We Can Talk About Domestic Abuse

Domestic Abuse
November 2, 2022

We Can Talk About Domestic Abuse

Highlights

It is to be noted that this pilot took place during COVID-19 pandemic and this had a significant impact on delivery and evaluation.

Positive findings around engagement and improved confidence of survivors show evidence of promise. Some refinements can be made to address issues of feasibility and plausibility, including stabilising the operating model, which continued to develop during the evaluation.

Full Report

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Evaluation Protocol

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Summary

A pilot evaluation of the We Can Talk About Domestic Abuse (WCTADA) programme, designed and delivered by Wirral Council. The WCTADA intervention aims to develop new ways of working to improve the experience of social care processes for those parents and children affected by domestic abuse so that they feel believed, supported and empowered, whilst being appropriately safeguarded.

The project established a small team of eight subject-matter experts who can provide challenge and support to social workers in their daily practice.

Three streams of work were developed focusing on:

Whole family approach and active participation
Reflective practice among professional(s) supporting them
System change

Aims

The evaluation was designed to answer the following key research questions:

Evidence of feasibility:

Is the intervention delivered as intended, responsive to survivors and practitioners’ needs, innovative and well accepted by all stakeholders?

Evidence of promise:

For each activity identified in the theory of change, are the outputs anticipated produced to the extent envisaged and do outcome indicators change in the direction anticipated?

Readiness for trial:

What elements of the programme might be amenable to randomisation (what experimental contrasts, if any, are feasible), or how might natural variation in exposure to the programme among those at which it is targeted be exploited quasi-experimentally?

Method

The pilot evaluation adopted a mixed methods approach including:

Theory of Change workshops
Interviews with survivors and staff
Surveys with survivors
Analysis of administrative and monitoring data.

The team of subject-matter experts included 1 Manager, 3 Domestic Abuse Practice Professionals (DAPPs), 3 Domestic Abuse Family Advocates (DAFAs) and 1 Project Officer.

Key Findings

Evidence of feasibility

Programme activities were significantly adjusted to better address the survivors’ needs, understand the key gaps in service provision and challenges hindering implementation
The programme moved away from engaging children, incorporated a new focus on perpetrators, and made changes to the Voice Forum
The programme was well accepted by the survivors, including the focus on perpetrators
The role of DAFA and DAPP shifted to respond to gaps in provision (perpetrators), increase social workers’ engagement, survivors’ needs (coercive control) and build upon DAFAs’ successful engagement with families
The DAFA pathway was identified as a critical element of the programme by several stakeholders, the WCTADA team, survivors and external agencies
Social workers generally engaged well with the programme and change their practice accordingly
Very few survivors were involved in the Voice Form group, and its delivery changed significantly over time
The learning events were implemented as planned and well received from social workers as well as external stakeholders.

Evidence of promise

Level of engagement among families was overall good. However, not all families were offered a DAFA due to capacity issues
There was some evidence that professionals engaged regularly with planned activities. Due to the lack of systematic recording of those activities, however, engagement levels could not be monitored
Some survivors reported an increase in confidence and agency (social workers and externals too) which was attributed to DAFA
The programme supported survivors to be involved in their safety plans and helped to build supportive networks around survivors
The programme supported social workers to make greater use the domestic abuse risk assessment tools and better understand domestic abuse.

These findings are caveated by the timing of the evaluation, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implications for future research

The findings suggest a few refinements to address issues of feasibility and plausibility:

To stabilise the operating model, which has continued to develop during the evaluation
To improve exit strategies for families
To clarify the criteria for working with perpetrators
To clarify purpose and importance of the Voice Forum
To improve awareness around the role of DAFA with survivors in order to build trust
To improve data collection systems and processes.

Related Publications

Strategy

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The REACH Plan: A five-year plan to find out what works to prevent domestic abuse & support child victims

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Report

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Strengthening knowledge and awareness in family services of domestic abuse (SKAFADA)

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We Can Talk About Domestic Abuse