People can make meaningful changes to their lives – even after causing harm to those closest to them.
Domestic abuse exists in every community and must be tackled with equal seriousness wherever it occurs. Yet, as councils know, this is far easier to say than to deliver in practice.
RISE Mutual Community Interest Company works with councils, police forces and other authorities, designing and delivering programmes to support those who have caused harm to change their behaviour, while prioritising the safety and needs of those impacted by domestic abuse.
One of those programmes – the Culturally Integrated Family Approach (CIFA) to domestic abuse, coordinated by Barnet Council – has supported 1,003 service users from 10 (and counting) London boroughs since launching in 2021.
CIFA’s key feature is its ability to adapt to marginalised or overlooked groups, including those requiring interpreter support, exploring how gender, race, sexuality, health, neurodivergence, immigration status and other factors shape people’s experiences.
CIFA works, through tailored one-to-one programmes, with people who have caused harm and victim-survivors.
Supporting both groups is essential to victim-survivor safety, given that they may remain in contact or even in the same household.
A new evaluation by the University of Kent and Hearth Consultancy provides evidence for significant improvements in service users’ ability to take responsibility and to react safely to situations.
One told researchers how useful it was to have space to discuss masculinity outside his community.
Another, a refugee, was now openly challenging gendered norms and traditional expectations, having been supported to understand how western expectations differed from his country of origin.
Victim-survivors reported feeling safer and noticing significant changes in those who had abused them previously.
The financial case is compelling: for every £1 invested in CIFA, £39.16 is saved through reduced costs for police, justice, health and other services.
If you want to discuss reducing the harm caused by domestic abuse in your area, we’d be delighted to talk.
- To find out more, please visit risemutual.org