November 14, 2022
|By Foundation
|
+Choices, Receives Respect Accreditation
+Choices (Positive Choices) has received the Respect Accreditation and the service is now a recommended provision of Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP) support.
According to Respect UK, the accreditation has been developed so that everyone; perpetrators, survivors, funders, commissioners and practitioners can be assured that there is a high-quality standard of service that is regularly monitored and supported to reflect and improve best working practices.
Respect
Respect is a UK membership organisation in the domestic abuse sector. It aims to develop safe, effective work with perpetrators of domestic abuse. It wants to create a world where domestic abuse is not tolerated, perpetrators are held to account, and survivors’ safety and wellbeing is at the heart of everything.
Respect explain that the organisation’s vision is not something their team can achieve alone, ‘it requires collaboration and action across society and organisations, where everyone can work together to prevent incidents of domestic abuse’.
The Respect Standard
The Respect Standard is applicable to all organisations in the voluntary, statutory, or private sector that work with perpetrators of domestic abuse. When working with perpetrators there is a significant amount of responsibility placed on the organisations. Therefore, it is of the upmost importance to conduct this work safely.
The Respect Standard is a quality assurance framework, that outlines key principles, such as, organisational management, safe service delivery and responding to diversity. All services are held to this standard to ensure safe and effective working takes place and ensuring that victims and survivors are safe, and their wellbeing is prioritised. Organisations must be able to show that their service has a positive impact on the lives of those they support.
+Choices
Over the last two years +Choices have worked hard to demonstrate how it meets all the standards of the framework. With various inspection days, staff interviews, observations and reviews they have managed to show the high standard of support it offers to perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse.
As an accredited service +Choices have met the following Respect Outcomes:
- Reduction in perpetrator behaviours
- Increase in survivor wellbeing and freedom
- Improvement in children wellbeing
- Improvement in multiagency work
- Effective targeting of interventions
We spoke Laura Buchan, Service Manager at +Choices about receiving the Respect Accreditation and what this means for the service. Laura explained that:
‘’I would like to acknowledge the team effort to make this happen and whilst going through the process has been challenging, it has also filled the team with confidence in terms of not only evidencing an effective behaviour change programme for perpetrators but a safe integrated support service for the victims and children who are impacted by domestic abuse. It is great to think Positive Choices (+Choices) will be a signposted service nationally for domestic abuse perpetrator support. It has put us on the map for North Yorkshire and the City of York.’’
+Choices offer a bespoke programme to support perpetrators to acknowledge and change their behaviour. Perpetrators are supported through a tailored package to meet their individual needs. The aim is to help perpetrators build healthy attitudes towards relationships and reduce the risk of repeated incidents. The programme is available to anyone over the age of 16.
Alongside this +Choices also offers an Integrated Support Service to partners, ex-partners and/or other family members who have experienced domestic abuse. A dedicated Victim Liaison Officer (VLO) will be the first point of contact. They will work in partnership with the Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS) and other agencies to provide a robust and integrated system of support.
The FIFA World Cup 2022.
As we are approaching the FIFA World Cup, services like +Choices and the vital support it offers to perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse could not be more important as incidents of domestic abuse are expected to rise following the patterns of the 2018 World Cup.
We want to remind people that there is no excuse for abuse – at any time.
To learn more about our #NoExcuseForAbuse campaign, visit our campaign webpage https://www.inspirenorth.co.uk/no-excuse-for-abuse/ and to find out more about +Choices click here.
#NoExcuseForAbuse
Support Lines
National Domestic Abuse Helpline
Free and confidential advice for victims
Call 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247
Respect Phoneline
Anonymous and confidential for anyone concerned about their behaviour or who might be an abuser
Call on 0808 802 4040
Sources: