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We offer a range of training programmes for professionals who work with clients affected by domestic violence.

 

Our programmes include:

  • risk assessment and safety planning
  • providing integrated domestic violence intervention services
  • providing integrated women’s support services
  • working with children exposed to domestic violence
  • working with Arabic-speaking communities on issues of domestic violence, including cultural and religious considerations.

 

Our knowledgeable trainers come from a range of backgrounds. These include psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, probation and child protection services. They have a detailed understanding of DVIP’s intervention model in practice, and are experienced in working with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.

 

We can design specific training courses for your organisation, and we can work with your team as advisors to support the development of your organisation’s domestic violence practice.  If you’d like to know more, please contact us.

 

 

 

Safe relationships, positive parenting

 

The Jacana Parenting Service is a new partnership being piloted in Hackney by the nia project, a leading organisation working for the safety of women and children, and the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP), a best practice organisation working with male perpetrators of gender violence, and their female (ex) partners.

 

Jacana delivers a newly developed parenting service for families in Hackney who are affected by current or previous domestic violence. This includes a programme for mothers who are survivors/victims and a programme for fathers who are perpetrators. The service will seek to reduce the impact of domestic violence on parenting capacity and on children.

 

While there are good reasons to use gender neutral language when discussing victims and perpetrators, as we know both men and women can be victims and abusers, this service uses ‘female’ and ‘mother’ when discussing victims/survivors and ‘male’ and ‘father’ when discussing perpetrators. Research continues to demonstrate that the majority of victims are female and the majority of perpetrators are male1.

 

How We Work

 

The Jacana Parenting Service draws on a wide range of approaches to address domestic violence. The combined group and individual programmes include elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychodrama, Psychotherapy, Social Learning Theory, Solution Focussed Therapy and Relationship Skills Teaching. The programmes are interactive and responsive to individual needs.

 

Support for Mothers

 

Parenting during and following domestic violence is extremely difficult. Whether a woman has left her partner, or is still in an abusive relationship, her parenting will almost certainly be affected.

 

A mother’s authority as a parent may be eroded by her abusive partner, leaving her feeling powerless and lacking confidence in her parenting. She may experience a huge amount of guilt and may hold herself responsible for the effects of domestic violence on her child.

 

The developing attachment relationship between a mother and her child may be damaged by attacks on the child’s primary source of safety. A mother’s ability to attend to her child may be compromised by the attention she must instead focus on her partner. She may appear emotionally unavailable to her child and be unable to contain her child’s fears and anxieties.

 

Long after the violence has ended, both mother and child may struggle to cope with the enduring effects of trauma in their relationship. A mother may struggle to set and adhere to clear boundaries for her children as she may equate control with violence and abuse. Alternatively she may replicate the harsh and controlling parenting behaviours used by her partner.

 

The Jacana programme for mothers begins with four individual sessions. The content of these sessions includes:

 

  • Assessing the specific risks posed to mothers and children and identifying current patterns of violence

  • Helping mothers to plan for their and their children’s safety and think through all their options

  • Identifying mothers’ individual strengths and goals

 

These sessions also enable practitioners to build relationships with mothers, to meet with referring agencies and clarify the purpose of the work.

 

The group programme for mothers consists of 14 structured sessions. Topics covered in the sessions include:

 

  • Defining domestic violence and exploring different forms of abuse

  • Exploring the power and control dynamics that underpin domestic violence

  • Identifying how domestic violence affects family relationships

  • Recognising children’s individual needs and understanding children’s behaviour and development

  • Helping women develop and hold boundaries and learn positive behaviour management techniques

  • Exploring the impact of domestic violence on children and learning to talk to children about abuse

  • Exploring mothers’ own experiences of being parented

  • Understanding loss and working through grief

  • Developing a clear understanding of responsibility by challenging the denial and minimisation of domestic violence

  • Exploring abuse in sexual relationships

  • Learning to communicate in a non-violent manner and express anger safely

 

Individual sessions continue weekly, alongside the group. These sessions allow the practitioners to explore topics raised in the group in more depth and to focus on individual mothers’ needs and concerns.

