This is a support programme for victim/survivors to ensure their safety and wellbeing and help them devise a safety plan.
Designed out of direct feedback from parents of our Bambu programme, a support service for child victims of domestic abuse, our New Beginnings programme offers tailored support to address the parents’ own challenges as victim/survivors. It consists of 8 workshops to empower victim/survivors to have the confidence to live a safer, more positive future.
New Beginnings is delivered by our Domestic Abuse Safety Advisors (DASAs). Parents were integral to the programme’s development and refinement. We worked with a pilot group, discussing the session delivery and content for their needs and preferences. They offered detailed feedback, suggested modifications to make the programme more accessible and relevant and ultimately made sure it was beneficial for their lived experiences. Our priority was ensuring the key areas they deemed important were identified and they felt heard.
The main aim of the New Beginnings programme is to empower the victim/survivor of domestic abuse and to do this by providing them with practical advice and strategies, develop robust safety plans to reduce the risk of future abuse/violence, and to increase their awareness of the effects on their children. Now an integral part of our integrated victim support service, New Beginnings demonstrates how co-production and continuous feedback can lead to effective, survivor-centred support. It also incorporates peer support elements, as parents participating in the programme have formed connections, creating a supportive community that extends beyond the sessions.
Victim / Survivor Perspective
"No matter how far you’ve come in your journey, you don’t realise that you may still need support - this has been really good and opened me up to knowing that there is support out there."