Harrow Council is the first authority in the UK to pilot a cutting edge domestic violence programme. The scheme brings together couples where there have been incidents of domestic violence to discuss the impact of their behaviour in a supportive environment.
Traditional models used at the moment only work with the abuser and not the whole family. The new programme is designed to help couples understand what triggers abuse and how to avoid those situations.
The programme will be run by trained psychotherapists and counsellors from the Tavistock Centre for couples relationships. They will work closely with the families to discover the triggers for the abuse and help the couples to use techniques to defuse situations.
Ten couples have been selected to take part in the first phase of this scheme, after screening and risk assessment to make sure the programme is safe and suitable. Counsellors will initially work with the participants individually, followed by sessions with the couples together. Social workers from Harrow will also undertake direct work with the children to assess the impact of the violence.
The programme started on 1 December 2015, which coincided with a local awareness raising campaign to ensure residents know where they can go for help and how to report domestic violence.
