Safe Relationships

Safe Relationships is a 21 group-work (with an additional one-on-one session) programme for medium to high-risk males perpetrating domestic abuse in their families. The courses aim is to change attitudes and behaviour of the person causing harm in order to transform lives and support and empower the victim/survivors.

The course focuses on different types of abusive behaviours, the effects on the whole family, and ways to overcome violence and aggression. Service users will work on understanding their violence and aggression within their households and then find tools and methods of overcoming these problems such as non-violent resistance. This will ensure the risk of harm is reduced in the long-term since the service user is provided with behaviour change strategies.

The aims of the sessions revolve around developing awareness of their own attitudes and beliefs that cause violence and aggression and then ways to provide a safe environment for themselves and their family. Through group discussions and interactive exercises tailored to the group, service users should be given sustainable methods for maintaining change in the future.

By the end of the Safe Relationships programme, the men should be able to take responsibility for how their beliefs and attitudes impact on their behaviour and the effect this has on their family and community. This acknowledgement will also enable them to manage their emotions learning non-abusive ways of dealing with difficulties, and learning crisis management skills and tools. The final review session is scheduled for six weeks after the programme ends and reviews the safety plan and key learning points. The service user must then continue to have regular sessions with their social worker.

The RISE Domestic Abuse Safety Advisors (DASAs), trained specialists in victim support, will be in contact with the current or ex-partner of the person causing harm to provide support, updates from the programme, and safety planning information to the victim/survivor.