A+B daughter was treated for a fractured wrist. A&E were unaware of police callouts. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse 05  Saving lives Debbies story* For 46 year old Debbie and her six children, enduring severe violence had become a way of life. She and her family were regularly beaten by her husband over a period of 18 years. On one occasion her husband had strangled her and threatened her with a knife. The children were terrified of their father, and they were all regularly told theyd be killed if they sought outside help. Unaware of the help that was available to her, Debbie didnt tell anyone about the abuse. She believed her husband would kill her if she reached out for help. She was also extremely worried that her children would be put into care. Exhausted with anxiety and depression, she talked to her GP, who referred her case to WORTH IDVA service in West Sussex. The IDVA contacted Debbie that morning, began working immediately on addressing her safety and just eleven days later, Debbies case was discussed at the local MARAC. A variety of actions came out of the MARAC meeting. The police undertook an investigation into the behaviour of Debbies husband. The IDVA assisted Debbie with gaining an occupation order and a nonmolestation order through the civil courts to prevent her husband from contacting the family. This prevented him from attending the childrens schools. Both the police and fire service flagged Debbies file, so that in the event of an incident, they would be able to respond more effectively. Finally, a home fire safety check was carried out, extra security fitted and a panic alarm added to the property. Debbie has now started divorce proceedings. She believes that without the help of her local MARAC and IDVA, she and her family would still be livin  ");
array_files[62]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-releases.html","2012-01-28","22K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press releases","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press releases Press releases Click here to access our press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Wednesday 14th December 2011 Re. Government consultation to change the definition of domestic violence Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA said: “Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) welcomes a Home Office consultation on the current definition of domestic violence. In particular we warmly welcome proposals to amend the definition to include a reference to coercive control. “The current Home Office definition of domestic violence refers to “any incident” of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse, whether this is psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional. But this definition does not reflect the reality of the experience for the victim. Domestic violence is not a one off incident, it is typically a pattern of behaviour exerted by one person to control another. The degree of control is linked to the likelihood of murder or serious harm.” “We know from our work with high risk domestic abuse services that a defining feature of the most dangerous domestic violence cases is controlling behaviour, and that this behaviour is exhibited by abusers more frequently than other types of abuse. By changing the definition we will shine a light on the many victims who are constantly being controlled by their partners, and who may not realise that they are living with domestic abuse, but who are nonetheless at risk of serious harm or homicide. Furthermore, we can raise the significance of this control in Family Court cases involving contact and residency of children.” “We also support an extension of the current definition to include young people under the age of 18, particularly for those between the ages of 16 and 18 years old, as there is a clear need for support in this area. A recent NSPCC study also shows that 11 per cent of girls (one in nine) and four per cent of boys claimed some form of severe physical violence from a partner. [1] It is therefore essential that specialist domestic violence advisors are funded to work with victims of all ages. Our data shows that the average case load of specialist advisors is about twice the recommended level, and suitable support for young people – both victims and their abusers - is very scarce.” [1] http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/research/findings/partner_exploitation_and_violence_wda68092.html Notes to editors: About CAADA: Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) is a national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. CAADA provides practical tools, training, guidance, quality assurance, policy and data insight to support professionals and organisations working with domestic abuse victims. An estimated ten per cent of domestic abuse victims are at risk of murder or serious harm every year. By protecting the highest risk victims and their children, our work focuses on saving lives and saving public money. To date, CAADA has trained and provided policy support to over 200 Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs). A MARAC is a regular, voluntary partnership meeting where information on the highest risk domestic abuse cases is shared between local agencies. Since 2007, CAADA has also trained over 1000 Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs). For more information or interviews with Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA, please contact Samantha Brown, Head of Communications on 0117 317 8750 or 07935 268427. Email samantha.brown@caada.org.uk or visit www.caada.org.uk Press release archive October 2011: Re. Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme consultation on proposed ‘Clares Law October 2011: A manifesto for family justice: alliance of interest groups calls on government to change plans June 2011: CAADA Chief Executive Diana Barran awarded MBE June 2011: Home Office and CAADA pledge four year support for Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences April 2011: CAADA’s response to the launch of domestic violence homicide reviews March 2011: The perfect storm: funding cuts to domestic abuse charities and other public services will leave thousands of victims at risk of severe harm November 2010: Coalition Government announcement on the Call to End Violence against Women and Girls Strategy March 2010: Multi-agency support to tackle severe domestic abuse could save £740 million a year to the public purse November 2009: CAADA’s response to the launch of Together we can end violence against women and girls: a strategy November 2009: CAADA’s response to the launch of Safety in Numbers: a multi-site evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services Back to News If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[63]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-7-6-2011.html","2012-01-28","22K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - four year support for MARACs","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - four year support for MARACs Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Tuesday 7th June, 2011 Home Office and CAADA pledge four year support for Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences Victims of high risk domestic abuse will receive improved support as a result of a new, four year development programme for Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) (1), funded by the Home Office and delivered by national domestic abuse charity Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA). The programme builds on four years of work to establish a national network of 250 MARACs across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the past year alone these MARACs reviewed 40,000 high risk domestic abuse cases. Early analysis shows that following intervention by a MARAC and an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) (2), up to 60% of domestic abuse victims report no further violence (3). CAADAs ‘first phase implementation programme included training over 3,000 multi-agency professionals across statutory and voluntary agencies, and completing quality assurance assessments for over 150 MARACs. The new programme aims to strengthen and embed initial implementation work through the piloting of regional MARAC Development Officers, who will work closely with MARACs to offer tailored, local support. Intensive regular workshops, data analysis, the provision of a development plan and a helpdesk service will all be provided by the regional Officers, who will be based in the North West, South East and London for the duration of the pilot. From July 2012, national coverage will be provided. In addition to specific regional support, the programme will continue to provide quality assurance services to MARACs, as well as new resources, policy briefings and materials to practitioners. Regional partnerships such as Safeguarding Boards and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships will receive regular information about MARACs in their area. CAADA will also provide the National MARAC Steering Group and the Home Office with an overview of the development of MARACs across England and Wales, including quarterly updates with qualitative and quantitative analysis. Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Home Office on the delivery of the new MARAC Development Programme. MARACs have genuinely transformed the choices and support available to victims of severe domestic abuse and their children. The participation of the full range of statutory and voluntary sector agencies in these cases marks a major step forward in addressing the most serious cases of domestic abuse in the most resource effective way – saving lives and saving money.” Debbie (4), a survivor of severe domestic abuse who was supported by her local MARAC said: “My husband was a real Jekyll and Hyde character. As well as physical abuse, he told me that he would kill me and the kids if I ever left him. This made me terrified of leaving, so for 18 years I stayed.” “Id never have been able to move on in my life without the package of support that was offered to me through the MARAC and IDVA service. All the agencies did everything they could to make our lives safer – they supported the children in school, made our home more secure, the police undertook a criminal investigation, I was encouraged to get injunctions to prevent him from contacting me, fire safety checks were undertaken – the works. I would have left him years ago had I known that this support was available. Were now living a life that is free from violence and were a lot happier as a result.” ENDS (1) MARACs are voluntary meetings where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases between local public and voluntary agencies, such as health agencies, the police and Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) services. After sharing relevant information about a victim, the meeting then discusses options for increasing their safety, and turns this into an action plan. (2) Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) are specialist case workers who focus on working predominantly with high risk victims. They work from the point of crisis on an intensive, short to medium term basis. They represent the victim at MARAC and co-ordinate the response of the wide range of MARAC agencies who might be involved in a case, including those working with perpetrators and children. (3) CAADA collects data from over 224 MARACs nationally and in particular has scrutinised the repeat victimisation statistics in more detail for those MARACs going through the CAADA Quality Assurance process. This confirms that at an average of six months after the MARAC meeting, circa 60% of victims had not reported a repeat incident of violence, threats of violence, sexual abuse, stalking or harassment. See also Robinson, A. (2004) Domestic Violence MARACs (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences) for Very High-Risk Victims in Cardiff, Wales: A Process and Outcome Evaluation. Cardiff: University of Cardiff. (4) To protect identities, names have been changed. Notes to editors: - For requests for interviews, case studies or further information, please contact Samantha Brown on 0117 3178750, 07935 268427, samantha.brown@caada.org.uk Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[64]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-5-3-2011.html","2012-01-28","25K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - funding cuts to domestic abuse charities","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - funding cuts to domestic abuse charities Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Saturday 5th March, 2011 The perfect storm: funding cuts to domestic abuse charities and other public services will leave thousands of victims at risk of severe harm National charity Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) has warned today that tens of thousands of domestic abuse victims and their children are at risk of severe harm after March as a result of funding cuts to local services. CAADA says a reduction in funding from central to local government, combined with a de-prioritisation of domestic abuse support by some local authorities, is resulting in services facing large cuts or closure. Together with cuts to other universal services such as the police, health and social services and legal aid, the charity says the situation could result in an increase in domestic abuse homicides and escalating costs to the public purse. Information from a sample of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) services, which collectively support over 13,000 victims, almost 3000 of which are deemed at high risk of harm, show services are facing funding cuts of between 23% and 100% (1). In the run up to the 100 th year anniversary of International Womens Day, CAADA is urging local authorities and health commissioners to think creatively about pooling health and criminal justice budgets, to ensure that the most vulnerable victims in our society continue to get help. Before the intervention of a specialist IDVA service, it costs an estimated £20,000 per year to support each victim of high risk violence. This figure consists of direct costs to health, social services and criminal justice agencies (2). Without specialist support, it will cost the public purse £60 million per year to support the high risk victims helped by this sample of IDVA services alone. A reduction in grants made by local authorities is resulting in many IDVA services facing large cuts. CAADA is also warning that proposed legal aid cuts, reductions in police and social services budgets and the closure of other local community support services are likely to leave victims even more vulnerable to severe harm. Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA said: “Domestic abuse victims are facing a perfect storm. Not only are they losing the specialist domestic abuse services they so desperately need, but cuts to many universal services and the proposed changes to legal aid will leave many victims and children without a safety net. This situation will endanger lives, and the cost to the public purse is also certain to increase.” “IDVA services are experts at working in partnership to deliver cost effective services. The current climate, and in particular the governments focus on public health issues, gives us a real opportunity to pool health and criminal justice budgets, to create a better response to victims and their children.” Rosie Jacklin, IDVA Manager at North Nottinghamshire Independent Domestic Abuse Services (NNIDAS) said: “I feel that our services are being compromised as a result of the cuts we are facing. There was another serious incident in Mansfield last week and I have major concerns that there will now be an increase in women suffering serious or fatal injuries. The current economic situation is increasing the pressure on already fragile relationships and requests to our services are higher than ever at a time when funding is being reduced.” Gerry Lejeune OBE, Director of Berkshire East and South Bucks Womens Aid said: “The cuts are a devastating blow to our charity which is seeing a marked increase in the levels of abuse suffered by victims who contact us for support. We are working very hard to restructure our charity in-line with the cuts but we are concerned about the future and very worried that we will not be able to sustain the level of service once the cuts take full effect. My concern is also that we will lose fully trained, fully skilled experts in the field of domestic abuse whose contribution and knowledge will be a devastating loss to the charity and those who benefit from its service.” Mary*, a service user at North Devon Womens Aid said : “If it hadnt been for the team at North Devon Womens Aid, here is a short overview of how my life could have carried on without their help: scared out my wits, no confidence, completely alienated, thoughts of suicide, the feeling of being tortured each day, rape, anxiety, mental scarring, and worry about the long lasting affect it would have on my children who may grow up thinking this was normalbehaviourand carry the viciouscycle on!” * To protect identities, names have been changed. ENDS • The sample IDVA services referenced in this press release are as follows. These services collectively support 13,180 victims of domestic abuse, 2,986 of which are at risk of severe harm from the violence they are living with. CAADA is receiving further information on services at threat every day. For interviews and case studies, please see notes to editors. Name of service Area Funding at threat IDVA service and helpline at Novas Scarman Cheltenham Cheltenham, Gloucestershire 72% of the IDVA service and 49% of the helpline service was due to be cut at the end of March; however campaigning has resulted in an extension of funding until October 2011. Thereafter 100% of the service is at risk. IDVA service at Solace Womens Aid Islington, London 63% from end of March North Nottinghamshire Independent Domestic Abuse Service (NNIDAS) North Nottinghamshire 50% + from end of March (includes 100% of IDVA service) North Devon Womens Aid North Devon 42% from end of March Domestic Violence and Abuse Service South and West Devon 42% from end of March Stop Abuse for Everyone (SAFE) Exeter 42% from end of March Berkshire East and South Bucks Womens Aid East Berkshire and South Bucks 26% from end of March Blackburn and Darwen District Womens Aid Blackburn, Lancashire 23% from end of March • This estimate has been based upon three typical high risk victim case studies. The number of contacts with public agencies over the course of one year has been calculated for each case study, and unit costings per contact applied. A weighted average case study was then produced, with an average number of contacts with public agencies and average associated costs of £20,000. Where possible CAADA has used publicly available unit costs, and references for these are available upon request. This analysis has been independently verified by New Philanthropy Capital. Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[65]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-25-11-2010.html","2012-01-28","18K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - call to end violence against women and girls strategy","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - call to end violence against women and girls strategy Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Thursday 25th November, 2010 Coalition Government announcement on the Call to End Violence against Women and Girls Strategy Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA said: “The past few years have seen nothing short of a transformation in the way this country responds to victims of domestic abuse. We warmly welcome the announcement today by the Home Secretary that the Government proposes to keep funding vital domestic abuse services over the next four years. We believe this approach will reinforce the ability of services that work tirelessly to help save lives and public money in the coming years. We particularly welcome three features of the statement: A focus on prioritizing the use of public funds on risk reduction in its broadest sense, beyond a focus on criminal justice. We know that no one agency has the solution to this complex issue and it is important to identify and prioritise the most vulnerable people. Only by coordinated action between agencies can victims get the effective support they need. A focus on partnership working, without which 11,000 victims in the last year alone would not be as safe as they are today. We know that victims need the best of public and voluntary agencies working together to make a real difference to victim safety and to enable them to live safely in their homes. A new commitment to stable funding over a four year period. This means that services will be better able to plan their activity more effectively, focusing their time and energy on support that makes the biggest difference to victim safety rather than ongoing cycles of funding applications. This approach supports our work to help save lives and money and we look forward to discussing details of how this broad plan will work in practice.Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[66]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-25-11-2009.html","2012-01-28","19K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - launch of Together We Can End Domestic Violence","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - launch of Together We Can End Domestic Violence Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Wednesday 25th November, 2009 CAADA’s response to the launch of Together we can end violence against women and girls: a strategy Diana Barran, Chief Executive said: “CAADA warmly welcomes the wide-ranging nature of Together we can end violence against women and girls: a strategy which aims to embed strategic support and awareness of the issue across a wide range of public agencies. We equally look forward to a healthy discussion about backing this ambition with new and ongoing resources for specialist local victim and children services. We recognize some excellent proposals in the strategy. A consultation to place Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) on a statutory footing is welcomed - we know that MARACs can save lives and public money. Despite being a voluntary provision, MARACs have supported over 29,000 adult cases and 40,000 associated children over the last year, stopping abuse in up to 60% of cases. We are equally encouraged by the emphasis placed on strategic commitment to domestic violence support within government departments, especially the Department of Health, and throughout wider local services. At a time when public funding cuts are undoubtedly on the horizon, it is to be expected that there is proportionately limited new funding announced within the report. But in taking these decisions we would highlight that by stopping severe abuse the potential savings to the public purse runs into hundreds of millions of pounds. For women and families living with severe domestic abuse, MARACs and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) offer a real solution. Almost two thirds of women living with high risk abuse report that it stops following intensive, multi-agency support coordinated by an IDVA. While the IDVA sector has expanded in capacity over the past four years, many services are facing cutbacks and current capacity is estimated to be less than half of the 1,200 – 1,500 IDVAs needed for national coverage. The government is unlikely to tackle the problem of a postcode lottery service provision until the question of funding is properly addressed. Finally, we applaud the emphasis on evidenced-based decision making which is clear throughout this strategy. When resources are restricted, it’s crucially important that work in this area is well targeted and based on a knowledge of what we knows works. An increased evaluation of outcomes will ensure that services remain effective and public money will be well spent. Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[67]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-25-10-2011.html","2012-01-28","19K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - domestic violence disclosure scheme","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - domestic violence disclosure scheme Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Tuesday 25th October, 2011 Re. Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme consultation on proposed ‘Clares Law Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA said: “As a national UK charity supporting a multi-agency response to domestic abuse, CAADA wholeheartedly supports the spirit of the proposed new ‘Clares Law and the principle that information sharing should be enabled to keep victims safe. We also believe that the safest and most effective way of sharing information on serial perpetrators with new partners is through Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs)*, where the fullest picture of a victims risk can be established by sharing information through multiple agencies, and where victims are offered the option of support from a qualified Independent Domestic Violence Advisor. We are delighted that the Home Office consultation considers MARACs to be an essential mechanism for addressing a victims safety, and we look forward to the results of the consultation in January 2012.” Notes to editors: Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) are meetings where information on the highest risk cases is shared between local public agencies. By bringing all agencies involved in a case together to share information, a coordinated safety plan can be put together more quickly and effectively. Safety plans can include actions to inform new partners that a serial abuser may be targeting them next. Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) is a national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. CAADA provides practical tools, training, guidance, quality assurance, policy and data insight to support professionals and organisations working with domestic abuse victims. An estimated ten per cent of domestic abuse victims are at risk of murder or serious harm every year. By protecting the highest risk victims and their children, our work focuses on saving lives and saving public money. To date, CAADA has trained and provided policy support to over 200 Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs). A MARAC is a regular, voluntary partnership meeting where information on the highest risk domestic abuse cases is shared between local agencies. Since 2007, CAADA has also trained over 1000 Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs). For more information or interviews with Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA, please contact Samantha Brown, Head of Communications on 0117 317 8750 or 07935 268427. Email samantha.brown@caada.org.uk or visit www.caada.org.uk Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[68]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-24-11-2009.html","2012-01-28","19K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - launch of Safety in Numbers","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - launch of Safety in Numbers Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Tuesday 24th November, 2009 CAADAs response to the launch of Safety in Numbers: A multi-site evaluation of Independent Domestic Violence Advisor Services - November 24th 2009 Click here to download the full report or executive summary Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) is delighted by the results of Safety in Numbers , which gives hard evidence that Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) offer a real solution for women living with severe domestic abuse. The report shows that almost two thirds of women living with the most extreme physical, emotional and sexual abuse reported that this abuse had ceased following intensive interventions by IDVAs. Having been instrumental in the national roll out of IDVAs across the UK, providing training, practical support and policy information to hundreds to date, we whole heartedly agree with the reports recommendations that more IDVAs are needed. Over 720 IDVAs have now received accredited training by CAADA, and tens of thousands of victims are already safer today as a result of this, but this is less than half the 1,500 permanent posts we believe are needed for national coverage. CAADA supports the reports call for a common IDVA service commissioning framework which prioritises victim safety. In our experience, IDVA services which operate to a common standard of excellent and safe practice continuously demonstrate better victim safety outcomes. Only by commissioning to a common framework will the maximum number of high risk victims be properly supported. We also agree with the reports calls for more links with childrens services, health services and those who work with perpetrators. The risks to children from domestic abuse have long been established. What Safety in Numbers makes clear is the sheer scale of the problem. Better care pathways are desperately required to ensure that these children receive the support they so badly need. Increased commitment from health and perpetrator agencies to attend MARACs will also result in a larger safety net of support for the victim. By providing intensive one-to-one support to victims from the point of crisis and coordinating multi-agency support work, IDVAs are transforming our response to the most high risk domestic abuse, saving lives and helping thousands of victims to live a life free from abuse. For this reason we support this report and look forward to the governments plans to support the IDVA sector in the newly-launched Violence against Women and Girls strategy. Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[69]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-24-10-2011.html","2012-01-28","21K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - Legal Aid Manifesto for Family Justice","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - Legal Aid Manifesto for Family Justice Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Monday 24th October, 2011 A Manifesto for Family Justice: alliance of interest groups calls on government to change plans An alliance of organisations which represents the rights and needs of women, children, families and victims of domestic abuse and/or are engaged in the administration of family justice, has published a Manifesto for Family Justice, ahead of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill moving into Report Stage in the House of Commons. The alliance, which comprises the Association of Lawyers for Children , the Bar Council , CAADA , the Childrens Commissioner , the Family Law Bar Association , Gingerbread , Liberty , the National Federation of Womens Institutes , Resolution and Womens Aid , has called upon the Government to: Protect vulnerable women and children Listen to the experienced practitioners who work in family justice and who understand that mediation, whilst beneficial in many cases, will not resolve many others, and Consider with care whether the decision to remove legal aid from private family law cases will save the Government money or, in fact, cost more and lead to poor outcomes. The Manifesto has been sent to all Members of Parliament as the House of Commons prepares to consider further the changes to legal aid proposed in the LASPO Bill. The Chairman of the Family Law Bar Association, Stephen Cobb QC, said: “We have come together as a broad cross section of organisations deeply concerned by the consequences of the Governments proposals. The Prime Minister stated that he wanted a family test for all domestic policy. Clearly nobody has applied that test to this Bill. The civil legal aid cuts will be bad for children, bad for women and bad for families. “We are facing a disturbing new landscape in which 600,000 people will no longer receive legal aid, 68,000 children will be affected by the removal of legal aid in family cases, 54,000 fewer people will be represented in the family courts annually and 75% of existing private family law cases will no longer attract legal aid. When the Government consulted on these proposals, virtually no-one supported them. “We will see an increasing number of people going to court on their own without representation. That is DIY justice, not access to justice. We face the very real prospect that many children and women who have been victims of domestic abuse will have to endure the further trauma of being cross-examined by their alleged perpetrator, who will not be eligible for legal aid. “It is not too late for the Government to change its approach. If it really has the interests of families in mind, then it has to think again.” ENDS Notes to editors: For further information, please contact the Bar Council Press Office on 020 7222 2525. The Manifesto for Family Justice can be found here . The Bar Council represents barristers in England and Wales. It promotes: The Bars high quality specialist advocacy and advisory services Fair access to justice for all The highest standards of ethics, equality and diversity across the profession, and The development of business opportunities for barristers at home and abroad. The General Council of the Bar is the Approved Regulator of the Bar of England and Wales. It discharges its regulatory functions through the independent Bar Standards Board. About CAADA: Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) is a national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. An estimated ten per cent of domestic abuse victims are at risk of murder or serious harm every year. By protecting the highest risk victims and their children, our work focuses on saving lives and saving public money. To do this, CAADA provides practical tools, training, guidance, quality assurance, policy and data insight to support professionals and organisations working with domestic abuse victims. Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[70]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-22-3-2010.html","2012-01-28","22K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - multi-agency support to tackle domestic abuse could save Ł740 million","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - multi-agency support to tackle domestic abuse could save Ł740 million Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Monday 22nd March 2010 Multi-agency support to tackle severe domestic abuse could save £740 million a year to the public purse An innovative way of supporting victims of severe domestic abuse could save £740 million to the public purse if rolled out nationally, a new report launched today shows. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse reveals that for every £1 spent on Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), at least £6 could be saved in direct costs to agencies such as the police, health, criminal justice system and children’s services. Written by Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA), the report is supported by data collected by the national charity on behalf of the Home Office, as well as early evaluation studies, which show that up to 60% of victims report no further violence after a MARAC. A MARAC is a voluntary meeting where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases between local public agencies, including the police, health, children’s services, housing and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs)*, amongst others. After sharing all relevant information about a victim, the meeting then discusses options for increasing their safety, and turns this into an action plan. Over 28,000 adult victims and 40,000 children were supported by a MARAC in 2009. With more than 120,000 adult victims of high risk domestic abuse estimated to be living in the UK, more support is urgently needed. The report calls for legislation to embed a commitment to MARACs across the UK, along with further resources for IDVA teams to support MARACs to manage the full volume of cases in their area. The need for better links between MARACs and public agencies that support families is also highlighted, to ensure that identified children receive adequate protection. Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse reveals that the average high risk domestic abuse case costs an estimated £20,000 per annum to the public purse, through key support agencies such as the police, health, housing and children’s services. This figure can be broken down to approximate costs of £5,000 for health services, £5,500 for the police, £7,500 for the criminal justice system and £2,500 for remaining agencies including children’s services and housing. The total direct costs of all high risk victims is around £2.4bn. Using an independently verified analysis, the report shows that MARACs save at least £6,100 of these costs per victim; they would only have to be successful in 16% of cases to pay for themselves. The net return on investment for the health service is 533%; for the police 550%; for children’s services 276% and for the criminal justice system, 1109%. Diana Barran, Chief Executive of CAADA said: “MARACs have genuinely transformed the choices and support available to victims of severe domestic abuse and their children. However, currently these choices are available to just a quarter of the victims that need them. With proper support from Government we have the chance to save lives, save public money and help give children back the futures they deserve.” Debbie**, a survivor of severe domestic abuse who was supported by her local MARAC said: “My husband was a real Jekyll and Hyde character. As well as physical abuse, he told me that he would kill me and the kids if I ever left him. This made me terrified of leaving, so for 18 years I stayed.” “I’d never have been able to move on in my life without the package of support that was offered to me through the MARAC and IDVA service. All the agencies did everything they could to make our lives safer – they supported the children in school, made our home more secure, the police undertook a criminal investigation, I was encouraged to get injunctions to prevent him from contacting me, fire safety checks were undertaken – the works. I would have left him years ago had I known that this support was available. We’re now living a life that is free from violence and we’re a lot happier as a result.” Click here to download the unreferenced version of Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse Click here to download the referenced version of Saving lives, saving money: MARACs and high risk domestic abuse ENDS Notes to editors: * Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) are specialist case workers who focus on working predominantly with high risk victims. They work from the point of crisis on an intensive, short to medium term basis and have a well defined role underpinned by an accredited training programme. They also represent the victim at MARAC and co-ordinate the response of the wide range of MARAC agencies who might be involved in a case, including those working with perpetrators and children. They therefore work in partnership with a range of statutory and voluntary agencies but are independent of any single agency. ** To protect identities, names have been changed. Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[71]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-16-6-2011.html","2012-01-28","20K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - Diana Barran awarded MBE","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - Diana Barran awarded MBE Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Thursday 16th June, 2011 CAADA Chief Executive Diana Barran awarded MBE Diana Barran, Chief Executive and founder of the Bristol-based national charity Coordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) has been awarded an MBE for services to victims of domestic violence in the Queens Birthday Honours on 11th June 2011. Diana founded CAADA in 2005. In six years, the charity has supported a transformation in the way domestic abuse is addressed in the UK through an increased focus on ‘high risk victims - those at most risk of severe harm or death. CAADA has trained over 1,000 highly skilled domestic violence advisors, improved coordination between multiple frontline public agencies and advocated a stronger risk assessment of victims across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. As a result of this new approach, over 50,000 high risk adult victims received specialist support in 2010. Following a successful City career where she founded one of the earliest European Hedge Funds, Diana became a Donor Adviser and Head of Grant Development for New Philanthropy Capital, where she co-authored a guide for donors and philanthropists about the domestic abuse sector called Charity Begins at Home . Diana is a trustee of Comic Relief and the Henry Smith Charity, two leading grant making trusts and is a Board member of the Philanthropy Review. In addition to her work for CAADA, Diana co-authored Safety in Numbers, the largest research study carried out in the UK on support for high risk victims of abuse . Commenting on the award, Diana said: “I am thrilled to have been awarded this honour. CAADAs work gives a voice to the voiceless – those living and dying with domestic abuse. This award recognizes the importance of CAADAs work in addressing their situation, and it would not have been possible without the commitment and input from all of my colleagues and partners throughout the sector.” Andrew Puddephatt, CAADA Trustee Chair said: “The trustee board is extremely proud that Diana Barran, our Chief Executive, has been awarded an MBE for services to victims of domestic violence. This honour is not only a testimony to Dianas hard work, commitment, energy and imagination but is also a tribute to the work of the organisation as a whole.Since its inception in 2005, CAADA has supported a transformation of the response to domestic abuse victims, however the scale of the challenge remains formidable.” ENDS Notes to editors: For more information please contact Samantha Brown, Head of Communications at CAADA on 0117 3178750 or emailing samantha.brown@caada.org.uk. About CAADA: Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) is a national charity supporting a strong multi-agency response to domestic abuse. An estimated ten per cent of domestic abuse victims are at risk of murder or serious harm every year. By protecting the highest risk victims and their children, our work focuses on saving lives and saving public money. To do this, CAADA provides practical tools, training, guidance, quality assurance, policy and data insight to support professionals and organisations working with domestic abuse victims. Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[72]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/press-release-11-4-2011.html","2012-01-28","17K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - domestic violence homicide reviews","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - press release - domestic violence homicide reviews Press release archive PRESS STATEMENT: Monday 11th April, 2011 Re. launch of domestic violence homicide reviews Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) warmly welcomes the implementation of Section 9 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004), which creates an expectation for local areas to undertake a multi-agency review following a domestic violence homicide. As the leading UK charity supporting a multi-agency response to domestic abuse, CAADA fully supports this new provision. Domestic violence homicide reviews will provide an effective means of reviewing multi-agency practice following a murder, ensuring that lessons are learned and areas for urgent development are identified. As the reviews will be published and publicly available, they will provide an open and transparent means of reviewing practice, thereby increasing the safety of other local victims in the future. Finally, the reviews will also enable all agencies to consolidate and build on the important work that has occurred to date around risk identification in relation to domestic abuse victims, particularly in high risk cases. Back to Press release archive If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[73]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/news.html","2012-01-28","17K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - news","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - news News CAADA provides news and information to the public, the media and professionals working with victims. Press releases Access our press release archive. CAADA eNews Stay up to date with latest news from CAADA and the sector and read copies of past issues. Media centre Contact CAADA’s media centre and find out how we can support you with information. Connect with CAADA Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to our Chief Executive’s blog. If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[74]=new Array(0,1,"http://www.caada.org.uk/news/media-centre.html","2012-01-28","17K","caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - media centre","",""," caada - co-ordinated action against domestic abuse - media centre Media centre CAADA can provide commentary, interviews with our Chief Executive, case studies, press packs and research to support journalists covering domestic abuse related stories. For further information, please contact: Samantha Brown Head of Communications T: 0117 317 8750 M: 07935 268427 E: samantha.brown@caada.org.uk Statistics Access up-to-date statistics about domestic abuse. Frequently asked questions Read FAQs about CAADA’s work and ‘high risk’ domestic abuse. Back to News If you are experiencing domestic abuse click here Funded by the Sigrid Rausing Trust | Charity No. 1106864 | Copyright and disclaimer notice ");
array_files[75]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20FIPs%20updated%20July%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","2625K"," Contents:","","","Family Intervention Projects (FIPs) ­ Domestic abuse toolkit Contents: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. FIPs and domestic abuse: A care pathway Power and Control wheels Working with perpetrators What is a Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Contacts for your local MARAC Flowcharts tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC Risk Identification Checklist Forms from CAADA (MARAC referral and research forms) Client name: Address: Date of Birth: This toolkit includes the practical tools referred to in the CAADA FIPs Domestic Abuse training. We hope that you can use it whenever you become aware of domestic abuse within a family. The toolkit contains tools to use with victims of domestic abuse to assist them in recognising the dynamics of power and control, some reminders around improving safety as you work with perpetrators, a Risk Identification Checklist to assist you in recognising high risk domestic abuse and tools to use as you work with clients who need to go though the MARAC process. Domestic abuse may be one of several issues involved in complex cases. We suggest that you consider using the Risk Identification Checklist with every victim of domestic abuse you work with. However, as FIP key workers you will need to consider carefully which tools are relevant for your families and consider the victims safety as and when you use them. Please consider the following points as you use this toolkit: 1. Child protection Always consider your child protection procedure as you work with domestic abuse. 2. The safety of the victim of domestic abuse Always ask yourself if your planned course of action could put somebody at further risk. 3. The safety of the professional Keep yourself safe and consider the risks posed to you as you work in homes where domestic abuse is ongoing. 4. The risks of working with perpetrators It is easy to be manipulated by perpetrators of abuse, be careful not to collude. 5. Use of resources There will be experts in domestic abuse in your area. Locate them and work in partnership with them when you identify domestic abuse. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail fipstraining@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2010 - Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. 1  1. FIPs and domestic abuse: A care pathway 1 The FIP referral process 1 To see the FIP Referral Process in more detail please refer to the FIPs Training Manual (page 6) Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail fipstraining@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2010 - Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. 2  2. Power and Control wheels Tactics of men who abuse their partners 2 2 See www.duluth-model.org Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail fipstraining@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2010 - Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. 3  The Equality wheel Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail fipstraining@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2010 - Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. 4  Power and Control wheel The figure below was developed by Dr Sharifa Alkahteeb at the Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System, London, Ontario and is designed for use with Muslim survivors of domestic abuse. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail fipstraining@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2010 - Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. 5  Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail fipstraining@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2010 - Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. 6  3. Working with perpetrators As a FIP key worker there will be occasions where you will be working with perpetrators of abuse and their victims as you manage one family. Although key to the work of the Family Intervention Project this practice can include additional risks, both to the victim of abuse and to the safety of the worker. You should be aware of these risks as you work with your families. Consider the following points:3 There is no culture that condones domestic abuse. If an abuser discloses their behaviour: DO Acknowledge that any form of domestic abuse is wrong and ensure that this message is clear and consistent. Remember that domestic abuse is a crime. Acknowledge that the disclosure is an important first step towards stopping their abusive behaviour. Affirm any accountability shown by them. Their behaviour is a choice and they can choose to stop. Be respectful and empathic but do not collude. Affirm that the use of violence is wrong. Offer assistance by way of the Respect phone line number (0845 122 8609) Identify the perpetrator programs running in your area and identify them as an option for the abuser. Where programmes arent available consider using other services such as Relate or Respect. Consider seeking specialist advice from the Probation Service. Seek out specialist support for the victim of abuse if their partner is accessing a perpetrator programme. Be aware that perpetrators minimise, deny and blame. DONT Make assumptions. Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse and anyone can be a perpetrator. Be careful not to stereotype. Domestic abuse occurs across all areas of society, regardless of culture, religion or class. Meet the abuser alone. Do make use of any specialist perpetrator services in your area and risk assess before attending an address. Discuss the abuse with the couple, try to speak with each party alone. Assume that perpetrator programmes will fix things. They cannot work in all cases. Assume that alcohol and drugs are the cause of domestic abuse, they may escalate situations but will not be the underlying cause. Assume that accessing help for alcohol or drug difficulties will stop someones violence or abuse. They may need to get help for their substance misuse alongside help for their abusive behaviour. Automatically refer to anger management. Remember domestic abuse is not about any loss of control or anger issues. Automatically refer to mediation or couples counselling. These can be dangerous. They may not be appropriate if there is inequality in the balance of power between a couple. 3 www.respect.uk.net/data/files/dv_guide_for_healthcare_professionals.pdf Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail fipstraining@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2010 - Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. 7  4. 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, probation, 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. MARACs and FIPs The MARAC will help you ensure that domestic abuse victims in families that you support are better protected from further abuse by a coordinated effort from all agencies and organisations. The FIP representatives role at MARAC is to represent the views of your family members at the meeting, to share information relating to the safety of family members and to liaise with partner agencies to ensure that the right services coordinate a response to a family. The MARAC helps high risk victims access more resources locally and helps you build relationships with local agencies. Frequently Asked Questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? The MARAC will aid you in achieving a joined-up and structured approach to addressing the safety needs of victims of high risk domestic abuse using your service. The kind of partnership working and efficient and effective information sharing that is facilitated by the MARAC process would not be achievable if it were not for the meeting. It is therefore important that you attend to provide a realistic overview to action planning and assist the MARAC by taking actions to improve the safety of the victim of domestic abuse. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evaluated risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended risk indicator checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. This may include cases of extended family violence including so-called ,,honour based violence. What information should my agency bring? All information shared at the MARAC should be relevant and proportionate to the risks faced by the victim of domestic abuse. FIPs will be able to provide information as to the position of the victim and offer advice as to the risks posed to other family members. It may be that the FIP representative will be able to provide safe contact and visit times to partner agencies to improve the safety of intervention with clients. What actions can we offer? The actions offered by the FIP representative will usually reflect the work the FIP is already doing with a family. This might involve discussing options, assisting with housing options, risk assessing and signposting on to other services. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail fipstraining@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2010 - Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. 8  What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children.  ");
array_files[76]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20WOMEN%20SAFETY%20OFFICER%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","610K"," Contents:","","","W WomenSafety Officer ­ omen Safety Officer ­ Toolkit for MARAC Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and Women Safety Officers The MARAC will seek to protect those victims you are working with who are at high risk of being seriously injured or killed through a co-ordinated response from all agencies. As a specialist in domestic violence and risk assessment you are in a unique position of being able to offer expert advice to the MARAC about the dynamics of domestic violence and the extent of the risk so that an effective action plan can be developed. MARAC and IDAP Once an IDAP sentence has been ordered by the court the probation service should refer the victim to the MARAC co-ordinator for a mention at the next MARAC if the victim is assessed as high risk. The purpose of this mention is to make all agencies aware that the risk to the victim may escalate as the offender starts the programme. Contact details for the Women Safety Officer will be provided to the MARAC. ,,The MARAC has encouraged closer working between the IDVAs and the WSOs. Also, it is more likely that Offender Managers will provide enhanced levels of supervision for those perpetrators that are listed at MARAC. Women Safety Officer, London 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? It is crucial that WSOs are a part of the MARAC. You can feed information into the MARAC about the vulnerability of the victim and the abusive behaviour of the perpetrator and you can take information back to the IDAP/CDVP facilitator about additional risk factors and to the victim to create a more effective safety plan. You will develop better relationships with agencies at the meeting which will benefit your work with all survivors of domestic abuse. The MARAC representative is someone with managerial responsibility so that they are in a position to allocate resources. It may be that a WSO does not always attend MARAC ­ but that a Senior Probation Officer takes your information and brings back actions. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evaluated risk assessment tool or through professional judgement, in the case of WSOs SARA will assist you in assessing the risk. Other agencies will generally use the CAADA recommended risk assessment. It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. 1 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  What information should my agency bring for cases that have been referred to the MARAC by other agencies? The types of information you should bring to the MARAC will include information on the perpetrator and any risk factors highlighted by SARA or other pre-programme measures such as mental health issues, escalation, and family issues. What actions can we offer? Any actions volunteered by the Women Safety Officer will be linked to ensuring the safety of the victim. Specific actions might include contacting the victim to feed back the results of the MARAC, keeping other agencies updated on the risks faced by the victim, or inputting into any risk meetings you have with IDAP facilitators. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 2  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 3  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children, including any on the agenda. Check information systems (i.e. OASys or Delius) for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case including the date. Contact WSO involved if necessary to get up-to-date info and update any safety plans. Completed by Women Safety Officer, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto information systems/contacts relevant Women Safety Officer. Passes on any actions to the relevant worker. Completed by WSO or MARAC rep WSO completes actions and lets MARAC rep know when completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 4  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Survivor is referred to the Women Safety Officer. WSO completes Risk Identification Checklist (see attached) with the survivor or makes a clinical judgement of level of risk faced by survivor based on SARA/OASys. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC representative. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and support according to policy. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC MARAC rep/ WSO fills out as much of the research form (attached) as possible and takes it to the meeting. MARAC MEETING Following the MARAC meeting the MARAC rep will inform you of any information that was shared which could have an impact on your response to the victim/perpetrator(s). Also  ");
