CHANGE
2001-2002 ANNUAL REPORT
Convenor’s
Report
On behalf of the CHANGE
Management Board I am pleased to introduce our twelfth Annual
Report.
CHANGE has now completed its
third year of a National Training Initiative relating the
Scottish local authority Criminal Justice Service’s provision of
programmes involving perpetrators of domestic violence. This
was funded with a grant from the Scottish Executive under
Section 9 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act (1968).
CHANGE’s limited funding has
meant that our Director, Monica Wilson and our Administrator
Susan Peebles have been employed on a part time basis and that
further
funding will be required to
meet the high demand for
consultancy and training
throughout Scotland.
In addition to the Training
Initiative, CHANGE has continued to play a prominent role in the
development of RESPECT, the National Practitioners Network and
the Scottish Forum.
Once again,
the Management Board would like to thank Monica and Susan for
their commitment and hard work during the last year.
Sue McDougall
Convenor
Background
Introduction
CHANGE was originally funded
from 1989 to 1996 by the Urban Programme and sponsored by the
Social Work Department of Central Regional Council primarily to
pilot the development of a criminal justice based re-education
programme for men convicted of violence towards their wives or
female partners. The programme was formally evaluated alongside
the work of Edinburgh’s programme, the DVPP: the findings
indicating the effectiveness of such work.
Before
Urban funding ceased CHANGE produced a manual documenting the
experience and materials developed for use in the men’s
programme so that they might be preserved, developed and
disseminated among other professionals. This was published in
1997.
Since 1997,
CHANGE has operated as a training and consultancy agency. Since
1998 funding has been mainly from Section 9 of the Social Work
(Scotland) Act, 1968, with some income generated from agencies
purchasing our services.
Staff
CHANGE currently has two
members of staff: a Director, Monica Wilson and an
Administrator, Susan Peebles. Both posts are part-time at
present.
Management
CHANGE is a charitable company
limited by guarantee. Staff are responsible to a management
board comprising individuals from a variety of professional and
other backgrounds who are concerned to achieve the goals of
CHANGE. The board meets every four weeks and both the Director
and the Administrator present written reports.
Section 9 funded National Training Initiative
Since April
1999 CHANGE has been funded to deliver a National Training
Initiative to promote effective practice by local authority
Criminal Justice Services in their work with male domestic
violence offenders. The funding was for a three-year period,
ending this year. Further funding is being sought to continue
the work.
Aims
The Initiative comprises
training and consultancy to Criminal Justice Service staff and
partner agencies to promote effective practice in implementing
and managing criminal justice based re-education programmes for
men convicted of violence towards their wives or female
partners. The goal of the training is to help equip local
authority staff to tackle the violent behaviour of male domestic
violence offenders. This involves working either in structured
group-work programmes or on individual basis with offenders on
probation. This crucially includes training in setting up
related services for the women partners of the men.
Objectives
The
programme of consultancy and training for the last three years
has taken the following format:
Stage 1
Initial
meetings held with Social Work Criminal Justice Managers and
relevant partner agencies (e.g. local domestic violence fora,
Women’s Aid, etc.), to look at local needs and to plan
training and monitoring provision. These meetings have been held
at local level either for individual local authorities or in
collaborative partnerships with neighbouring authorities. Over
the year 2001-2002, four (4) regional planning meetings/seminars
covering four local authority areas (LAs) have been held,
bringing the total to twenty-six meetings covering twenty-six
LAs. This leaves five LAs yet to begin any involvement in the
Initiative.
Figure 1 – Planning meetings
held 1999 - 2002
Stage 2
Stage two consists of the
provision of one-day awareness-raising workshops for relevant
staff for up to 20 participants at a time. The CHANGE workshops
focus on challenging myths about abusers and aim to increase
participants’ understanding about, and ability to challenge,
men’s abusive attitudes and behaviour. Where possible, these are
being undertaken in partnership with local Women’s Aid groups.
Women’s Aid awareness-raising days focus on how women experience
domestic violence and agencies’ responses. These workshops are
open to participants from as wide a range of agencies as
possible.
Four
awareness-raising days have been held in the period covered by
this report for three local authorities, bringing the total
number of such days undertaken for the National Initiative to
date to twenty-seven (27), involving 505 participants. This
covers nineteen LAs or 59% of the total.
