We DARE you to spot domestic abuse in your workplace

New training secured by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is being offered to Gloucestershire’s front line workers to show them how to identify potential offenders of domestic abuse – and intervene at an early stage.

Dorothea, an Independent Stalking Advocacy Caseworker recently completed the DARE training. She said:

“DARE training is absolutely brilliant. It provides professionals with a toolbox of questions, queries and techniques to use where they suspect someone is using abusive behaviours.

“The training enables professionals to make “routine enquiries” to identify and engage perpetrators of domestic abuse, identifying the risks of working with perpetrators and encouraging them to work with specialist services so they may get the help they need.

“The training also assists with building confidence in professionals to work with perpetrators.”

The free DARE training, which stands for Domestic Abuse Routine Enquiry, is being offered out to anyone who works on the frontline in Gloucestershire. This includes anyone who may encounter or engage with a perpetrator of domestic abuse in their day to day role. This could be within health, social care, education, or housing for example. If you are a  housing officer, teacher, safeguarding lead, social worker, health visitor, GP or NHS staff, this training is available to you.

What is DARE? DARE consists of training and a toolkit to help spot domestic abuse and engage with perpetrators. It aims to equip people in many different agencies across Gloucestershire, with the confidence, tools and knowledge they need to be able to spot domestic abuse and break down barriers to engagement with potential offenders.

The training consists of three online half-day workshops over a three-week period.

Week one covers – how to identify domestic abuse perpetrators. Week two looks at how to explore risks and the context associated with domestic abuse perpetrators. Finally week three is on: how to engage domestic abuse perpetrators and nudge them into specialist services.

Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson said: “Ending male violence against women and girls is a top priority for me and this office.

“Domestic abuse is so prevalent in society and it is everyone’s responsibility to be vigilant against it.

“The aim with this training is to intervene as early as possible with people who are displaying harmful behaviours. And this means we need the help of our partners. Someone working in a doctor’s surgery for example may see someone being controlling or abusive far before they come across the police’s radar. We want to empower those people to do the right thing, and address those behaviours before they escalate.”

Chantal Hughes, Chief Executive of Hampton Trust, the charity that developed and delivers the training said: “During the last decade we have made significant progress in educating professionals in all sectors to recognise and engage victims of domestic abuse as part of routine assessments. However, if we really want to help victims, we must use the same approach with perpetrators.

“Using a range of simple tools and strategies, professionals can break down barriers, encourage reflection on behaviour, and this approach can set the scene for disclosures and referrals to specialist perpetrator services. If all frontline professionals across sectors can develop competence and confidence in identifying and engaging perpetrators, then this in turn will increase the safety for victims and help us break the cycle of domestic abuse.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Suzanne Baker at Gloucestershire Constabulary, Head of Crime Command, said: “We are pleased that other organisations are taking the issue of tackling domestic abuse seriously.

“While the police have a clear role in protecting victims of abuse from harm, we all have a part to play in calling out abusive behaviour.”

You can find out more and book a space on the training here: Domestic Abuse Routine Enquiry (DARE) – Free Training for Gloucestershire Professionals – Hampton Trust