array_files[77]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20SOCIAL%20CARE%20SERVICES%20FOR%20ADULTS%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","458K"," Contents:","","","Social Care Services for Adults ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral 3. Forms from CAADA (risk identification checklist, referral and research forms) processes for MARAC 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, probation, 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. MARACs and Safeguarding Adults Meetings In common with safeguarding procedures, information about the risks faced by those victims is shared and the actions needed to address safety are agreed to create a risk management plan involving all relevant agencies. However at MARAC, the level of focus is at a less detailed level, with the ongoing case work being typically carried by the Independent Domestic Violence Advisor or IDVA. ,,MARACs provide an excellent opportunity to consider additional options and opportunities to protect the victim from further abuse, or to reduce any existing risks. POVA Co-ordinator, South Wales 1. Frequently asked questions What are the links with social care services for adults? The MARAC should bring additional information to those organisations providing health and social care services to adults and particular expertise in relation to domestic abuse and risk. The Designated Officer from each of these organisations will bring information to the meeting about the household and those within it and offer support around care needs and service provision. In exchange for this they may receive up-to-date information about victims who may be unknown to safeguarding professionals but are likely to need services, offers of support from specialist domestic violence organisations, and an enhanced package of support from each agency around the table. This will help to keep clients and potential clients safer in their own homes and will help to identify those who are in priority need. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evaluated risk identification tool (see attached for CAADA Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 1  recommended risk identification checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. What information should my agency bring? Your MARAC representative (who would normally be someone with managerial responsibility) should bring any information regarding the household that might help assess the risk or inform a safety plan. This can include information on any current service provision, the needs of the adult, and names and dates of birth of those residing in the house or visiting the house (other family members, carers etc). The MARAC representative will also be able to share any capacity issues in relation to the victim and the perpetrator(s). It is recognised good practice to establish the wishes of the victim to help identify their needs, make them safe from further abuse and to help them in making informed decisions for their future safety. Other relevant information would include any history of mental illness, any previous history of disclosed domestic violence and whether the perpetrator is the main carer. What actions should be suggested to my MARAC representative? Actions will usually be similar to those in any safeguarding plan and it is likely that your service will play a key part in coordinating the protection plan. You may also have a role in managing the risk by replacing the carer if they are the perpetrator, giving support in relation to financial matters and finding safe accommodation. Equally, your representative may offer advice to the MARAC on eligibility for community care services or to undertake an assessment of need, including specific needs of the perpetrator if there are significant mental health or substance misuse issues. You will be able to advise whether to refer the victim through the Safeguarding Adults process and/or whether it is applicable to seek the services of an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to the MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared with the consent of the vulnerable adult or in some circumstances without their consent where it is necessary to prevent crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk or harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information, to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 2  A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the Quality Assurance audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Additionally you may want to refer to Improving Social Care in Wales website on the Protection of Vulnerable Adults which contains a wealth of resources in this area. For more information, visit http://www.ssiacymru.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2592 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 3  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process · IDENTIFY · MARAC agencies should have systems in place to identify victims of domestic abuse · Many services now have some form of routine enquiry questions that are agreed for use with all service users Step 1 Step 2 · RISK ASSESS · Once identified as suffering domestic abuse, the CAADA-DASH Risk Identification Checklist should be used to establish if the victim is at high risk of harm · Carry out immediate safety measures for victim, children and perpetrator. The police will carry out target hardening, child protection agencies will act to safeguard children · If high risk refer to IDVA service Step 3: · REFERRAL · Whichever agency identified the case completes the Referral form and sends to MARAC Co-ordinator · Inform colleagues that a referral has been made · IDVA service contacts victim to offer support and identify key risks and fears Step 4: · RESEARCH · All agencies receive MARAC meeting agenda from MARAC Co-ordinator · All agencies research all cases on the agenda ·Contact colleagues for information, explain purpose of the meeting · IDVA gathers background information from the victim and other agencies not represented at MARAC about the abuse Step 5: · MEETING AND INFORMATION SHARING · MARAC representative presents information at the meeting on their agencys referrals · Present information relating to other cases with an agency involvement · Identify risks for the victim, children, perpetrator and agency staff · IDVA service   ");
array_files[78]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20SEXUAL%20VIOLENCE%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","608K"," Contents:","","","Sexual Violence/ISVA Services ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and Sexual Violence Services It is estimated that sexual violence is prevalent in around 60% of domestic violence cases, so it is likely that you will be working with some high risk victims of domestic abuse. The MARAC will seek to protect those who disclose domestic abuse to you and are at high risk of being seriously injured or killed from further abuse through a coordinated response from all agencies. The ISVA/sexual violence workers role at MARAC is crucial, as a trained specialist whose goal is the support and safety needs of your clients you can be a central player in the action plan for those victims you are working with. The MARAC will therefore improve your relationship with those agencies involved, benefiting your work with all survivors of abuse, not only those at high risk. ,,The MARAC enables resources to be made available more efficiently and quickly, it is hugely beneficial to the client with their key areas of need. ISVA, Yorkshire 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? The MARAC will allow you to represent the views of the survivors you are working with in your areas co-ordinated response and ensure that appropriate resources are offered by partner agencies. With your expertise on sexual violence, the up-to-date information you have on the wishes of the victim and their current situation, you can act as a bridge between the victim and the MARAC. If your resources are very limited, you may wish to agree for another agency to bring information on your behalf. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. 1 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  What information should my agency bring? The sexual violence service representative should bring any relevant information to the MARAC from the victim that would help the MARAC to create a safe and effective risk management plan. This could include information on barriers to accessing support for the victim, information relating to a serial perpetrator, unreported incidents of rape, any upcoming appointments and content of previous contacts. What actions can we offer? The actions offered by the sexual violence MARAC rep will usually reflect work you are already doing with the victim. Examples of actions could include flagging files so that you can recognise repeat cases of abuse, offering your services to victims and children if the service is appropriate and required, liaising with the IDVA or attending court with the victim. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act, the Human Rights Act and Caldicott Guidelines. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. 2 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process 3 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children, including any on the agenda. Check information systems for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case with date. Contact support worker involved if necessary to get up-to-date info and complete any appropriate actions in line with domestic violence policy. Completed by ISVA or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto information systems/contacts relevant support workers and passes on any actions to the support worker so that you can make sure your response to that family is as safe and supportive as it can be. Completed by ISVA ISVA completes actions and lets MARAC rep know when completed. 4 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Disclosure of domestic or sexual abuse is made to support worker. At this point support worker will check with domestic violence policy and complete appropriate actions. Support worker completes Risk Identification Checklist (attached) with the client or makes a clinical judgement of level of risk faced by client or passes up to MARAC representative to do so. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to manager to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC rep. Refer case to IDVA or appropriate DV service. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and refer to local specialist domestic abuse services. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC MARAC rep/ support worker fills out as much of the research form (attached) as possible and takes it to the meeting. MARAC MEETING Following the MARAC meeting the MARAC rep will inform you of any information that was shared which could have an impact on your response to the victim/perpetrator(s). Also you might have been assigned actions to help improve the safety of the victim and any c  ");
array_files[79]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20SDVC%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","608K"," Contents:","","","Specialist Domestic Violence Services ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and Specialist Domestic Violence Services The MARAC will seek to protect those who disclose domestic abuse to you and are at high risk of being seriously injured or killed from further abuse through a co-ordinated response from all agencies. As a specialist in domestic violence you are in a unique position of being able to offer expert advice to the MARAC about the dynamics of domestic violence and how to safety plan and offer specialised support for the survivor ,,the MARAC has resulted in other agencies taking domestic violence more seriously and has led to a greater understanding about the dynamics of domestic violence generally rather than just how it impacts on their particular role or organisation. Refuge Manager, North West 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? By attending the MARAC you will help ensure that the response to domestic violence from local statutory and voluntary agencies is safe and focussed on the needs of the survivor. You will develop better relationships with those agencies which will benefit your work with all survivors of domestic abuse. The MARAC representative is someone with managerial responsibility so that they are in a position to allocate resources. If your organisation cannot resource regular attendance at MARAC you will need to agree with another attendee such as the IDVA service to bring your information. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. What information should my agency bring? The domestic violence services representative should bring any information regarding the survivor that might help to assess the risk to the survivor and children or inform a safety plan. This might include information around the impact of abuse on the survivor, extent of the abuse, and disclosures relating to risk. The survivor might disclose 1 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  relevant information to their refuge worker that would help the MARAC develop a safer and more effective action plan. What actions can we offer? Any actions volunteered by the domestic violence services representative should be linked to ensuring the safety of the survivor. Specific actions might include contacting the victim to feed back the results of the MARAC, keeping other agencies updated on the risks faced by the survivor, or providing safe accommodation. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. 2 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process 3 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children, including any on the agenda. Check information systems for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case with date. Contact refuge/outreach workers involved if necessary to get up-to-date info and update any safety plans. Completed by refuge/outreach worker, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto information systems/contacts relevant refuge/outreach workers. Passes on any actions to the relevant worker. Completed by refuge/ outreach worker Refuge/outreach worker completes actions and lets MARAC rep know when completed. 4 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Survivor self refers or is referred to the domestic violence service. Refuge/outreach worker completes Risk Identification Checklist (attached) with the survivor or makes a clinical judgement of level of risk faced by survivor. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to manager to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC rep. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and support according to service policy. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC MARAC rep/ refuge/outreach worker fills out as much of the research form (attached) as possible and takes it to the meeting. MARAC MEETING Following the MARAC meeting the MARAC rep will inform you of any information that was shared which could have an impact on your response to the victim/perpetrator(s). Also you might have been assigned actions to help improve the safety of the survivor and any children, such as going on a joint visit. Notify MARAC representative once those actions are completed. 5 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  3. Forms CA  ");
array_files[80]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20PROBATION%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","613K"," Contents:","","","Probation ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and probation The MARAC seeks to protect those who are at high risk of being seriously injured or killed from further abuse through a co-ordinated response from all agencies. Clearly, part of this response relates to the management of the perpetrator. The information shared at the MARAC by different agencies is crucial information to have when drawing up the safest and most effective risk management plan for the offender both in terms of the PSR and subsequent licence conditions or community sentence requirements. Referrals are made via the co-ordinator and will require the referrers attendance with a summary of the case and reason for referral. ,,We get invaluable information at MARAC particularly whether someone is keeping the terms of a sentence especially in relation to residency, prohibited acts or an exclusion order. Senior Probation Officer, North Wales 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? The MARAC gives probation staff an opportunity to reinforce the management of offenders by the provision of multi-agency information sharing and action planning. Bringing information about the risks posed by the offender will allow the MARAC to generate a safer and more effective safety plan for the victim. In exchange for sharing this information probation staff will get a fuller picture of the history and current pattern of abuse and what measures would best protect the victim and the public. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in the local MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in the area in terms of risk profile. What information should my agency bring? The probation MARAC rep should bring any information regarding the offender that might help assess the risk or inform a safety plan. This can include information on the offenders current state of mind, their patterns of offending, criminal history, licence conditions and attendance on a perpetrator programme. It might include Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 1  practical information about supervision and courses undertaken. The probation MARAC rep will also provide a link between MAPPA and MARAC. What actions can we offer? Actions will focus on managing the risks posed by the perpetrator or assisting other agencies to access the victim. The types of actions the probation rep might consider include: using information gained at MARAC in a pre-sentence report, or when recommending licence conditions or community sentencing requirements. The information would also be relevant when co-ordinating with specialist domestic violence services, when making appointments or referring cases to MAPPA. Under the Criminal Justice Act 2005 requirements can be imposed as part of a Community Order at either pre sentence stage or as an application to amend the Order post sentence such as curfew, exclusion requirements, residency and prohibited activity. What are the legal grounds for sharing information? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk. All information is shared under the proviso that it is non-disclosable to the perpetrator under any circumstances. Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with the victim depends on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. 2 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 3  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). The probation MARAC rep checks all names, addresses, DOBs for the victim, perpetrator(s) and children. The probation MARAC rep checks information systems for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case with date. The probation MARAC rep contacts offender manager and other probation staff involved if necessary to get upto-date info and complete any appropriate actions in line with domestic abuse policy. Completed by Offender Manager, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. The probation MARAC rep attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. The probation MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto information systems/contacts relevant probation staff. Passes on any actions to the offender manager or other staff. Completed by Offender Manager Offender manager completes actions and lets MARAC rep know when completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 4  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Disclosure of current domestic abuse is made to offender manager/probation staff/womens safety officer. The member of staff will check with areas domestic violence policy and complete any appropriate actions. Offender manager/probation staff/womens safety worker completes risk identification checklist (attached) with the victim or makes a professional judgement of level of risk faced by victim or passes up to MARAC representative to do so. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to manager to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and ha  ");
