Domestic Abuse Training for Children's Services
Case reference FOI2022/01134
Published 23 August 2022
Request
1. Has Herefordshire Council Children's Services department arranged for its social care staff to attend domestic abuse training on The Safe & Together Model? (As set out in the BASW England: Domestic Abuse Guidance for social workers April 2021).
2. If the answer to question 1 is yes, please tell us the number of staff in this department, and by their job title, that have attended this training as of 8th August 2022.
3. If the answer to question 1 is no, please tell us if your children's services department has arranged for its social care staff to attend domestic abuse training on Women's Aid Change That Lasts Programme? (As set out in the BASW England: Domestic Abuse Guidance for social workers April 2021).
4. If the answer to questions 1 and 3 is no, please tell us if your children's services department has provided any other specific training to staff to deal with domestic abuse cases?
5. If the answer to question 4 is yes, please tell me the name of this training, how it was delivered, it's duration and whether it was mandatory or optional?
6. If the answer to question 4 is yes, please also tell us the number of staff in this department, and by their job title, that have attended this training as of 8th August 2022?
7. If the answer to questions 1 and 3 is no, please tell us if your children's services department has provided any other specific training to staff on Controlling and Coercive Behaviours (Coercive Control) to deal with domestic abuse cases?
8. If the answer to question 7 is yes, please tell me the name of this training, how it was delivered, it's duration and whether it was mandatory or optional?
9. Has Herefordshire Council Children's Services department arranged for its social care staff to attend training on the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (and the Statutory Guidance July 2022)?
10. If the answer to question 9 is yes, please tell us the number of staff in this department, and by their job title, that have attended this training as of 8th August 2022.
Response
1. Has Herefordshire Council Children's Services department arranged for its social care staff to attend domestic abuse training on The Safe & Together Model? (As set out in the BASW England: Domestic Abuse Guidance for social workers April 2021).
No
2. If the answer to question 1 is yes, please tell us the number of staff in this department, and by their job title, that have attended this training as of 8th August 2022.
N / A
3. If the answer to question 1 is no, please tell us if your children's services department has arranged for its social care staff to attend domestic abuse training on Women's Aid Change That Lasts Programme? (As set out in the BASW England: Domestic Abuse Guidance for social workers April 2021).
No
4. If the answer to questions 1 and 3 is no, please tell us if your children's services department has provided any other specific training to staff to deal with domestic abuse cases?
Yes, annual training has been offered by children's social care and the safeguarding partnerships.
5. If the answer to question 4 is yes, please tell me the name of this training, how it was delivered, its duration and whether it was mandatory or optional?
Please see the below:
Domestic abuse training & workshops - delivered by the National Centre for Domestic Violence
Learning outcomes - for staff to understand how to reach out for support and advocate for victims of domestic abuse and to understand different orders that can safeguard victims.
Delivered electronically via Teams
Duration - 21 June 2022 - 9.30-11.30am
8 September 2022 - 9.30-11.30am
8 December 2022 - 9.30-11.30am
15 February 2023 - 9.30-11.30am
All optional
Understanding domestic abuse & trauma - delivered by West Mercia Women's Aid
Learning outcomes - for staff to work collaboratively with victim / survivors to enable a supportive response when working with people experiencing trauma, and to feel confident when discussing trauma and have a solid understanding of the services provided in Herefordshire that can support victims / survivors.
Delivered via Zoom
Duration - 27 July 2022 9.30-12.30
Optional
Honour based abuse including female genital mutilation and forced marriage - delivered by West Mercia Women's Aid
Learning outcomes - to recognise how to meet statutory and legislative duties associated with recognising and reporting cases, managing disclosure and develop subject knowledge and to recognise the risk that honour based abuse poses and to understand referral routes and service provision for specialist domestic abuse support in Herefordshire.
Delivered via Zoom
Duration - 31 August 2022 9.30-12.30
Optional
Understanding stalking & harassment - delivered by West Mercia Women's Aid
Learning outcomes - to recognise how to identify cases that involve stalking and harassment, appropriately manage disclosures / signpost effectively and develop subject knowledge, and to recognise risk and feel confident of the most appropriate referral routes and service provision for specialist domestic abuse support in Herefordshire.