Figure 2 Awareness days held
1999 - 2002
Participants in the awareness days came from a wide range of
agencies.
The
following chart illustrates how participants evaluated the
quality of the awareness training. Illustrative comments follow.
Chart
2
Sample of qualitative
responses:
Q. How will
today’s workshop influence how I do my job?
“More informed about what perpetrator is all about: how he is
with women.”
“Reaffirms
commitment to working with perpetrators and how important
perpetrator work is – and a multi-disciplinary approach is
needed.”
“Reinforces
the importance of continuing to undertake and promote ‘CHANGE’
Programme.”
“Until now
I’ve followed the letter of the law. Care and support for
victims is now priority on my agenda. I feel today has shown
some background for offenders and why they do this. I hope I
can add my small part with today’s information to improving how
we deal with victim’s and hopefully in way trying to prevent
this behaviour.”
“It has
given me greater insight into men’s use of violence against
their partners. This knowledge will help me to focus my own
intervention on relevant issues, and help me challenge men more.
Q. Have I
identified further training needs?
“I’d like
to work more closely with children and families’ team and
Women’s Aid/other agencies to look at how to learn from each
other’s experience and practice. Legal training – more on child
protection from harassment and information we can give to
partners about perpetrators details. Areas of child
protection.”
“Training
in relation to impact of DV on children.”
“Social
workers need more understanding of implications to women when
carrying out legal/statutory orders – risk of making matters
worse.”
“Yes. Ways
to work with perpetrators.”
“Perhaps more training in
counselling approaches.”
Stage 3
During
this stage, intensive five-day courses for small numbers,
(usually ten), of front-line staff focus on skills acquisition
including the delivery of a men’s programme and the provision of
services to women partners. This level of training includes:
Five (5)
in-depth training courses have been undertaken during this year,
bringing the total to date to thirteen (13) courses for eleven
(11) LAs: 34% of the total.
The
following chart illustrates how participants evaluated the
quality of the skills training. Illustrative comments follow.
Chart 3
Sample of
typical responses from the questionnaires collected:
1. What did you expect from the training?
“Develop insight into group
work, develop potential to be a facilitator.”
“Reinforce previous learning,
develop new tools in working, learn tried and tested methods.”
“To develop and learn skills
to enable me to deliver CHANGE Men’s Programme.”
“To develop my practice – in
my work with offenders, plus to develop my awareness of my own
behaviour and how it impacts on others.”
“To gain practical
tools/skills for working with this client group.”
“To become more aware of the
structure/content of the Programme and how best to deliver it.”
2. Did the training live up to your expectations?
“Yes. Having been on the one
day course I was aware of the competent delivery.”
“Yes – the combination of
didactic and practical/role play work was very effective.”
“Yes – by participating in the
modules it gave me understanding on issues with my own
practice/values that can be used in the group.”
“Yes – although very intensive
I found it very rewarding and thought provoking. It was also
good to experience working through the modules before putting
into practice.”
“Yes. The training was
carried out at the right speed and there ware plenty
opportunities for participation/questions. Certainly able to
use most issues with the client groups.”
“Yes – because of the quality
of delivery & the focus, commitment and enthusiasm of the
group.”
“Yes – not only did I learn
about the Programme delivery but about how domestic abuse
effects all of us.”
“Yes –
excellent course from start to finish. I found it quite emotive
at times and this helped me look at my views. The course gave me
skills and resources.”
4. Learning:
a) What are the main things I have learned on this course:
-
about men’s violence to women?
“That
attitudes and values are often so deeply rooted that they need
to be unpacked if change is to be successful.”
9
“That there
are a variety of underlying issues/feelings which result in the
manifestation of violence.”
“The
multitude and complexity of the reasons why men are violent to
their partners.”
“How
entrenched the behaviour is and how long it takes to change the
patterns which are in place.”
- about myself?
“My own
ability to demonstrate power/control imbalance to achieve my
aims.”
“About my
own values that I need to consider when working with this client
group.”
“To be more aware of my own
behaviour and how it impacts on others “That I can be abusive in
some situations. The importance of language. Reminder that it
is important to look at ourselves before asking clients to do
so.”