array_files[81]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20PROBATION%20%20Board%20for%20Northern%20Ireland%20final%20version%202011.pdf","2012-01-28","668K"," Contents:","","","Probation Board for Northern Ireland ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. CAADA Domestic Abuse Stalking and Honour-based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification Checklist, referral and research forms 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, probation, 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. MARACs and Probation The MARAC seeks to protect those who are at high risk of being seriously injured or killed from further abuse through a co-ordinated response from all agencies. Clearly, part of this response relates to the management of the perpetrator. The information shared at the MARAC by different agencies is crucial information to have when drawing up the safest and most effective risk management plan for the offender both in terms of the PSR and subsequent licence conditions. Referrals are made via the co-ordinator and will require the referrers attendance with a summary of the case and reason for referral. ,,We get invaluable information at MARAC particularly whether someone is keeping the terms of a sentence especially in relation to residency, prohibited acts or an exclusion order. Senior Probation Officer, North Wales 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? The MARAC gives you an opportunity to reinforce your management of offenders by the provision of multi-agency information sharing and action planning. Bringing information about the risks posed by the offender will allow the MARAC to generate a safer and more effective safety plan for the victim. In exchange for sharing this information you will get a fuller picture of the history and current pattern of abuse and what measures would best protect the victim and the public. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. What information should my agency bring? The Probation MARAC rep should bring any information regarding the offender that might help assess the risk or inform a safety plan. This can include information on the offenders current state of mind, their patterns of offending, criminal history, licence conditions and attendance on a programme. It might include practical Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 1  information about supervision and courses undertaken. The probation MODV MARAC rep will also provide a link between PPANI, PPU and MARAC. What actions can we offer? Actions will focus on managing the risks posed by the perpetrator or assisting other agencies to access the victim. The types of actions the probation rep might consider include: using information gained at the MARAC when recommending licence conditions or in a pre sentence report, co ordinating with specialist domestic abuse services when making appointments or referring cases to PPANI or PPU. Under the Criminal Justice NI Order 2006 requirements can be imposed as part of a Community Oder at either pre sentence stage or as an application to amend the Order post sentence such as residency and attendance at a Programme or Addictions Services. If the perpetrator is subject to a community sentence and is not complying with conditions consideration can be given to breach proceedings. Amendments to Orders can only be made within the first three months. What are the legal grounds for sharing information? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk. All information is shared under the proviso that it is nondisclosable to the perpetrator under any circumstances. Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client depends on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a Northern Ireland MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new Northern Ireland MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 2  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 3  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all names, addresses, DOBs you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children. Check information systems for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case with date. Contact probation officers involved if necessary to get up-to-date info and complete any appropriate actions in line with domestic violence policy. Completed by Probation officer, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto information systems/contacts relevant probation officers. Passes on any actions to the probation officer. Completed by Probation officer Probation officer completes actions and lets MARAC rep know when completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 4  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Disclosure of domestic abuse is made to probation officer/women safety officer. The officer will check with areas domestic violence policy and complete any appropriate actions. Probation officer completes risk identification checklist (attached) with the client or makes a professional judgement of level of risk faced by client or passes up to MARAC representative to do so. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to manager to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC rep and refer case to appropriate domestic violence service. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and refer to local specialist domestic abuse services. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC MARAC rep/ probation officer involved fills out as much of the research form (attached) as possible and takes it to the meeting. MARAC MEETING Following the MARAC meeting the MARAC representative will inform you of any information that was shared which could have an impact on your respo  ");
array_files[82]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20Police%20Service%20of%20Northern%20Ireland%20final%20version%202011.pdf","2012-01-28","668K"," Contents:","","","Police Service of Northern Ireland ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. CAADA Domestic Abuse Stalking and Honour-based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification Checklist, referral and research forms 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, probation, 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. MARACs and the police In your role as a police officer, you are dealing with the emergency response to domestic violence and its follow up investigation and support. Your MARAC should represent an important additional resource for you. You will be able to work closely with a range of agencies, including your IDVA service, to help ensure that an effective safety plan is implemented. 1. Frequently asked questions What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist. Please be advised that a more extensive ACPO endorsed version is available to all forces). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10 per cent of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. This may include cases of extended family violence including so-called ,,honour based violence. You will play a part in identifying cases that meet the MARAC threshold. What information should my agency bring? The information brought to the MARAC from the police should cover the risks to the victim, children and the perpetrator. You will need to research your recent involvement with every case, provide up to date intelligence about the family including bail conditions. You would also inform your partner agencies on the results of background checks to identify previous convictions, warning markers and impending prosecutions. It will be important to research any child protection issues known to the police. What actions should we take before the MARAC? For cases that have come to your attention before the MARAC you should implement any actions you would undertake for any other high risk victim of domestic abuse. This might include target hardening, address/occurrence markers and panic alarms. You will follow your local policy in this regard, and the normal links need to be made in relation to child protection. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting 1  What actions can we offer at the MARAC? Actions offered by the Domestic Abuse Officer/Public Protection Unit will focus on victim safety and the management of the perpetrator. Your role will frequently include assisting other agencies to offer support to the family safely. This could include going on joint visits with health visitors/IDVAs etc, investigating the offences discussed at MARAC if appropriate and safe to do so, co-ordinating home watch/cocoon watch, prioritizing arrest, or making a referral to the child abuse team. Finally, you will be expected to provide intelligence packages to the relevant officers. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to the MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk. Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a Northern Ireland MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other Northern Ireland frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: For additional information and materials on MARACs the new Northern Ireland MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the quality assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting 2  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting 3  Researching for the MARAC Local practice may differ according to policy and organisational structure. This is an outline of the research process for MARAC for a non-police referral. It is assumed that you would also carry out full research on a police referral to MARAC. Equally other agencies will carry out a similar research process. All cells in white should be completed by the officer who attends the MARAC. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator and children, including any on the agenda. Research database and files to get up to date information. Complete any appropriate actions ahead of MARAC. Note that you should check with the referring agency about safety issues if the case is not known to the police. Completed by Officer involved in the case, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative from unit attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto systems and contacts relevant officers; passes on any actions to officers to make your response to that family as safe and supportive as possible. Completed by Officer involved in the case Officer completes actions and lets MARAC co-ordinator know when completed. 4 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Police receive 999 call or other referral of domestic abuse. Attending officer completes risk assessment tool* and makes judgement on risk. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to supervising officer to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC co-ordinator. Refer case to IDVA or appropriate domestic violence service. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and refer to local specialist domestic abuse services. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC Your MARAC representative prepares the case summary and completes relevant research on the case for the meeting. MARAC MEETING At the meeting information is shared between all agencies and a safety plan agreed. Notify MARAC representative once those actions are completed. * You will be aware of the CAADA DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and ,,Honour-Based Violence) Risk Indentification Checklist, which was endorsed by ACPO in January 2009 for use by all forces. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting 5  3. Forms CAADA Quick Start Guidance for the CAADA-DASH Risk Identification Checklist You may be looking at this checklist because you are working in a professional capacity with a victim of domestic abuse. These notes are to help you understand the significance of the questions on the checklist. Domestic abuse can take many forms but it is usually perpetrated by men towards women in an intimate relationship such as boyfriend/girl  ");
array_files[83]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20POLICE%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","596K"," Contents:","","","Domestic Abuse Police Officer ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (multi-agency Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and the police In your role as a police officer, you are dealing with the emergency response to domestic violence and its follow up investigation and support. Your MARAC should represent an important additional resource for you. You will be able to work closely with a range of agencies, including your IDVA service, to help ensure that an effective safety plan is implemented. 1. Frequently asked questions What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended multi-agency Risk Identification Checklist. Please be advised that a more extensive ACPO endorsed version is available to all forces). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. This may include cases of extended family violence including so-called ,,honour based violence. You will play a part in identifying cases that meet the MARAC threshold. What information should my agency bring? The information brought to the MARAC from the police should cover the risks to the victim, children and the perpetrator. You will need to research your recent involvement with every case, provide up to date intelligence about the family including bail conditions. You would also inform your partner agencies on the results of PNC checks to identify previous convictions, warning markers and impending prosecutions. It will be important to research any child protection issues known to the police. What actions should we take before the MARAC? For cases that have come to your attention before the MARAC you should implement any actions you would undertake for any other high risk victim of domestic abuse. This might include target hardening, address/occurrence markers and panic alarms. You will follow your local policy in this regard, and the normal links need to be made in relation to child protection, MAPPA and POVA. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting 1  What actions can we offer at the MARAC? Actions offered by the domestic abuse unit/public protection unit will focus on victim safety and the management of the perpetrator. Your role will frequently include assisting other agencies to offer support to the family safely. This could include going on joint visits with health visitors/IDVAs etc, investigating the offences discussed at MARAC if appropriate and safe to do so, co-ordinating home watch/cocoon watch, prioritizing arrest, or making a referral to the child abuse team. Finally, you will be expected to provide intelligence packages to the relevant officers. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to the MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk. Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2009 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. 2 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process 3 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting  Researching for the MARAC Local practice may differ according to policy and organisational structure. This is an outline of the research process for MARAC for a non-police referral. It is assumed that you would also carry out full research on a police referral to MARAC. Equally other agencies will carry out a similar research process. All cells in white should be completed by the officer who attends the MARAC. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator and children, including any on the agenda. Research database and files to get up-to-date information. Complete any appropriate actions ahead of MARAC. Note that you should check with the referring agency about safety issues if the case is not known to the police. Completed by Officer involved in the case, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative from unit attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto systems and contacts relevant officers; passes on any actions to officers to make your response to that family as safe and supportive as possible. Completed by Officer involved in the case Officer completes actions and lets MARAC co-ordinator know when completed. 4 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Police receive 999 call or other referral of domestic abuse. Attending officer completes risk assessment tool* and makes judgement on risk. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to supervising officer to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC co-ordinator. Refer case to IDVA or appropriate DV service. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and refer to local specialist domestic abuse services. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC Your MARAC representative prepares the case summary and completes relevant research on the case for the meeting. MARAC MEETING At the meeting information is shared between all agencies and a safety plan agreed. Notify MARAC representative once those actions are completed. * You will be aware of the CAADA DASH (Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Harassment and ,,Honour-Based Violence) Risk Tool, which was endorsed by ACPO in January 2009 for use by all forces. 5 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting    ");
