Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young
people Our Place Safe Space The impact of domestic violence on
children and young people Improving Childrens Lives Conference
Queens University Belfast 20 22 February 2014 Sarah Mason and
Sandra McNamee Womens Aid Federation Northern Ireland Slide 2 Our
Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young people
Domestic violence is impacting upon the safety and stability of
hundreds of millions of children worldwide each year. Slide 3 Our
Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young people
Our key message Some of the biggest victims of domestic violence
are the smallest. UNICEF (2006) Behind Closed Doors, the Impact of
Domestic Violence on Children. Slide 4 Our Place Safe Space A 5
year strategy for children and young people What do we know from
research? As many as 275 million worldwide are exposed to violence
in the home. Up to 963,000 children across the UK exposed to
domestic violence. Approximately 32,000 children and young people
living with domestic violence in Northern Ireland. Behind Closed
Doors The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children UNICEF research
(2006 ) NSPCC research (November 2011) estimated 33,000 babies
under 1 in England are living with a parent who reports domestic
abuse. Cuthbert, C et al (2011) All Babies Count. NSPCC Slide 5 Our
Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young people
What about Northern Ireland? PSNI statistics 2012-2013 27,190
incidents with a domestic motivation reported. PSNI responded to a
domestic incident every 19 minutes every day. 29% of all murders
had a domestic motivation. Almost 2.5 times as many domestic
related crimes as drug offences. More than 5 times as many domestic
related crimes as car thefts. Statistics for MARACs (Multi Agency
Risk Assessment Conferences) January 2010 - November2013, 6049 high
risk cases of domestic violence involving 8162 children discussed.
Police Recorded Crime in Northern Ireland: Monthly Update to 31
March 2012. Published, May 2012. PSNI Northern Ireland Statistics
and Research Agency Slide 6 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy
for children and young people Total number of calls managed between
April 2012 - March 2013 47,597 (8.5 % increase) Slide 7 Our Place
Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young people Children
experience domestic violence with all their senses. They see it,
hear it, feel it fear it. Slide 8 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year
strategy for children and young people Slide 9 Our Place Safe Space
A 5 year strategy for children and young people
FearStressTraumaConfusion Lack of trust GuiltIsolationShameAnger
Loss of confidence Effects of domestic violence on children and
young people How does domestic violence impact upon children and
young people? Slide 10 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for
children and young people What do children and young people tell
us? I didnt feel safe. I was scared at home and was constantly
getting up to make sure the doors were locked at night. I was
always worried about my mams safety. I blamed myself for what was
going on and always felt I was going to be in trouble. I couldnt
control my anger, I couldnt communicate with people properly or get
my opinion across without getting annoyed and mad. I didnt feel
happy and didnt trust anyone. Slide 11 Our Place Safe Space A 5
year strategy for children and young people Every child has the
right to grow up safe from harm and should feel that those they
love are also protected. Violence in the home shatters a childs
basic right to feel safe and secure in the world. Behind Closed
Doors The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children UNICEF research
Womens Aid believes domestic violence is a violation of childrens
rights. Slide 12 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for
children and young people Meeting the needs of children and young
people has always been a priority in Womens Aid. Slide 13 Our Place
Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young people Slide 14
Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young
people Getting it Right! Learning from the experts To have a safe
space thats our place To be happy To have adults we can trust To be
clearer about abuse To have information more ready for us For
stigma to be removed. Slide 15 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year
strategy for children and young people Our vision for children and
young people Our Place-Safe Space-a future where all children and
young people are safe and protected from domestic and sexual
violence; where they have self-belief, respect for themselves and
others and where their fundamental human rights are met. Slide 16
Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young
people Vision Prevention work Working with mothers Supporting
children in refuge Social/ recreational activities Group work and
one to one work floating support/ outreach Qualified staff
Partnership working Our model for working with children and young
people Slide 17 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children
and young people Prevention work in schools Helping Hands for
Children (primary) Heading for Healthy Relationships H4HR (post
primary) Slide 18 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for
children and young people Children feel and/or are unsafe Lack of
social guardians Individuals motivated to cause pain, injury and