Delivered via Zoom
Duration - 28 September 2022 9.30-12.30
Optional
Working with men who have been abused - delivered by West Mercia Women's Aid
Learning outcomes - to recognise how to identify male victimization, manage disclosure and develop subject knowledge. To feel confident when speaking with male victims and have a good understanding of the services that can provide specialist support for men impacted by domestic abuse.
Delivered via Zoom
Duration - 2 November 2022 9.30-12.30
Optional
Violence against women and girls - delivered by West Mercia Women's Aid
Learning outcomes - to recognise how to identify violence against women and girls, manage disclosures and develop subject knowledge.
Delivered via Zoom
Duration - 25 January 2023 9.30-12.30
Optional
Working to address housing issues - delivered by West Mercia Women's Aid
Learning outcomes - to recognise how to meet statutory and legislative duties associated with recognising and reporting cases, manage disclosure and develop subject knowledge. To recognise the links between domestic abuse and homelessness and to understand referral routes and service provision for specialist support in Herefordshire.
Delivered via Zoom
Duration - 22 February 2023 9.30-12.30
Optional
Domestic abuse and rural context - delivered by West Mercia Women's Aid
Learning outcomes - to recognise how to meet statutory and legislative duties associated with recognising and reporting cases, managing disclosures and develop subject knowledge.
Delivered via Zoom
Duration - 29 March 2023 9.30-12.30
Optional
Introduction to MARAC (multi-agency risk assessment conference) - - delivered by West Mercia Women's Aid
Learning outcomes - to understand how to make a comprehensive referral Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) to identify what cases should be referred, how to use professional judgement to escalate cases to MARAC and understanding MARAC meetings.
Delivered face to face
15 September 2022 and 16 March 2023 - duration to be confirmed at time of writing
Optional
Curiosity Saves Lives - domestic abuse multi-agency training - delivered by the Safeguarding Partnership
Learning outcomes - to have a greater understanding of the prevalence of domestic abuse in Herefordshire, understand the many aspects of abuse and its foundations, be aware of changes in the law with the introduction of the Domestic Abuse Bill 2021, what your responsibilities are and understand some of the facts behind the changes, learn the importance of sharing information concerning domestic abuse, know how to give victims the confidence and reassurance to disclose domestic abuse and know what support services are available in Herefordshire.
Delivered via MS Teams
Duration - ½ day (3 hours)
Optional
White Ribbon Domestic Abuse Conference 2021 'Shaping the Future: Challenges & Opportunities'
Delivered via MS Teams
Duration - 26 November 2021
Optional
6. If the answer to question 4 is yes, please also tell us the number of staff in this department, and by their job title, that have attended this training as of 8th August 2022?
10 staff from children's services social care and early help teams have attended the Curiosity Saves Lives training:
Social work manager x 1
Social worker x 1
Student social worker x 3
Senior Practitioner Fostering Team x 1
Early Help Family Support Worker x 1
Family Support Worker x 2
6 social care staff attended the 'Understanding Domestic Abuse & Trauma' training on 27 July 2022. The job titles of those attending was not recorded.
The number of staff attending the 'Domestic Abuse training and workshops' on 21 June 2022 and their job titles is not held by the council.
The rest of the training has not yet taken place.
7. If the answer to questions 1 and 3 is no, please tell us if your children's services department has provided any other specific training to staff on Controlling and Coercive Behaviours (Coercive Control) to deal with domestic abuse cases?
All of the training which has been provided is listed above.
8. If the answer to question 7 is yes, please tell me the name of this training, how it was delivered, its duration and whether it was mandatory or optional?
All of the training which has been provided is detailed above.
9. Has Herefordshire Council Children's Services department arranged for its social care staff to attend training on the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (and the Statutory Guidance July 2022)?
During the White Ribbon Domestic Abuse Conference in November 2021 attendees heard a briefing on the new domestic abuse bill headlines.
10. If the answer to question 9 is yes, please tell us the number of staff in this department, and by their job title, that have attended this training as of 8th August 2022.
This information is not recorded.
Documents
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