array_files[84]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20Northern%20Ireland%20SDVC%20final%20version%202011.pdf","2012-01-28","678K"," Contents:","","","T he NI MARAC Specialist Domestic Violence Services Toolkit Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and Specialist Domestic Violence Services The MARAC will seek to protect those who disclose domestic abuse to you and are at high risk of being seriously injured or killed from further abuse through a co-ordinated response from all agencies. As a specialist in domestic violence you are in a unique position of being able to offer expert advice to the MARAC about the dynamics of domestic violence and how to safety plan and offer specialised support for the survivor ,,the MARAC has resulted in other agencies taking domestic violence more seriously and has led to a greater understanding about the dynamics of domestic violence generally rather than just how it impacts on their particular role or organisation. Refuge Manager, North West 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? By attending the MARAC you will help ensure that the response to domestic violence from local statutory and voluntary agencies is safe and focussed on the needs of the survivor. You will develop better relationships with those agencies which will benefit your work with all survivors of domestic abuse. The MARAC representative is someone with managerial responsibility so that they are in a position to allocate resources. If your organisation cannot resource regular attendance at MARAC you will need to agree with another attendee such as the IDVA service to bring your information. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. What information should my agency bring? The domestic violence services representative should bring any information regarding the survivor that might help to assess the risk to the survivor and children or inform a safety plan. This might include information around the impact of abuse on the survivor, extent of the abuse, and disclosures relating to risk. The survivor might disclose 1 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  relevant information to their refuge worker that would help the MARAC develop a safer and more effective action plan. What actions can we offer? Any actions volunteered by the domestic violence services representative should be linked to ensuring the safety of the survivor. Specific actions might include contacting the victim to feed back the results of the MARAC, keeping other agencies updated on the risks faced by the survivor, or providing safe accommodation. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a Northern Ireland MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new Northern Ireland MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 2  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 3  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children, including any on the agenda. Check information systems for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case with date. Contact refuge/outreach workers involved if necessary to get up-to-date info and update any safety plans. Completed by refuge/outreach worker, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto information systems/contacts relevant refuge/outreach workers. Passes on any actions to the relevant worker. Completed by refuge/ outreach worker Refuge/outreach worker completes actions and lets MARAC rep know when completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 4  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Survivor self refers or is referred to the domestic violence service. Refuge/outreach worker completes Risk Identification Checklist (attached) with the survivor or makes a clinical judgement of level of risk faced by survivor. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to manager to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC rep. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and support according to service policy. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC MARAC rep/ refuge/outreach worker fills out as much of the research form (attached) as possible and takes it to the meeting. MARAC MEETING Following the MARAC meeting the MARAC rep will inform you of any information that was shared which could have an impact on your response to the victim/perpetrator(s). Also you might have been assigned actions to help improve the safety of the survivor and any children, such as going on a joint visit. Notify MARAC representative once those actions are completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 5  3. Forms CAADA Quick Start Guidance for the Risk Identification Checklist (RIC) for Domestic Abuse, Stalking and `Honour-Based Violence You may be looking at this checklist because you are working in a professional capacity with a victim of domestic abuse. These notes are to help you understand the significance of the questions on the checklist. Domestic abuse can take many forms but it is usually perpetrated by men towards women in an intimate relationship such as boyfrien  ");
array_files[85]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20Northern%20Ireland%20MARAC%20CHAIR%20final%20version%202011.pdf","2012-01-28","669K"," Contents:","","","MARAC Chair (Northern Ireland) ­ Toolkit for MARAC 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, probation, 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 this toolkit can help This toolkit will give you the basic steps to make sure that your MARAC is effective, that responsibility for risk management is shared by all agencies, and that the meeting is run as efficiently as possible. This toolkit should be read in conjunction with the MARAC Representatives Toolkit which goes through the MARAC process in detail. The role of the MARAC chair Your aim as chair of the MARAC is to establish a process that addresses the safety of the highest risk victims of domestic abuse in your area in partnership with other agencies. In order to do this you need to have a MARAC which is as consistent, transparent and accountable as possible. The Chair is usually police and should always be of a supervisory rank, of at least Sergeant, Public Protection Unit. CONSISTENCY: You will need to establish a consistent MARAC from the outset. This relates to: the attendance of partner agencies, the information that they bring to the meeting an ethos that actions are timed and completed as agreed within the meeting. TRANSPARENCY: It is important that all agencies at the MARAC are clear about their role and about the referral threshold for MARAC. You may get directly involved in establishing this at the outset and must use your judgement to ensure that the number of cases reviewed at each meeting is broadly consistent and at a manageable level. ACCOUNTABILITY: The key focus for the MARAC should obviously be the victim. Since they are not present at the meeting, you will need to identify someone who has brought information from the victim, where safe to do so, and identify the most appropriate person to inform the victim of any action plan or relevant information agreed at MARAC. This is most frequently the IDVA service, but can vary for individual cases. As chair you are not responsible for the actions of each attendee but equally an ethos of accountability and responsibility to partner agencies must be developed from the start. This relates to their attendance, to the completion of actions in particular and to the recording of data in relation to the MARAC. Where an organisation fails to provide a representative or (in their absence, a deputy), it is the role of the chair to bring this to the attention of the Public Protection Unit Detective Chief Inspector to raise this with the appropriate individual in the partner agency. The MARAC is designed to take responsibility for addressing these high risk cases of domestic abuse from one or two agencies and share it between all relevant agencies. Encouraging participation from all agencies is therefore a key task for the chair to help create a proactive safety plan where the risks and needs of victim, children and perpetrator are addressed by the MARAC appropriately. Where, in the unlikely event, a case remains unactioned for four or more MARAC meetings, it is the role of the chair to bring this to the attention of the Detective Chief Inspector to review the actions and assessment. The Chair should ensure that the victim is informed of the actions agreed during the meeting by recording whose responsibility it is to do this. Measuring the outcomes of the MARAC will be a key tool for you to analyse the impact of the process. We believe that the most objective measure for this links to the volume of cases brought to the meeting and the number of cases who suffer a repeat incident of domestic abuse in the following twelve months. 1 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  1. Frequently asked questions What is the threshold for MARAC? The MARAC meeting is only for those victims assessed to be at the greatest risk of future harm and/or domestic abuse. It is up to your MARAC to agree a common risk threshold that can be used by all agencies and a common understanding of what constitutes an appropriate level of risk to warrant a referral to MARAC and where information can be shared between agencies in a way that is proportionate to the risks faced. This should reflect whether the case would benefit from the resources of all the agencies at the meeting, whether the level of risk is high enough to justify breaching confidentiality if necessary and whether you have resources to manage the workload that will arise from your chosen risk level. We recommend that your MARAC should deal with the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. The PSNI recommended risk identification checklist gives an opportunity for other agencies to have a simple referral framework, which is consistent with the evidence base that we have for risk in domestic abuse cases. The specific criteria for your area will have to be agreed. This should include professional judgement, and/or an actuarial level based on the number of ,,yes responses on the form, and/or escalation in terms of the number of callouts or attendances to that victim. . It is recommended that ,,threshold meetings are not held for MARAC. Apart from the obvious consequences in terms of resources, it can act as a barrier to multi agency referrals and places a great responsibility on those responsible for selecting from a group of cases that have already been identified as high risk. Who should attend the MARAC? The criteria for attending MARAC should be that an agency can bring either information or offer actions for a case. The specific agency representative should be able to allocate resources on behalf of their agency. We do not recommend that individual case workers attend since this will inevitably add to the length of the meeting and the MARAC does not typically need this level of detail to make a judgement in a case. Ideally, the MARAC will have full representation from agencies representing services for the victim, perpetrator and children and that both the statutory and voluntary sectors are represented. The MARAC makes connections between fragmented systems such as criminal justice and health or childrens services. However, most MARACs begin the process without commitment from every agency. Our experience suggests that the outcomes from MARAC are clear relatively quickly and that this is the best way of encouraging a broader commitment. If you have particular problems with engaging an agency, CAADA would be happy to put you in touch with their ,,opposite number at another MARAC so that they can discuss the merits of attending. It can also help to review the names on the agenda with a non-attending agency to permit them to identify the overlap with their own work and the relevance of the MARAC to their own case load. How long should the MARAC spend `discussing a case? Evidence from the MARACs that are currently running around the country is that approximately 12-15 minutes is spent discussing each case. The speed of the process underlines the need for agencies to come well prepared with succinct, relevant information. Your skill as Chair will be to ensure that all agencies have an opportunity to be heard at the meeting. Action planning at MARAC We noted above the skill required to facilitate speedy and comprehensive information sharing. Skill is also required from the Chair in relation to the safety planning process. You will need to strike a balance between encouraging agencies to offer their actions, while ensuring that actions do fall to the most appropriate agency, not just the most enthusiastic! In the initial stages of MARAC, some agencies may not be familiar with the process (especially those from the voluntary sector) and so you will need to help them to feel equal partners in the work. It is important to stress the need for agencies to volunteer or offer their actions. As chair you are not as conversant with the actions that every agency can do as the agency itself. To ensure that actions are always completed, it is important that they are proactively offered by the agency in question. If actions are regularly not completed you may need to address this with the senior management of the agency concerned. List of Toolkits available from www.caada.org.uk If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. If you are a front line practitioner referring to MARAC these toolkits offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of your professional role. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 2  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 3  Researching for the MARAC Agencies attending the MARAC will research for MARAC in different ways, but here is an outline of the process for most agencies. List of names to be discussed at MARAC sent to agencies by the MARAC co-ordin  ");
array_files[86]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20Northern%20Ireland%20HEALTH%20final%20version%202011.pdf","2012-01-28","670K"," Contents:","","","Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives in NI ­ Toolkit for MARACs Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. CAADA Domestic Abuse Stalking and Honour-based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification Checklist, referral and research forms 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, probation, 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. MARACs and the Primary Healthcare Team Identification of domestic abuse can fall largely to the Primary Healthcare Team as they are ideally placed to deal with cases of domestic abuse due to the ongoing relationship with the client. It is for these reasons that the BMA recommend routine enquiry for maternity services. The MARAC will seek better protection from further abuse for those victims who disclose domestic abuse to you and are at high risk of being seriously injured or killed. MARACs have been proven to reduce repeat victimisation through co-ordinating resources locally, therefore have improved the quality of life for some of the children that you work with. ,,For years and years we didnt have much to offer, except what felt like punishing women by going to social services, now women get a quick response which lets them know that someone is looking out for them Named Nurse (Safeguarding), Salford 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? The MARAC will normally achieve more successful outcomes in high risk domestic violence cases than you would have achieved working with limited information on your own. Sharing the information you have about the risks to a patient will ensure the action plan drawn up by the MARAC is more likely to succeed. In exchange for this information you will receive a better service for your patients and any children involved from a range of agencies, and specialist support from domestic violence services. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1108684. 1  What information should my agency bring? The Primary Healthcare MARAC representative (a Child Protection Nurse Specialist with managerial responsibilities), should bring any relevant information to the MARAC about the family that will help assess the risk or inform a safety plan. This might include information about recent visits, any contact details, your professional opinion on general health and development, recent attitudes/behaviours of the family members and risk and possible protective factors in that family. Examples of protective factors can include whether or not Mum is accessing health services and who is providing support to the family. This information will also be useful when assessing the safety of practitioners going into the home. What actions can we offer? Actions volunteered by the Child Protection Nurse Specialist will usually focus on providing access to the victim for support services, and advising staff on whether home visits are appropriate. Practice nurses within GP surgeries are usually involved in well woman care and therefore are in a position to see female patients without the presence of family members or partners. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your patient will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a Northern Ireland MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other Northern Ireland frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: For additional information and materials on MARACs the new Northern Ireland MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the quality assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1108684. 2  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1108684. 3  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency) Check all addresses listed for children and pregnant women whether they are on the agenda or not. Identify healthcare professional, GP and school for each child. Contact relevant professional. Completed by Health professional, or by MARAC rep Healthcare professional completes research form using records (including school files) and knowledge of family. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative feeds back to healthcare professional any relevant information shared by other agencies and any relevant actions so that you can make sure your response to that family is as safe and supportive as it can be. Completed by Health professional Healthcare professional completes actions and let MARAC representative know when completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1108684. 4  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Disclosure of domestic abuse is made to healthcare professional. At this point healthcare professional will check with domestic violence policy and complete appropriate actions. Healthcare professional completes CAADA-DASH Checklist (attached) with the client or makes a clinical judgement of level of risk faced by client or passes up to MARAC rep to do so. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e high risk) refer to manager to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC rep. MARAC rep or healthcare professional should then refer the case to IDVA or specialist domestic violence service. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and refer to local specialist domestic abuse services. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC MARAC rep./ healthcare professional involved fills out as much of the research form (attached) as possible and takes it to the meeting. MARAC MEETING Following the MARAC meeting the MARAC rep. will inform you of any information that was shared which could have an impact on your response to the victim/perpetrator(s). Also you might have been assigned actions to help improve the safety of the victim and any children, such as  ");
