CHANGE
2002-2003 ANNUAL REPORT
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. 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 2002-2003, four (4) regional planning meetings/seminars
covering four local authority areas (LAs) have been held,
bringing the total to thirty meetings covering twenty-six LAs.
This leaves five LAs yet to begin any involvement in the
Initiative.
Figure 1 –
Planning meetings held 1999 - 2003
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 thirty-one (31), involving 582 participants. This covers
twenty-two (22) LAs or 71% of the total.
Figure 2 Awareness days held
1999 - 2002
Participants in the awareness days came from a wide range of
agencies as illustrated by the chart over the page.
The
following chart illustrates how participants evaluated the
quality of the awareness training. Illustrative comments follow.
Q. How will
today’s workshop influence how I do my job?
“I am more
able to see male perspective.”
“Has made
me realise how little I knew (or how much I’d forgotten).
Perhaps my staff are in a similar position.”
“Whilst not
feeling sympathetic towards abusers I feel that they are real
human beings and not demons.”
“I will be
more aware of my own thoughts and judgements in the future and
will understand why people who are abused stay in that
situation.”
“It raised
my awareness on my own values and how if affects my work with
women who suffer from domestic
violence.”
Q. Have I identified further training needs?
“Yes –
CHANGE facilitator training.”
“Opportunity to look at how we support women whose partners
maybe on programme if we happen to be in touch with them. How
to answer general questions about benefits/drawbacks of
programme?”
“More for
my agency, Strathclyde Police, please train all of
them”
“Local
networking/ CHANGE training.”
“Training
relating to counselling victims of domestic abuse.”
Statistical summaries and
verbatim transcripts of course evaluation responses are sent to
local co-ordinators to inform planning of local training
strategies.
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:
¨
theoretical
perspective and programme goals
¨
referral
and assessment
¨
contract
and compliance
¨
partner
contact and support provision
¨
delivery of
the group-work programme
¨
monitoring
and review
¨
guidance
for group-workers
¨
troubleshooting
Three (3)
in-depth training courses have been undertaken during this year,
bringing the total to date to thirteen (16) courses for thirteen
(11) LAs: 42% of the total. Three further LAs have sent
individuals to participate in a course.
The
following chart illustrates how participants evaluated the
quality of the skills training. Illustrative comments follow.
Chart 2
Sample of
typical responses from the questionnaires collected:
1.
What did you expect from the training?
“To learn
about the CHANGE programme and to facilitate a group.”
“To be able
to understand process of CHANGE Assessments. Develop a greater
understanding of men who abuse women.”
“New ideas
and a programme of work to assess and challenge men who use
violence to women. To challenge some of my own thinking.”
“A
framework to present the CHANGE programme. An opportunity to
learn skills to present this programme safely!!!”
“I hoped to
widen/develop my personal knowledge base on the topic of
domestic violence.”
2.
Did the training live up to your expectations?
“As
expected – positive, thought provoking, challenging.”
“And more so – helped to
challenge values and issues on a personal level as well as a
professional level.”
“Yes, I
found it to be extremely beneficial and it provided me with a
greater understanding of the impact of domestic violence and the
theory underpinning it."
“Yes. This
was a truly excellent and enlightening experience. I found a
simple and straightforward structure was designed, a theoretical
argument that made sense to me and fitted the behaviour we were
challenging and also an understanding of risky ways to approach
this work.”
“Beyond my
expectations – I was able to go back to basics/touch
values/revisit personal practice. It allowed me to begin a
process of developing practice.”
4. Learning:
a) What are the main things I have learned on this course:
-
about men’s violence to women?
“Not an isolated incident - no
excuses for violence i.e. drink/drugs. Behaviour can be
changed.”
“I have had a fundamental
shift in perspective about why men are violent to women. Not
because of lack of control, but because they control.
It is a conscious/ subconscious choice.”
“It’s a pattern of behaviour
that can often be changed.”
“That violence is controlled.
That violent men can modify/change behaviour.”
“A lot more in-depth knowledge
about the expectations/rules that men set and their use of power
and control.”
- about myself?
“I have learned that I can
also be abusive. I also know now that this can be changed which
gives me faith in this programme.”
“My motivation to develop a
clearer/better understanding on the issues of domestic
violence.”
“To be more aware of powerful
and powerless roles within relationships.”
“How passivity can be form of
abuse.”
“Learned
more about my own expectations that I place on others and the
value of self-talk.”
b) Do I feel ready to facilitate a men’s programme?
“Yes, but I feel that I have
to increase my awareness further via personal reading.”
“I want to say yes and no to
this. I have the skills and knowledge but my confidence could
be higher. However, this is something which practice will
help!!”
“I am certainly keen to try –
with the appropriate support and co-worker.”
“Yes – with appropriate
support.”
“Yes, if it is developed
properly by management.”
c) What further training do I feel I need?
“Learn from experience.”
“More of the same. A
follow-up day would be helpful.”
“Unsure at present. I will
need time to assimilate the information/obtain a copy of the
manual.”