distress Developing Social Guardians to deliver Helping Hands We
all have the right to feel safe all of the time Others have the
right to feel safe with us There is nothing so awful or so small
that we cant talk about it with someone Plan to Protect Model,
Developing Social Guardians to Deliver Helping Hands training Slide
19 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young
people Capacity building with teachers Developing Social Guardians
to deliver Helping Hands In 2012 2013 120 schools involved 168
teachers trained In 2012 2013 120 schools involved 168 teachers
trained To date: 410 schools involved 614 teachers trained To date:
410 schools involved 614 teachers trained Slide 20 Our Place Safe
Space A 5 year strategy for children and young people I will
deliver PDMU with more knowledge, insight and sensitivity, aiming
to strongly deliver the message of the right to feel safe and the
importance of talking to someone. It was very important for
teachers to learn about the types of negative experiences that
children are subjected to at home and how this can impact upon
their behaviour and learning at school. Very easy to implement and
integrate into the curriculum. A good resource for both pupils and
teachers. Very enthusiastically and professionally delivered. One
of the best programmes I have been involved with. Feedback from
teachers Slide 21 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for
children and young people Working with mothers Dr. Liz Kelly points
out "One simple and yet key principle from which we can begin is
that woman protection is frequently the most effective form of
child protection". Holder, R et al (1994) Suffering in Silence?
Children and Young People who witness Domestic Violence Slide 22
Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young
people You and Me, Mum Overall aim To provide a ten week self help
programme, which will empower, support and develop further
understanding of role as mothers, in addressing the needs of
children and young people who have lived with domestic violence.
Slide 23 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and
young people Supporting mothers You and Me, Mum Case study Kellys
story Slide 24 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children
and young people How do we measure outcomes for children and young
people? Based upon high level outcomes Suite of key performance
indicators Operates at local and regional levels Quantitative and
qualitative data Utilises creative qualitative evaluation tools
Slide 25 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and
young people Measuring outcomes (2012-2013) 546 children
accommodated in refuge. 4,469 children indirectly supported through
Floating Support service. 14 babies were born to women in refuge.
1,517 one to one support sessions held with children and young
people in refuge. Since 1999, Womens Aid across Northern Ireland
has provided refuge to 14,902 children and young people Since 2008,
515 mothers and 884 children supported through You & Me, Mum
Slide 26 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and
young people In 2012- 2013 Womens Aid supported 5,767 children and
young people Slide 27 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for
children and young people Our most important measurement tool Slide
28 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young
people I know to tell someone about bad secrets I will feel lost
without them To be able to tell my mum how Im feeling To know my oh
oh! Signs It made me happy It was the best ever I feel safe and
happy Children 5 10 If I could sum up in one sentence how Womens
Aid has helped me it would be Slide 29 Our Place Safe Space A 5
year strategy for children and young people That it helped me to
feel better and safer I am happier now I am happier and not getting
into trouble at school I know what to do when I am scared It helped
my moods and behaviour I learned how to have respect Becoming
valued by myself Young people 11 - 18 If I could sum up in one
sentence how Womens Aid has helped me it would be Slide 30 Our
Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young people
After getting support I feel safe and more confident to go up the
town. I am not as worried about mams safety as I was. Im not
feeling as angry as I was. I am now aware of the danger signs and
what to do in a difficult situation. I am now happy to talk about
what happened, even though I do not like what happened. I am now
able to talk to my friends and my support worker about life. Slide
31 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and young
people Things that could have been better More talking and less
filling stuff in! More trips! More parties! A longer programme (I
didnt want it to end). Slide 32 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year
strategy for children and young people The importance of supporting
mothers and children If children dont have opportunities to be
involved in individual work and if mums dont have opportunities to
get support, children are more likely to have poor outcomes in late
childhood and also into adulthood. Dr John Devaney, Director of
Education for Social Work, Queens University Belfast WAFNI You and
Me, Mum evaluation 2013 Slide 33 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year
strategy for children and young people Thank you for listening.
Slide 34 Our Place Safe Space A 5 year strategy for children and
young people To find out more about our services