array_files[87]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20Northern%20Ireland%20CYPS%20final%20version%202011.pdf","2012-01-28","669K"," Contents:","","","Children and Young Peoples Services in NI ­ Toolkit for MARACs Contents: 1. 2. 3. 4. Frequently asked questions Contacts for your local MARAC Flowcharts tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC CAADA Domestic Abuse Stalking andHonour-based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification Checklist, referral and research forms 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, probation, 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. MARACs and children and young people The MARAC will help you by linking up efforts to safeguard the abused parent and safeguard the child. This will help you to intervene in vulnerable families before children are placed at significant risk. The MARAC will also help you to work with clients that are not engaging with you or need more support by involving other agencies, such as an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) service or specialist domestic violence services. ,,We are often at a loss as to how to progress if Mum says nothings happened and the children are fine. The MARAC gives us a way to get beyond that position Safeguarding Officer, Liverpool 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? The risk to children from domestic abuse is clearly understood. You will receive information from a variety of agencies at MARAC about what is going on in the family, whether or not your agency is already involved in the case. This will allow you to make better decisions on how to progress referrals where resources permit and to assess the risks to the family, and therefore keep children safer at home. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for a CAADArecommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10 per cent of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. What information should my agency bring? The Children and Young Peoples Services representative at MARAC (normally someone with managerial responsibilities) should bring any relevant information regarding the family that might help to assess the risk to the victim and children, or inform a safety plan. This might include whether or not the case is known to your service, whether the child is on the child protection register, the level of current intervention, any assessments and the outcomes of those assessments. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  What actions can we offer? The actions volunteered by Children and Young Peoples Services usually focus on increasing the safety of the children and working with other agencies to make sure that current support offered is safe for the victim involved. Specific actions might include agreeing to assess the children, referring the case to other services, or going on joint visits. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a Northern Ireland MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other Northern Ireland frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant. For additional information and materials on MARACs the new Northern Ireland MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the quality assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  3. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 3  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC Co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC Co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children, including any on the agenda. Check information systems for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case with date. Contact social workers involved if necessary to get up-to-date information and complete any appropriate actions in line with domestic violence policy. Complete research form. Completed by social worker, or by MARAC rep Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto information systems/contacts relevant social workers. Passes on any actions to the social worker so that you can make sure your response to that family is as safe and supportive as it can be. Completed by social worker Social worker completes actions and lets MARAC representative know when completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 4  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Disclosure of domestic abuse is made to a social worker. At this point social worker will check with domestic violence policy and complete appropriate actions. Social worker completes CAADA-DASH Risk Identification Checklist (attached) with the client or makes a clinical judgement of level of risk faced by client or passes up to MARAC rep to do so If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to manager to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC rep. Refer case to IDVA or appropriate domestic abuse service. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and refer to local specialist domestic abuse services. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC MARAC rep/ social worker fills out as much of the research form (attached) as possible and takes it to the meeting. MARAC MEETING Following the MARAC meeting the MARAC rep. will inform you of any information that was shared which could have an impact on your response to the victim/perpetrator(s). Also you might have been assigned actions to help improve the safety of the victim and any children, such as going on a joint visit. Notify MARAC representative once those actions are completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 5  4. Forms CAADA Quick Start Guidance for the CAADA-DASH Risk Identification Checklist You may be looking at this checklist because you are working in a professional capacity with a victim of domestic abuse. These notes are to help you understand the significance of the questions on the checklist. Domestic abuse can take many forms but it is usually perpetrated by men toward  ");
array_files[88]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20Northern%20Ireland%20COORDINATOR%20final%20version%202011.pdf","2012-01-28","670K"," Contents:","","","MARAC Co-ordinator/Administrator in NI ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. CAADA Domestic Abuse Stalking andHonour-based Violence (DASH) Risk Identification Checklist, referral and research forms 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, probation, 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 this toolkit can help This toolkit will give you the basic steps to make sure that your MARAC is effective, that responsibility for risk management is shared by all agencies, and that the meeting is run as efficiently as possible. You may also want to refer to the new MARAC Representatives toolkit which goes through the MARAC process in more detail. I found this role a challenge but the rewards far outweighed this. I played a key part in bringing different agencies onboard. This enabled an appropriate, comprehensive safety plan for the victims and families of high risk domestic violence. MARAC Coordinator, Staffordshire The role of the MARAC Coordinator COMMUNICATION: Your role is crucial in establishing effective communication between all parties who attend MARAC. You may need to give appropriate information to partner agencies about the MARAC process. You will also need to work with the Chair to identify agency gaps within the MARAC and continue to establish links with these agencies to enable full participation at the MARAC. ADMINISTRATION: You may need to develop new forms and organise ways of sending information, for example by secure email. You will need to access police systems and databases to ensure that the MARAC list is as accurate as possible before distribution. The MARAC list needs to be circulated at least eight days before the meeting. Appropriate and accurate minutes need to be produced and distributed as soon as possible after the MARAC. All forms are available on the CAADA website (www.caada.org.uk) to download if required. OUTCOMES: It is important to record your MARAC data. This will allow you to feedback and monitor how effective your MARAC is. You can then inform partner agencies of the impact that this coordinated response is having. Being able to highlight statistics may help with future funding for further resources and identify if there are particular communities that are not currently engaging with any service providers. 1. Frequently asked questions What cases are discussed? Your MARAC Operating Protocol should have set criteria for what constitutes an appropriate threshold for referring a case to MARAC. It is the referring agencys responsibility to identify the level of risk and forward the cases to you. The cases can be referred by any agency as long as they meet the threshold for discussion at MARAC. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 1  How do I send out the information for the meeting? You will need to identify which agencies have a secure email system. If you have a Data Protection Officer, they will be able to guide you on best practice. You may need to send the documents by registered post until you have a secure system in place. What information should I include on the MARAC list? You will need to include all names, dates of birth and addresses of victim, children and perpetrator. This information needs to be as accurate as possible with any alias names included. Your attending agencies will be relying on this accuracy to check their own records prior to the MARAC. You will also need to ensure a safe contact number is forwarded to the IDVA so the victim can be contacted prior to the MARAC. How will I know if an action has been agreed? Sometimes the pace of MARAC is fast and it can be difficult to follow which actions are definitely agreed and what precisely is meant. It can be helpful for the Chair and other agency attendees if you summarise the actions after each case, highlighting who is responsible for the action, and by when it will be completed. How will I know if an action has been completed? Good communication between you and the attending agencies is essential. They will need to keep you updated via email or telephone concerning the completion of actions. It is important that you are aware of incomplete actions and record them on the agenda for the next meeting. The Chair can then highlight outstanding actions before the new cases are discussed. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to the MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk. Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether agencies discuss the MARAC with the victim will depend on whether they referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a Northern Ireland MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant. For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new Northern Ireland MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 2  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 3  Your role in the MARAC process Practice may differ in your area according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the coordinators administrative role for the MARAC assuming that they are based in a police station. Statutory and voluntary agencies complete referral form and Risk Identification Checklist (see attached) and forward it to you having already established that they meet MARAC threshold. Search databases and create MARAC list including names/addresses and dates of birth of victim, children and perpetrator. Distribute MARAC list and previous MARAC minutes at least eight days before the MARAC using secure email or registered post. Create agenda for MARAC including apologies from agencies unable to attend. Ensure that any agency that is not attending provides you with the research or a report from their organisation before the MARAC on each case where they hold information which is relevant to share. This can either be read out by you or the Chair. Provide spare copies of MARAC list /agenda for attendees. Help the Chair to identify who is in attendance with the smallest number of cases and rearrange order of cases if necessary to accommodate this. After the meeting distribute the actions to any relevant colleagues and any agency who was not in attendance but may have an action. Facilitate joint visits by providing contact details for agencies. Feedback any information from the MARAC to the police that may need actioning immediately. Completed by Co- ordinator You may be required to take the minutes of the meeting. Ensure that you record the difference between fact and opinion. You will need to summarise the actions after each case. Complete minutes as soon as possible and distribute to all attendees via secure methods. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864. 4  Referring a case to the MARAC Although you will not directly be r  ");
array_files[89]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20MENTAL%20HEALTH%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","608K"," Contents:","","","Mental Health Services ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and Mental Health Services As we know up to 20% of female mental health service users will be experiencing current abuse and 50 ­ 60% will have experienced abuse in the past.1 The MARAC will help you ensure that those who disclose domestic abuse to you and are at high risk of being seriously injured or killed are better protected from further abuse by a coordinated effort from all agencies and organisations. It will also help your work by giving you up to date information from other agencies about your clients situation. ,,The MARAC is crucial in aiding and informing the risk assessment, and flagging areas so that mental health professionals ask pertinent questions, Crisis Manager, South West. 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? The MARAC will normally achieve more successful outcomes in high risk domestic violence cases than you would have achieved working with limited information on your own. Recognising the impact of domestic violence on your service users, whether they are the perpetrator, victim or children, will make your services more effective and safe. Representation from mental health will assist the MARAC by bringing expertise on the impact of mental health issues, and how best to support those involved. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. What information should my agency bring? 1 Mainstreaming Gender and Womens Mental health: Implementation Guidance (London: Department of Health) 1 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  The MARAC rep from mental health (normally someone with managerial responsibilities) should bring any relevant information relating to the safety of the victim/children and the risk management of the perpetrator. This could include details around what services the victim/perpetrator/children are receiving, whether your agency has capacity to take on service users if there is a need, and information on the history of mental health issues. What actions can we offer? The actions generally volunteered by mental health services are simple actions such as recognising repeat cases of abuse (by flagging files if possible), and offering your services to victims/perpetrators and children if the service is appropriate and required. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. 2 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process 3 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children, including any on the agenda. Check information systems for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case with date. Contact mental health practitioner involved if necessary to get up-to-date info and complete any appropriate actions in line with domestic violence policy. Completed by practitioner, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information onto information systems/contacts relevant mental health practitioner. Passes on any actions to the mental health practitioner so that you can make sure your response to that family is as safe and supportive as it can be. Completed by practitioner Mental health practitioner completes actions and lets MARAC rep know when completed. 4 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Disclosure of domestic abuse is made to mental health practitioner by victim/perpetrator(s)/children. At this point mental health practitioner will check with domestic violence policy and complete appropriate actions, including referring to IDVA or specialist DV service. If mental health practitioner is working with the victim they should complete a Risk Identification Checklist (attached) with the client or makes a clinical judgement of level of risk faced by client or passes up to MARAC rep to do so. If risk level meets MARAC threshold (i.e. high risk) refer to manager to discuss safety options to put in place now. Fill out referral form (attached) and hand to MARAC rep. Refer case to IDVA or appropriate DV service. If does not meet the threshold: continue to complete appropriate actions and refer to local specialist domestic abuse services. END REFERRAL MADE TO MARAC MARAC rep/ mental health practitioner involved fills out as much of the research form (attached) as possible and takes it to the meeting. MARAC MEETING Following the MARAC meeting the MARAC rep will inform you of any information that was shared which could have an impact on your response to thevictim/perpetrator(s). Also you mig  ");
array_files[90]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20MARAC%20Representative%20final%20version%2009.pdf","2012-01-28","1134K"," Contents:","","","The MARAC Representatives Toolkit Contents 1. What is the toolkit for? What is in it? 2. What are the aims of MARAC? 3. How CAADA can support your work at MARAC 4. Flowcharts: the MARAC Process and Common Pitfalls 5. Step by Step Guide to the Role of the MARAC Representative 6. The role of the IDVA at MARAC 7. Appendices: a. CAADA-DASH Risk Identification Checklist 2009 b. MARAC Referral Form c. MARAC Research Form 1 2 2 3-4 5-9 10 11 12-19 20 21 22-23 24-32 d. Information Sharing Without Consent Form e. Action Planning Guidance by Agency What is the toolkit for? This toolkit is designed to be a guide for you to clarify your role as a MARAC representative on behalf of your agency and as a quick and easy reference tool, particularly when you need to trouble shoot practical issues at your MARAC to ensure it focuses on the safety of victims. We hope it will help to make your work with the MARAC as productive as possible in terms of safeguarding victims and to make links between your MARAC work and your ,,day job. This is a generic toolkit aimed at every MARAC representative and focuses on the whole process of which the MARAC meeting is just a part. It is based on the evaluated model of MARACs that is supported by CAADA and the Home Office. If you have specific enquiries about your agencys role at MARAC please contact CAADA on marac@caada.org.uk or read the relevant Practitioner Toolkit which is available to download from our website at www.caada.org.uk. As a MARAC representative you are a very important link in the whole MARAC process and without your engagement the meeting will be much less effective in achieving its goals. What is in the toolkit? Flowcharts to highlight the key steps in running a sound MARAC and to outline where common pitfalls occur. Detailed analysis of each step to show your role within it and how this links in with other partner. Key documents that you will use at your MARAC: the updated risk identification checklist, the referral and research forms for MARAC and the sharing information without consent form. Web www.caada.org.uk E -mail m arac@caad a.org.uk T el 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2009. Please do not cite or lift text without CAADAs permission. Registered c ha rity number 1108684.  