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.     Chart 2     Sample of qualitative responses:   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. Figure 3 – Skills training courses     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.”   Other Activities   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 The National Practitioners’ Network (NPN), has been meeting every six months since 1992. The Network is an informal forum for individuals and agencies working with perpetrators of domestic abuse and related women’s services. It has no formal membership and no one is in charge. Agencies take turns to host meetings around the country and meetings provide opportunities to discuss common issues, to subject practice to peer scrutiny, to offer guidance to newcomers and for practitioners to give each other support. The two Network meetings this year have been hosted by Sheffield Probation in May and by Glasgow Criminal Justice Social Work Services in November.   Scottish Forum 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   The website, www.changeweb.org.uk continues to generate enquiries as well as being a useful resource informing interested people about our work.          Future Plans 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.                A charitable company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland No 183989             Scottish Charity No SCO18322          CHANGE acknowledges funding from the Scottish Executive