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Domestic abuse and military families: addressing the need for better support services
A one-day seminar to consider how services can better support families where domestic abuse occurs and where the perpetrators are serving military personnel or veterans.
6 October 2010, Coventry
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About the seminar
Domestic abuse is an issue for military personnel and their families. Recent research highlights stress arising from the isolation of military families on or near to bases, the close-knit nature of the regiment or squadron, and fears about the impact on a military career from reporting domestic abuse (Pilot Project: Domestic abuse and military families, Dr Emma Williamson, University of Bristol, June 2009).
As part of the government strategy ‘Together we can end violence against women and girls’ (2009), the Ministry of Defence undertook to review its policies on domestic violence and publish an updated strategy, and to review measures to raise awareness and to help victims. Progress on this will be discussed at this seminar.
A survey by the National Association of Probation Officers, also in 2009, highlighted an apparently higher than expected proportion of former military personnel who served time in prison, a rise of approximately 30% on the previous five years. Prison sentences were frequently linked to incidents of violence, often domestic violence, as well as mental health and substance misuse problems. It has been suggested that the survey overstates the representation of military personnel in the criminal justice system, however, it is clear that there are mental health and behaviour-related issues to address.
Professionals working in areas with military bases point to a rise in the incidence of domestic abuse when soldiers go on training manoeuvres or return from active service, and this has been mirrored in the United States. However, the United States armed forces have in place structure services to address domestic abuse, which aims at prevention and early intervention as well as support for the family and anger management and other measures to assist perpetrators. This seminar will include a speaker from the US Family Advocacy Service which is stationed at RAF Lakenheath.
This seminar aims to:
- review the implications of the evidence which exists including new research from NOMS
- consider recent cross-departmental government initiatives to address domestic abuse, its causes and consequences
- look at services which work with perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse within military families, including the provision of services at a US military base in the UK and the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme based at Catterick Garrison and managed by the NOMS
- consider how to raise the profile of domestic abuse within the services, and how mainstream services can extend their working with the armed forces and become more accessible to military families.
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Who should attend
- Personnel, welfare and family support services within the armed forces
- Domestic abuse fora and domestic abuse services in areas with military bases
- Sure Start/Children’s Centres
- Children’s and families social services – supporting military families
- Adult social services – supporting veterans with mental health and substance misuse problems
- Organisations which work with veterans, including supported housing
- Probation and prison services which work with veterans
- Adult mental health services
- Substance misuse services, especially alcohol related services
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Agenda (subject to change)
9.00 - 10.00 |
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Registration & Coffee |
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10.00 - 10.05 |
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Welcome to the seminar
Karen Evans, Chair, North East Hampshire Domestic Violence Forum |
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10.05 - 10.45 |
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Pilot Project: Domestic abuse and military families
Karen Evans, Chair, North East Hampshire Domestic Violence Forum, Commissioner of Pilot Project
Dr Emma Williamson, University of Bristol; co-author of Pilot Project |
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10.45 - 11.10 |
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The environment of military communities and why problems can arise during and after military service
Lt. Col. Peter Poole, Director of Strategy, Policy and Performance, Combat Stress |
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11.10 - 11.25 |
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Open forum |
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11.25 - 11.50 |
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Coffee |
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11.50 - 12.15 |
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Health initiatives to support military families where domestic abuse is a risk
Claire Phillips, Deputy Director for Violence, Social Exclusion and Military Health, Department of Health |
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12.15 - 12.40 |
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The new Ministry of Defence guidance on domestic and sexual violence in the context of cross-department action plans
Davina James-Hanman, Director, Against Violence and Abuse
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12.40 - 12.55 |
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Open forum |
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12.55 - 1.45 |
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Lunch |
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1.45 - 2.25 |
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The Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme at Catterick Garrison
Paul Weatherstone, NOMS |
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2.25 - 2.35 |
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Quick break to collect refreshments |
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2.35 - 3.15 |
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How the United States military has responded to the issue of domestic abuse
Marie Moore, Outreach Manager, RAF Lakenheath Base Family Advocacy Service |
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3.15 - 3.50 |
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Good practice sharing session |
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3.50 |
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Close of seminar |
Any amendments will be included on this website.
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Delegate Fees
Standard delegate rate: £165 + VAT
Reduced delegate rate: £130 + VAT (limited number of places for small community organisations with fewer than 10 employees) |
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To make a booking
NOTE: the booking form on-line and in paper format includes full terms and conditions of booking.
> CLICK HERE TO BOOK ONLINE...
Confirmation of booking:
Your booking will be confirmed by email where possible (and by fax or post otherwise), and you will be provided with directions to the venue and details on nearby hotel accommodation. If you do not receive such acknowledgement, please contact Central Conference Consultants Ltd on 0115 916 3104. |
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About the speakers and organisations
Karen Evans, North East Hampshire Domestic Violence Forum
The North East Hampshire Domestic Violence Forum was founded in the mid 1990’s and its membership is made up of representatives from the many local agencies that work with the victims of domestic violence and abuse who live and work in Rushmoor and Hart.
The forum aims to promote multi-agency working, collective decision-making, comprehensive information sharing and data collection. Through these mediums it is able to spearhead initiatives, disseminate information and signpost agencies that provide support and assistance. Most importantly the forum aims to work towards improving the health, well being and lives of the many victims of domestic violence/abuse, whoever they may be.
The Forum covers the area which includes the army garrison at Aldershot. With the support of Big Lottery funding has undertaken a pilot research project, in partnership with the University of Bristol to investigating the need for research to explore links between the impact of war and domestic abuse (for details of this Pilot Project, see Dr Emma Williamson’s details).
www.nehantsdvf.co.uk
Dr Emma Williamson, University of Bristol
Emma Williamson joined the School for Policy Studies in November 2006 as a Research Fellow in Gender-Based Violence. She has 15 years research experience working in the area of gender based violence which has included research on health, law, social policy, and service interventions. Emma also has a keen interest in research ethics and has published widely on this topic. She is the current Chair of the School for Policy Studies Ethics Committee.
Emma previously worked as the Domestic Violence Information and Membership Manager for Women's Aid, the National Domestic Violence charity and continues to provide training to the National Domestic Violence Helpline. In addition, Emma sits on a range of consultative bodies for National government and NGO organisations.
Emma has recently completed projects including: an evaluation of the South Tyneside Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme; a Home Office project exploring the service and support needs of male, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgendered and Black and other minority ethnic victims of domestic and sexual violence; research into the impact of domestic abuse on military families; the impact of violence against women on rural and urban women; and an evaluation of the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act.
Pilot Project: Domestic abuse and military families (2009) arose from concerns raised by practitioners working with service families who noted an impact of active military service on domestic abuse within those families. This pilot project involved a small survey of military personnel and their partners to establish the most important factors associated with the re-integration of military personnel into family life on returning from active duty.
Lt. Col. Peter Poole, Director of Strategy, Policy and Performance, Combat Stress
Combat Stress does not work directly on domestic abuse, however, it is the UK's leading military charity specialising in the care of Veterans' mental health. These problems can typically remain unaddressed for many years and mental health issues are recognised as underlying many incidents of domestic violence.
Combat Stress offers treatment for conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders. Since 2005 the number of ex-Service men and women seeking its help has risen by 72%, and it has a current caseload of more than 4,300 individuals. This already includes 102 Veterans who have served in Afghanistan and 400 who served in Iraq.
Combat Stress is managed by ex-military personnel, and has a number of outreach teams, as well as three treatment centres. It also has a strong focus on working with veterans’ partners and other carers.
Claire Phillips, Deputy Director for Violence, Social Exclusion and Military Health, Department of Health
Claire Phillips co-ordinated the cross-departmental review which culminated in the ‘Together we can end violence against women and girls’ Report (2009).
Davina James-Hanman, Director, AVA (Against Violence and Abuse)
Davina James-Hanman is one of the UK’s foremost practitioner experts on domestic violence. She is currently the director of Against Violence and Abuse. She was one of the first local authority domestic violence co-ordinators, at the London Borough of Islington, and went on to head up the London Domestic Violence Strategy for the Mayor of London. She has acted as a consultant and trainer for many organisations, including the national police training centre, and has been involved in the 2009 cross-departmental government action plans on domestic violence.
AVA has replaced and taken to a national level the Greater London Domestic Violence Project. It is a second tier organisation which supports other agencies that develop policies around, and/or provide services to women, children and men who experience or perpetrate different forms of violence against women and girls.
As well as undertaking work for individual agencies, on training, evaluations or devising local strategies, AVA works in local areas to develop improved partnership work.
www.avaproject.org.uk
Marie Moore, Outreach Manager, RAF Lakenheath Base Family Advocacy Service
Marie is a highly qualified social worker who grew up on a United States military base in the United Kingdom. Marie now works with US military personnel and their families at RAF Lakenheath.
The US military has a comprehensive support programme for military families which, over the last 20 years, has taken increasing steps to address domestic violence within the services. The Family Advocacy Programme is a major part of this initiative. Its mission statement is ‘to enhance mission readiness by building strong families and communities through prevention, education, intervention and treatment of domestic violence and child maltreatment.’
The Family Advocacy Programme undertakes extensive suport work with families, including new parent initiatives, parenting classes for fathers, and other prevention work. It also responds to specific incidents of domestic violence, offering support to partners and children, child protection processes and links with other agencies where necessary, and anger management options for perpetrators.
Paul Weatherstone, NOMS
As a manager responsible for interventions in the North Yorkshire Probation Service, Paul set up the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme which ran in Catterick Garrison. This involved working with the Army Welfare Service . With up to 15,000 people living at the Garrison, Catterick is the largest military base in Europe.
The Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme is a group programme which focuses on concepts like control and misuse of power. Perpetrators are expected to talk openly about their violence to the group, and listen to others’ experiences – this, along with the educational content of the course has been proven to help violent men recognise the impact of their violence, take responsibility for their actions and eventually stop their violent behaviour.
The course addresses both physical and psychological violence. This can include isolation from friends or family; degradation – public humiliation, forced sex acts or repeated household chores; threats of the above, threats to children or threats of suicide; making ceaseless demands, having unpredictable moods and holding distorted perspectives such as “I only hurt you because I love you”.
The victims themselves often have an important part to play in their partner’s rehabilitation, and the victim’s needs are always supported first and foremost. If the victim and the offender are still in contact the victim is asked to give regular feedback to help shape the offender’s supervision. The safety of any women or children involved is paramount and the success of the Programme is judged on how far they are protected.
IDAP is based on a co-ordinated effort by a number of agencies, including Probation and Police, and requires co-operation between all the Criminal Justice agencies. Often, women’s groups and charities like Victim Support also involved – this partnership approach allows us to build up a comprehensive picture of the offender’s behaviour, and decide on the most suitable kinds of intervention.
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Enquiries
If you have any queries about the conference please contact Central Conference Consultants Ltd on 0115 916 3104 or email ccclimited@aol.com |
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