2 What are the aims of the MARAC? There are four aims of MARAC - to safeguard adult victims, make links with other public protection arrangements in relation to children, perpetrators and vulnerable adults and to safeguard agency staff as well as to address the behaviour of the perpetrator. This is achieved by an information sharing and action planning process at MARAC. To make this work case management and specialist support, before, during and after the meeting, is normally provided by the Independent Domestic Violence Advisor. You should have an IDVA service in your region which will provide specialist support to high risk victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis and be skilled at working and co-ordinating the responses of different agencies. What is the support that CAADA can offer my MARAC? The process that we set out on page three of this booklet may not look exactly like the way the MARAC is working in your area. If this is the case, CAADA aims to offer support in a number of ways. Training: We provide a range of training aimed at all the key participants in MARAC including the Chair, Co-ordinator, Representatives and IDVAs. We also have developed a MARAC Champions training programme that equips local delegates to cascade training and information about the MARAC to front line practitioners. Help Desk: We run a help-desk which can be contacted at marac@caada.org.uk where we will attempt to answer any practical problems regarding the process, but cannot comment on individual cases. Practical Tools: In addition to the appendices to this document, we have created simple checklists to help you create sound information sharing and operating protocols. Data Collection: We also receive quarterly data from your MARAC Co-ordinator and analyse this in relation to the performance of your MARAC compared with others in your region and nationally. This is something that may be of relevance to you in your work and in communicating the value of MARAC to colleagues in your own agency. Cost Benefit Analysis: Equally, CAADA can provide a simple cost benefit analysis for your MARAC if you can provide us with the relevant information in relation to the nature of the cases that you are dealing with. Quality Assurance: We believe that it is important for victim safety that MARACs follow the evaluated model set out in this document. Thus the final part of our implementation package is Quality Assurance, which provides an independent assessment of your MARAC in relation to 11 good practice principles. It focuses heavily on the role of the different partners in the MARAC: the Chair, the IDVA, the Co-ordinator and all the representatives from different agencies and as part of this your views will be sought as to how your MARAC is operating. For more information about the MARAC Quality Assurance process please go to www.caada.org.uk. Web www.caada.org.uk E -mail m arac@caad a.org.uk T el 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2009. Please do not cite or lift text without CAADAs permission. Registered cha rity number 1108684.  3 MARAC Flowchart 1- The Steps to the Process Web www.caada.org.uk E -mail m arac@caad a.org.uk T el 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2009. Please do not cite or lift text without CAADAs permission. Registered cha rity number 1108684.  4 MARAC Process 2-Some Common Pitfalls Web www.caada.org.uk E -mail m arac@caad a.org.uk T el 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2009. Please do not cite or lift text without CAADAs permission. Registered cha rity number 1108684.  5 STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO THE REPRESENTATIVES ROLE You are probably already familiar with your organisations procedures for identifying cases involving domestic abuse. However, it may be the case that your colleagues within your agency are less familiar with the existence of MARAC and how they can use it to support victims who they identify. You may wish to use the CAADA Toolkit for your agency which is designed for frontline practitioners to explain the process and their role within it. There may also be a CAADA trained ,,Champion in your area who is equipped with the relevant training materials to be able to explain the process and address any practical concerns with colleagues. Your role is to make links with front line colleagues, or your in-house domestic abuse specialist so that they are able to contact you if a victim of domestic abuse is identified. Once you have identified someone as suffering domestic abuse, you then need to establish if they are a high risk victim. To do this we would suggest that you: a. Use the CAADA-DASH risk identification checklist and accompanying guidance notes which can be downloaded from www.caada.org.uk. The checklist includes recommendations on how to classify a case of high risk involving both your clinical/professional judgement and an actuarial measure which can help support this decision. b. You may feel less confident about completing the risk identification checklist within your own agency. We would encourage you to consider this, however there may be instances where it is appropriate to refer the case to your local IDVA service and ask them to work with the victim and to identify the level of risk. However, if you have not established whether the victim is high risk by use of the risk identification tool then you will need to have their consent in order to make this referral. c. We would recommend that you make links with the IDVA service and indeed perhaps keep some of their literature at your office so that you are able to explain their work briefly and give information to any victim who might want to contact them proactively. Web www.caada.org.uk E -mail m arac@caad a.org.uk T el 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 ©CAADA 2009. Please do not cite or lift text without CAADAs permission. Registered cha rity number 1108684.  6 There are clear benefits in all MARAC partners using the same risk identification tool and having common thresholds for referral into the meeting. The thresholds that are set out in our guidance we believe to be defensible in terms of information sharing legislation, however, you may find that the volume of cases in your area is so high that you need to review one or more of these criteria in order to maintain a manageable workload at your MARAC which we see as an average of no more than 20 cases per meeting. Your role is to establish the level of risk, either within your agency, or by making a referral to a domestic abuse specialist such as the IDVA. If you have completed the risk identification checklist and established that the victim is at high risk of harm, the next step is to refer the case to your local MARAC Co-ordinator. You may find it helpful to use the CAADA MARAC Referral Form which gives you an opportunity to outline the key features of the referral and allows the Coordinator to include these on the MARAC agenda which is then circulated to all representatives. It is important to establish at this stage whether the victim consents to have their information discussed at MARAC or whether you have to take the case forward without consent. We have also produced an Information Sharing Without Consent Form which you can use in order to come to a balanced and defensible decision as to whether to share information without the victims consent. Clearly, wherever possible, it is better to have the victims consent and your ability to explain to colleagues how the MARAC works and what it can offer will be instrumental in obtaining this. Your role is to complete the referral form and send it to your MARAC Co-ordinator. Typically eight days before the MARAC you will receive an agenda which has the names and other key information relating to the cases which will be discussed at the next meeting. This should include the name of the case that you referred and also the names that have been referred by other agencies. At this point you will need to research the information that your agency hol  ");
array_files[91]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20LGBT%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","609K"," Contents:","","","Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) voluntary and community organisations ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and LGBT Services There are relatively few LGBT domestic abuse organisations in the UK and most local areas do not have services working specifically with LGBT people experiencing domestic abuse. The MARAC will seek to protect those who disclose domestic abuse to you and are at high risk from further abuse, through a co-ordinated response from all agencies. Representation of an LGBT voluntary or community organisation at MARAC will ensure this co-ordinated effort can be fully informed of the unique needs of LGBT people in terms of risk and appropriate interventions to increase their safety, health and well-being. ,,,,Being able to refer to the MARAC was really important ­ it meant the support of other agencies in developing a safety plan. It was also a powerful message for my client; they realised other agencies would take their experiences seriously. Service manager, GBT domestic abuse organisation, Cardiff 1. Frequently asked questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? While provision for LGBT people experiencing domestic abuse is improving, there remain a number of specific challenges and barriers to supporting LGBT survivors. Having a representative from an LGBT organisation will allow the high risk cases that you identify to get the same level of support as other victims, and will permit you to give expert input in relation to LGBT cases referred by generic agencies. You would only need to attend for cases involving LGBT individuals. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. This may include cases of extended family violence including so-called ,,honour based violence. Since LGBT victims are typically more reluctant to disclose domestic abuse, it may be that a greater percentage of your referrals meet the MARAC risk threshold. 1 1 For example, an evaluation of gay men referred to the Dyn Project in Cardiff reported that 31% of referrals were classified as High or Very High Risk ­ to download this report visit the library of resources at www.caada.org.uk 1 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864  What information should my agency bring? As a representative from an LGBT voluntary or community service your knowledge of a victim and any children is invaluable to the MARAC; particularly where an individual is reluctant to disclose their experience to a generic organisation because they are concerned about homo/bi/transphobia. You can also bring information relating to a unique need they may face that is associated with their sexual orientation or gender identity, (e.g. if their partner is telling them that no one will help because they are LGBT). What actions can we offer? Any actions volunteered by the LGBT representative should focus on safety for the survivor. Your organisation could offer support to a victim, either individually or in collaboration with another agency, both for clients that are already engaging with you and those who are not known to your organisation. With the appropriate training, you might also offer advice to those involved to resolve cases where there are counter-allegations (i.e. where both parties in an incident are reported to the police) or where another organisation has labelled a case as involving ,,mutual abuse. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you referred the case to MARAC. IF YOU ARE THE REFERRING AGENCY: It is good practice to discuss the referral with the victim if it is safe to do so. You will need to use your professional judgement to decide whether it is safe. IF YOU ARE NOT THE REFERRING AGENCY: You should check with the referring agency before contacting your client to gather relevant information to ensure it is safe to do so. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864 2  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864 3  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children, including any on the agenda. Check information systems for up-to-date information and flag files as MARAC case with date. Contact support workers involved if necessary to get up-to-date info and complete any appropriate actions in line with domestic violence policy. Completed by support worker, or by MARAC rep Complete research form. Put flag on file if not already done or make a note that MARAC took place, the date, and who to contact with queries. MARAC representative attends MARAC, shares relevant information and agrees actions. MARAC representative inputs any relevant information gathered at the MARAC into information systems/contacts relevant support workers. Passes on any actions to the support worker so that you can make sure your response to that family is as safe and supportive as it can be. Completed by support worker or MARAC rep Support worker completes actions and lets MARAC rep know when completed. Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864 4  Referring a case to the MARAC Policies on referring to your particular MARAC will be available locally but here is an outline of the process. Disclosure of domestic abuse is made to a support worker. Support worker completes Risk Identification Checklist (attached) or makes a clinical judgement of the level of risk faced by client  ");
array_files[92]=new Array(0,4,"http://www.caada.org.uk/marac/TOOLKIT%20-%20IDVA%20final%202010.pdf","2012-01-28","608K"," Contents:","","","Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) ­ Toolkit for MARAC Contents: 1. Frequently asked questions 2. Flowcharts steps to the MARAC process, tracking the research and referral processes for MARAC 3. Forms from CAADA (Risk Identification Checklist (RIC), referral and research forms) 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, probation, 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. MARACs and IDVAs The MARAC will help you ensure that those high risk victims you support are better protected from further abuse by a co-ordinated effort from all agencies and organisations. The IDVAs role at MARAC is to represent the views of the victim at the meeting and to liaise where possible between the victim and partner agencies to ensure that the safety plan is indeed safe further; the IDVA will normally be responsible for the case management. The MARAC helps high risk victims access more resources locally, helps you build relationships with local agencies and impacts on the core of your work ­ safety planning with the victim. You may also want to refer to the new MARAC Representatives toolkit which goes through the MARAC process in more detail. ,,The MARAC provides valuable information which other agencies may have, which will assist to determine the true extent of risk to the victim and her children, ensuring a more effective safety plan. IDVA service manager, Derby 1. Frequently Asked Questions Why does a representative from my agency attend? The MARAC will allow you to represent the views of the victim in your areas co-ordinated response and ensure that appropriate resources are offered by partner agencies. The kind of partnership working and efficient and effective information sharing at MARAC would not be achievable if it werent for the meeting, it is therefore crucial that you attend to give your expert opinion on domestic violence, share the up-to-date information you have, and act as a link between the victim and the MARAC agencies. What cases are discussed? The highest risk cases of domestic abuse are discussed in your MARAC. These will have been identified by a practitioner from any agency using an evidence based risk assessment tool (see attached for CAADA recommended Risk Identification Checklist). It is recommended that the MARAC should initially see the top 10% of cases in your area in terms of risk profile. This may include cases of extended family violence including so-called ,,honour based violence. What information should my agency bring? The IDVA should bring any relevant information from the victim that would help the MARAC to create a safe and effective risk management plan. This could include information on level of risk, barriers to accessing support for 1 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  the victim, wishes of the victim (for example wishing to be re-housed locally), any upcoming appointments and content of previous contacts. The victim will generally disclose more details around the abuse to the IDVA than to any other agency; this may present you with difficult decisions on disclosure where the wishes of your client might conflict with what may help assure their safety. It is therefore crucial that the IDVA attend to ensure the action plan is as safe as possible. What actions can we offer? The actions offered by the IDVA will usually reflect work you are already doing with the victim. This will involve supporting the victim through crisis, discussing options, supporting through criminal/civil process, assisting with housing options, risk assessing and safety planning with the victim and signposting on to other services. In addition you will be able to coordinate some actions with other agencies. What are the legal grounds for sharing information where consent is not given? Disclosures to MARAC are made under the Data Protection Act and the Human Rights Act. Information can be shared when it is necessary to prevent a crime, protect the health and/or safety of the victim and/or the rights and freedoms of those who are victims of violence and/or their children. It must be proportionate to the level of risk of harm to a named individual or known household. For further information see the FAQs on disclosure of information at MARAC available at www.caada.org.uk. The principle that underpins MARAC is that the threshold of risk is so high that consent is not legally necessary from the victim to share info. In practice having the victims support for the process will almost always lead to a more successful outcome. Does the victim need to know they are being discussed at MARAC? Whether you discuss the MARAC with your client will depend on whether you believe it is safe to do so, or whether it would put the victim or any other party at greater risk. It is good practice to contact the victim before the MARAC to gather information on what the current situation is and what the victim wants. Please see the back page of this toolkit for an easy to use contact list where details of your local MARAC representatives can be documented. Other MARAC toolkits and resources If you or someone from your agency attends the MARAC meeting, you can download a MARAC Representatives Toolkit from www.caada.org.uk. This essential document troubleshoots practical issues around the whole MARAC process. Other frontline Practitioner Toolkits are also available from www.caada.org.uk. These offer a practical introduction to MARAC within the context of a professional role. Please feel free to signpost colleagues and other agency staff to these toolkits where relevant: A&E Ambulance Service B&ME Services Cafcass Children and Young Peoples Services Childrens Centres Drug and Alcohol Services Education Fire and Rescue Services Family Intervention Projects Health Visitors, School Nurses and Community Midwives Housing Services Independent Domestic Violence Advisors LGBT Services MARAC Chair MARAC Coordinator Mental Health Services Police Officer Probation Safeguarding Adult Services Sexual Violence Services Specialist Domestic Violence Services Womens Safety Officer For additional information and materials on Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs), the new MARAC Guide 2010 ­ From Principles to Practice can be ordered by contacting marac@caada.org.uk. This provides detailed guidance on the whole MARAC process and is linked to the 10 Principles which form the basis of the Quality Assurance audit and national standards for MARAC. It is aimed to be used by MARAC steering groups, those MARACs approaching the QA audit and for MARACs who are seeking comprehensive guidance on implementation issues. 2 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  2. Flowcharts Steps to the MARAC Process 3 Web www.caada.org.uk E-mail marac@caada.org.uk Tel 0117 317 8750 Fax 0117 376 3364 © CAADA 2010. Please acknowledge CAADA when reprinting. Registered charity number 1106864.  Researching for the MARAC Practice in your agency will differ according to local policy and organisational structure, but below is an outline of the research process for MARAC. All the cells in white should be completed by your MARAC representative. List of names to be discussed at MARAC received from the MARAC co-ordinator approx eight working days prior to the meeting (the MARAC co-ordinator usually sits within the police, or whichever agency is the lead agency). Check all addresses you have for victim, perpetrator(s) and children, including any on the agenda. If you have not already contacted the victim, have capacity, and it is safe t