 

Both individual and group sessions will take place during school hours and childcare will be provided if required.

 

 

Support for Fathers

 

Observation and clinical experience suggest that perpetrators of domestic violence are often more controlling and authoritarian, less consistent, and more likely to manipulate the children and undermine the mothers parenting than non violent fathers.2

 

Bancroft and Silverman (2002) draw on their clinical experience and suggest a number of continued risks to children from contact with perpetrators:

 

  • Risk of continued exposure to authoritarian or neglectful parenting

  • Risk of continued undermining of mothers parenting and the mother child relationship

  • Risk of exposure to new threats or violence, psychological abuse, or direct victimization by the perpetrator

  • Risk of learning beliefs and attitudes that support violence and abuse

  • Risk of being abducted or used as a tool

  • Risk of exposure to violence in the perpetrators subsequent relationships

 

Most perpetrator programs historically have not included significant content on parenting however recent attention has focused on how the parenting of both perpetrators and victims/survivors may be better assessed and improved through education and support.

 

Individual work

 

The programme begins with four individual pre group sessions. These sessions enable practitioners to build relationships with fathers, to meet with referring agencies and clarify the purpose of the work. The sessions include:

 

  • Risk assessment

  • Safety planning

  • Building strengths

  • Setting goals

  • Motivational work

  • Agreeing a group work contract

 

There will be a further 6 individual sessions peppered through the group work programme. These additional individual sessions allow the practitioners to explore topics raised in the group in more depth and to focus on individual father’s needs and concerns.

 

Individual sessions will take place during working hours 9am – 5pm.

 

Group work

 

The group work consists of 20 structured sessions. Areas covered include:

 

  • Defining domestic violence and exploring different forms of abuse

  • Exploring the power and control dynamics that underpin domestic violence

  • Identifying how domestic violence affects family relationships

  • Recognising children’s individual needs and understanding child development

  • Developing a clear understanding of responsibility by challenging denial and minimisation of domestic violence

  • Exploring the impact of domestic violence on children and learning to talk to children about abuse

  • Basic anger management

  • Examining fathers own experiences of being parented

  • Exploring the affects of domestic violence and abuse on women and children

  • Encouraging child centred parenting

  • Taking specific steps towards accountability

  • Exploring abuse in sexual relationships

  • Learning to communicate in a non-violent manner and express anger safely

 

Group work will take place one evening a week. Each group work session will last approximately 2 ½ hours.

 

 

Information Sharing

 

Referrers will be invited to a meeting with the parent and the practitioner.

 

Mothers enter into a confidential relationship. No information about will be shared without consent. The only exception to this rule is Safeguarding.

 

Fathers will have limited Confidentiality. Their (ex)partners will be informed that they have been accepted onto the Jacana Service and will be able to find out whether they attend sessions and how engaged they are with the material.

 

Who Jacana Supports:

 

Mothers who have been, or still are victims of domestic violence

Fathers who have been, or still are violent and abusive in their relationship(s)

Couples with children who remain in violent relationships

 

 

Referral Criteria:

 

  • Families in which at least one member lives in Hackney or has significant connections to the borough

  • Parents with children of any age

  • Parents whose English and/or literacy will enable them to access a group programme and limited written materials

  • Parents who want to make changes in their relationships

 

 

How to Refer:

 

Please send a completed Jacana Referral Form (see download centre) to:

 

Fathers Mothers

 

Bhupinder Virdee Alexandra Foster

Parenting Practitioner Parenting Practitioner

 

DVIP the nia project

Devonshire House PO Box 58203

164-168 Westminster Bridge Rd London

London N1 3XP

SE1 7RW

 

 

Bhupinder@dvip.org afoster@niaproject.plus.com

 

To refer couples, please send a copy of the referral to both Parenting Practitioners.

 

1 Home office statistical bulletin crime in England and Wales 2008/2009. London: Home office.

 

2 Bancroft, L., and Silverman, J. (2002). The batterer as parent. Sage

 

Downloads

Innovative Responses to Violence in Families

Information and booking form for a half day conference on 21st September 2011.


Information on training and consultancy

Details of our current courses

 

 


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