“I have
moved on from years of being unable to think about work with
violent men to someone who is quite positive about how to effect
‘change’.”
b) Do I feel ready to facilitate a men’s programme?
“With
sufficient preparation and time to achieve this ie. work load.”
“Yes – as I
feel that the support from other colleagues is certainly in
existence.”
“No – I
need more preparation at this time but would be happy to do so
in the future.”
“With
preparation time, a co-facilitator I can work with and space
from workload, Yes.”
c) What further training do I feel I need?
“Internal training –
consolidation of 5 day training course knowledge.”
“Reinforce
current course content (consolidation).”
“Refresher
courses – ongoing experience of facilitating groups.”
5. Comments:
a) What would have improved the training for me?
“More than lived up to my
expectations.”
“Longer
period on course although I realise that practice improves
presentation.”
“Perhaps a
follow up meeting once we had digested the ideas.”
b) General comments
“Presentation very slick,
professional and focussed.”
“I
thoroughly enjoyed the five day course. The active
participation helped consolidate the learning. It was a group
that I didn’t feel was glad it ended after five days – unusual
for me.”
“CHANGE is
a valuable project. It is underpinned by the research and has a
proven and effective track record. Fife would do well to
subscribe to this programme and implement it as a matter of
policy.”
“Enjoyed
the course immensely and feel it has greatly impacted on me and
hopefully my practice. A big thanks to Monica - an excellent
tutor.”
“A
thoroughly enjoyable course – and very practical and thought
provoking.”
“Very
good/useful/constructive course. Delivered with knowledge,
conviction and confidence.”
“Very
useful, welcome and enlightening course!"
“Well
presented. Never bored.”
Jersey Network to Prevent Violence and Abuse in the Family
In May,
the Director was invited to be the guest speaker at the Annual
General Meeting of the Jersey Network. Consultancy work with the
agency continues.
National Practitioners’ Network
Those of us working in
Scotland have become aware of the need for Scotland to have its
own forum for practitioners in addition to NPN. The Scottish
Parliament means there are even more differences between
Scotland and the rest of the UK in many areas of social policy.
Domestic abuse has been prominent among the issues taken up by
MSPs. The Scottish Executive is developing a rolling Strategy
Plan for tackling Domestic Abuse and work with perpetrators is
seen as part of strategic development nationally and locally.
The Scottish forum will deal with issues of special relevance
north of the border such as the differences in legal structures
and practice.
The Scottish forum will enable
us to look at practice with perpetrators and partners, child
protection, funding, and supporting each other in our national
context. U K National Network meetings will enable us to keep
links, share and learn from others working in the UK. Scottish
forum meetings will take place twice a year, in between the two
National Network meetings. The first planning meeting was held
in Falkirk at SACRO’s premises in February.
RESPECT
CHANGE is a
founder member of RESPECT and the Director was its vice-chair
until August, when she became Acting Chair. RESPECT is the
National Association for Domestic Violence Perpetrator
Programmes and Associated Support Services. It was formally
constituted in February 2000 and officially launched at the
House of Commons on 7 March 2001.
RESPECT
aims to work alongside all interested groups - Projects,
Government Departments, Women's Aid, NPN members, Social Work
Services, etc - to create a system of intervention work with
perpetrators which works in the best interests of women and
children who have experienced domestic violence.
Further
information about RESPECT can be found on the CHANGE website.
Cross Party Group
CHANGE now attends the
Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Men’s Violence
Against Women and Children.
Action for Change
CHANGE attends the Action for
Change forum in Stirling. This is the multi-agency body charged
with implementing the Domestic Abuse strategy for the council.
Scottish Strategy on Domestic
Abuse
CHANGE
staff were invited to participate in a one-day conference at the
Scottish Executive on 5th March, when Margaret
Curran, Deputy Minister for Social Justice, spoke of the
progress of the National Strategy to address Domestic Abuse in
Scotland. CHANGE facilitated a workshop with colleagues from
Edinburgh’s DVPP.
CHANGE Website
Because of
the funding terms and the high demand for consultancy and
training, CHANGE requires further time and funding to implement
the National Training Initiative. In August, CHANGE submitted an
application for an extension of Section 9 funding to take the
Initiative up to 2005. At the time of writing, we have been
granted one year’s funding at the current level. The board
continues to consider areas for the future development of the
organisation.
