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National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland

practice

THE PURPOSE OF THE GUIDELINES

A range of services throughout Scotland have a role in the prevention of domestic abuse and are likely to have contact with women or children who experience domestic abuse. These guidelines are aimed at service providers, to assist in developing a consistent approach to domestic abuse in Scotland.

It is essential to ensure that the actions taken by service providers are appropriate and relevant to the needs of both women and children, and the aim of these guidelines, prepared by the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse, is to try to ensure consistency in the work carried out and the quality of the service provision which is made. The information within the guidelines should assist in addressing some of the existing variation.

The provision of appropriate services is only one element of our strategy to tackle domestic abuse in Scotland, and the range of actions seen to be required are detailed in the National Strategy and Action Plan produced by the Partnership, in which it is made clear that there is a need for prevention, protection and provision in the response which develops. Many of these guidelines reflect the Action Plan, and should be considered in conjunction with the work identified in the plan.

The principles which are contained within the guidelines have been prepared to be generally applicable to all services which may be involved in playing a part in the prevention of abuse and responding to women or children who experience abuse. They cover good practice in a range of work, from the formulation of policy to tackle domestic abuse to the actual delivery of services.

Individual service providers are also encouraged to develop these guidelines to reflect the specific provision which they make.

The overall aims of service providers should be to work to prevent domestic abuse and to meet the needs of women or children who experience domestic abuse, by challenging the structures and attitudes which perpetuate and support abuse and empowering women/children to take control of their lives. There are a number of ways in which services can ensure that their work is consistent with these aims.

The following guidelines should be followed by all service providers:

STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION

The development of links between service providers in planning their provision and in responding to the needs of women or children who experience domestic abuse is vital. Services should:

• Develop a multi-agency group in each local area to oversee the identification of local needs and the development of an area approach, to facilitate collaboration and co-ordination and to take a proactive role in the development of new initiatives, based upon the COSLA guidelines in relation to this;

• Ensure that participants are clear about the co-ordination of the group and the structure of multi-agency working in the area;

• Participate in networking and information sharing through the group at a local level, as well as at a national level;

• Encourage commitment to and attendance at the group, with the adoption of clear aims, objectives and policies for the group;

• Ensure that all relevant organisations are included in the group, with the active involvement of policy makers and practitioners, and the provision of support at a senior level. A core group should include the local authority, police, housing, NHS trust/primary care, social work, legal organisations and key groups working with women or children (particularly Women's Aid, which should have a central role in the process, but also other voluntary and community organisations);

• Identify resources for the group and ensure the provision of administrative or development support if possible;

• Undertake initiatives through the group and evaluate the work which is carried out on a regular basis, ensuring that there is regular contact with both women and children who have experienced domestic abuse;

• Identify the appropriate organisations for specific issues which arise and work co-operatively with these organisations;

• Develop links to other corporate planning structures and encourage their consideration of domestic abuse;

• Develop links with the national group through which expertise and information can be shared.

POLICY/SERVICE PLANNING

It is important that the services, which are provided, are within an overall policy framework that states clearly the nature of the issue and provides a means of identifying and addressing needs. Services should:

• Adopt the national definition of domestic abuse prepared by the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse;

• Develop a statement of policy in relation to domestic abuse which is consistent with the National Strategy but reflects the local circumstances;

• Display the policy statement;

• Address the actions identified in detail in the National Strategy and Action Plan;

• Recognise the importance of a primary prevention approach to tackling domestic abuse;

• Carry out an audit of needs of women/children experiencing domestic abuse in the local area;

• Identify gaps in local services and priorities for local service delivery in relation to domestic abuse and identify means of meeting any outstanding needs;

• Recognise and address the specific needs of particular groups of women/children, such as women/children in rural areas, disabled women/children and women/children from black and minority ethnic groups;

• Recognise and address the specific needs of children and young people;

• Recognise and define the links between domestic abuse work and other areas of work, such as women's safety, community planning, community safety, health, criminal justice and other areas;

• Prepare a local strategy and action plan which are consistent with the National Strategy.

TRAINING

The level of understanding of domestic abuse amongst staff can have a key role in the prevention of abuse. The response of individual staff to women or children who experience domestic abuse and their level of understanding of the issue can affect not only the quality of the service, but also the subsequent experiences of the women/children. Services should:

• Ensure that a programme of staff training is developed in relation to domestic abuse which includes the need for practitioners to challenge their own attitudes;

• Provide basic awareness raising to all staff in relation to domestic abuse;

• Provide in-depth training to those staff who are most likely to have contact with women or children experiencing domestic abuse, covering factual awareness of the nature and scope of domestic abuse, attitudinal awareness and knowledge of other agencies;

• Participate in multi-agency training, but provide service specific training to complement this;

• Ensure that the training is provided on an ongoing basis and is updated regularly to address practice;

• Consider the use of specialist organisations (for example, Women's Aid, Zero Tolerance, Rape Crisis, Women's Support Project, Shakti, Open Secret) for the provision of training (in conjunction, where appropriate, with in-house training providers);

• Consider the use of materials which are recommended by specialist organisations;

• Evaluate the quality and impact of training.

EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

Those involved in addressing domestic abuse should also recognise that staff within the organisation may perpetrate or experience domestic abuse. Services should:

• Develop a domestic abuse policy as part of the human resources function of the organisation;

• Undertake preventive work with employees and participate in primary prevention initiatives;

• Recognise that employees may experience domestic abuse and provide appropriate support to them;

• Ensure that working practices allow those experiencing domestic abuse access to the support which they require (confidentiality, provision of time to attend appointments, flexible arrangements etc);

• Recognise the inclusion of this provision as part of the promotion of equality in the workplace;

• Publicise the availability of support;

• Recognise that the workforce will include perpetrators of domestic abuse;

• Undertake awareness raising with staff in relation to the actions which they can take and publicise the domestic abuse policy;

• Participate in wider initiatives to prevent and address domestic abuse.

SERVICE DELIVERY

The actual means of delivery of services to women and children who experience domestic abuse is a key aspect of the response which is provided.

In terms of information and awareness, services should:

• Ensure that service providers are clear in relation to their own roles in responding to domestic abuse;

• Develop an understanding of the roles of other organisations in meeting needs;

• Undertake proactive publicity to inform women/children who experience domestic abuse, and other members of the community, about the roles of service providers;

• Develop an understanding of the diverse needs which women or children may have;

• Recognise and understand child protection issues.

In terms of their approach, services should:

• Recognise the difficulties which women or children may face in disclosing domestic abuse and the specific difficulties in disclosure faced by some groups (such as disabled women/children and women/children from black and minority ethnic groups) and develop ways of encouraging disclosure;

• Ask questions which will allow women or children to disclose domestic abuse and never avoid the issue if domestic abuse is suspected;

• Make it clear to both women and children that domestic abuse is taken seriously, that they are not responsible for the abuse, that they are not alone in being abused and that they will be believed;

• Provide reassurance and make it clear that the service will help;

• Focus on allowing women/children to identify their needs, recognise that some women will stay, some will wish to exclude the perpetrator and some may leave, and avoid making assumptions or judgements about what they should do;

• Provide a means of identifying the specific needs of children.

In terms of access, services should:

• Make it clear that it is possible to see a female member of staff;

• Make available culturally diverse staff and staff who have participated in domestic abuse training;

• Provide a quiet and private space for discussion with the women or children;

• Provide facilities for childcare to allow discussion with women alone;

• Provide the service in a building which is physically accessible to women/children with a range of needs, including wheelchair users;

• Make sign language and other interpreters available as required and never use a member of the family to provide interpreting support.

In terms of confidentiality, services should:

• Clarify how confidentiality will be maintained, explain fully (prior to the discussion) if any information requires to be shared, and ensure that women/children understand the parameters of confidentiality;

• See women or children alone to allow the opportunity for disclosure (except where the assistance of an independent interpreter is required);

• Recognise the difficulties in bringing women or children together with the perpetrator and recognise that contact may not always be appropriate or desirable;

• Never divulge the address or other information about the women or children to the perpetrator, and recognise the need to protect a refuge address.

In terms of their own provision, services should:

• Meet any short term needs for safety/emergency provision or identify another organisation which can do this;

• Recognise that some women may wish to have access to records to support a court action, and document, accurately and with as much detail as possible, the contact with women or children experien(integral)cing domestic abuse including details of any injuries observed;

• Provide access to the services required and inform women/children about other services which can help, including specialist provision for specific groups;

• Recognise that women may not always leave a perpetrator and provide information about how to contact the service again;

• Provide a named contact;

• Undertake follow up work as identified and required;

• Recognise and respect that some will wish no further contact with the service, and always check before making contact by letter or telephone;

• Develop service-specific guidelines.

INFORMATION AND AWARENESS RAISING

As well as providing appropriate services, it is important that women/children in the area are aware of the services which can provide support and the ways in which they can make contact. Services should:

• Develop information about the service which can be provided and make this available to women and children in the local community;

• Make it clear that the service can support women or children experiencing domestic abuse and encourage women/children to use the provision;

• Display information relating to domestic abuse, including contact telephone numbers;

• Provide the information in a range of formats and languages to meet the needs of all women/children;

• Participate in local initiatives to develop awareness raising in relation to domestic abuse and to develop awareness raising of the involvement of that service;

• Develop information to men as perpetrators to continually reinforce their role and responsibility in relation to domestic abuse.

PREVENTIVE WORK

The development of preventive work is a key aspect of addressing domestic abuse and violence against women, and it is important that providers of services (along with other organisations and individuals in Scotland) focus not only upon responding to the needs of women/children who seek support, but in preventing violence against women or children. Services should:

• Undertake primary prevention work which is consistent with the National Strategy and national prevention strategy as this develops;

• Recognise and define male violence as a social problem, rooted in broader gender inequality and linked to male abuse of power and undertake general awareness raising work with children, young people and adults which challenges attitudes which support and perpetuate male violence;

• Examine the structure of the service and seek means of service provision which do not support male violence by perpetrating inequality;

• Consider and address the implications of new policy developments on tackling existing inequality and challenging domestic abuse;

• Address the cultural attitudes amongst staff which support male violence;

• Recognise the links between male violence and other policy areas and recognise the need to work with other services to address the issue.

EVALUATION AND MONITORING

The collection of information and feedback in relation to service needs and provision is also a key aspect of good practice in responding to women or children who experience domestic abuse. Services should:

• Develop a means of consultation with and feedback from both women and children who use the services provided;

• Develop a means of benchmarking provision against service standards;

• Collect statistical information relating to the use of services by women/children experiencing domestic abuse, including their use by women/children in specific groups;

• Collate and analyse the information gathered and use this to inform the development of services in the future;

• Provide summary information to allow comparison at a national level in the context of a national framework and national advice;

• Regularly review the service provided against the service standards and guidelines developed by the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse.

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