“More practical practice at
delivery of course.”
“Probably ‘refresher’ training
at a future date and an opportunity to compare notes and
progress in implementing a CHANGE programme.”
5. Comments:
a) What would have improved the training for me?
“More time given from my work
place to think about and assimilate this learning.”
“My workload being adjusted to
allow me the time to prepare, whilst on the programme.”
“Covering more of the
modules.”
“Perhaps more on the
practicalities that come up in running a group – (But that is
for the authority to decide).”
“Bit more on effects of
violence on children.”
b) General comments
“Very informative, well
presented course. Glad I came, thank you.”
“Doing the presentation was
particularly nerve-wracking but I can certainly see the value in
doing this – it was good for me!”
“This has been an invaluable
experience and hope that I am given the opportunity to use the
knowledge and skills gained.”
“Really got a lot out of this
training course. Glad I came. Opened my eyes to the level of
work possible. Gained in confidence by participating in the
course and can use the information in other areas.”
“An excellent training
course.”
Jersey Network to Prevent Violence and Abuse in the Family
Consultancy to the Jersey Network to Prevent Violence and Abuse
within the Family continues. In July CHANGE visited St Helier
for consultation meetings with the Network and to undertake a
further five-day training course for eleven group-work
facilitators and women’s’ services workers
Republic of Ireland (ROI)
MOVE,
Ireland is the umbrella organisation for men’s programmes in ROI.
Their work has to date been modelled on the programme developed
by Bolton MOVE in the 1980s. They are now trying to bring their
services in line with RESPECT good practice guidelines and
invited the Director representing CHANGE and RESPECT to discuss
how to do this. The Director spoke about good practice at a
seminar in Dublin and was consulted by them over 29th,
30th and 31st October.
They have
now completed the first CHANGE Programme training course for
eleven trainees. This took place in Portlaoise over two separate
weeks from 28th – 31st November and 6th
& 7th December. More input is likely to be requested.
National Practitioners’ Network
This year
also saw the inauguration of the Scottish Forum, a spin-off from
the long-running National Practitioners' Network (NPN). Those
of us working in Scotland had 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 deals
with issues of special relevance north of the border such as the
differences in legal structures and practice.
Scottish
forum meetings will take place twice a year, in between the two
National Network meetings. CHANGE & SACRO IPP hosted the first
forum meeting, on Friday 6th September at Falkirk.
Forty-two practitioners from all over Scotland took part in a
day of workshops and discussion. David Morran from CHANGE’s
management board was chair for the day, which also featured a
Panel Session.
The Panel
comprised:
·
Louise
Johnson, Legal Officer with Scottish Women’s Aid
·
Lesley
Irving from the Scottish Executive’s Domestic Abuse Unit, which
is tasked with implementing the National Strategy on Domestic
Abuse
·
Gill
Paterson MSP, and chair of the cross party group in the Scottish
Parliament on men’s violence to women and children
·
John
Waterhouse from the Executive’s Social Work Services
Inspectorate, &
·
Bill Whyte,
Director of the Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre
for Scotland
Questions to the panel
included:
·
the Executive’s
financial commitment to this work, especially the partner
service element
·
programme
accreditation
·
the role of
non-court mandated programmes and of Domestic Violence Courts
·
the issue of
diversion from prosecution, &
·
the newly
published research from Keele University on the incidence of
woman to man abuse.
Informal feedback from the day
was that participants had enjoyed it, found the opportunity for
networking and workshops valuable, and would like to make the
Forum a regular event. The second Scottish Forum on 28th
March 2003 was hosted by Edinburgh’s Domestic Violence Probation
Project.
RESPECT
CHANGE is a
founder member of RESPECT and the Director was elected Chair at
the AGM in May. 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 participants, 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.
During this
year RESPECT successfully applied for a grant from the Community
Fund to employ two full-time staff to further develop the
organisation. Further information about RESPECT can be found on
the CHANGE website, or on
www.respect.net.uk
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
participated in a one-day conference at the Scottish Executive
on 10th March, when Margaret Curran, Deputy Minister
for Social Justice, spoke of the progress of the National
Strategy to address Domestic Abuse.
CHANGE Website
CHANGE has
submitted an application for an extension of Section 9 funding
to take the Initiative up to 2006. At the time of writing, we
have been granted one year’s funding at a level which will
enable us to employ a new Women’s Services Development Worker.
One issue that is emerging from a review we are currently
conducting on implementing the Initiative, has been the need for
more input on how to develop services for women. The new worker
will develop a consultation service to criminal justice
managers, and a programme of training for women support staff in
working with women experiencing domestic violence, and whose
partners may be participating in the men's programme.
CHANGE is
aware of the Scottish Executive's plans to move towards
programme accreditation within criminal justice. We welcome this
move and would be happy to receive approaches from LA groupings
seeking accreditation to work jointly to develop the necessary
framework and documentation.
We are also
looking at opportunities to develop work for use in prison, in
through-care and in developing non-criminal justice based routes
for working with men.
