Decision 2021-7335 - Home Office Perpetrator Funding - Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner

In July 2021, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) was awarded £200,124.66.

Funding was given to deliver a programme addressing the known issues around domestic abuse offending.

The proposed model will use a ‘Team around the Couple’ trauma-informed, holistic and systems-based approach.

It will build on and scale up the successful work of the Multi-Agency Tasking and Co-ordination (MATAC) process.

Specifically, the model will support cases that do not meet the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) criteria and fall outside of the MATAC ‘top 20.’ They will include cases were there is evidence of additional complex and unmet needs.

Specifically, this approach will target the following perpetrators:

Serial and prolific perpetrators that show signs of multiple and complex needs which may prevent engagement with traditional perpetrator interventions (i.e. drug and alcohol issues)
Perpetrators in a continued relationship with the victim
Those identified as not meeting the MARAC/MATAC criteria and are involved in no other protective safeguarding forum

This innovative approach seeks to introduce two key roles which are currently absent in existing Domestic Abuse processes. The roles are as follows:

Domestic Abuse Complex Needs Coordinator

The co-ordinator will provide and take responsibility for the co-ordination of information around both victim and perpetrator from relevant agencies.

This will ensure informed risk assessment and action planning takes place to clarify complexities and address known issues in relation to any domestic abuse offending.

Domestic Abuse Navigators

These posts will support perpetrators to address vulnerabilities and issues which contribute to offending. Issues will be tackled in a person-centred way to ensure longer-term engagement.

This will include preparing clients to engage in a meaningful way with longer term behaviour change programmes.

Therapeutic Element

A trauma-informed approach involves:

Services viewing each client as an individual with a complex history/circumstance;
Recognising and developing their strengths;
Supporting self-determination by working with clients.

Home Office funding covers an eight-month period. The OPCC and the Domestic Abuse commissioners from the Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Stockton local authorities have agreed to match funding.

As a result, this will enable an additional five months of provision to the end of October 2022.

Harbour and My Sister’s Place are being grant funded to deliver the service in partnership with the OPCC and Cleveland Police.

Both organisations are Respect-accredited. They have an extensive and proven track-record of delivering DA perpetrator programmes and working with victims in Cleveland.

Barefoot Social Research will conduct an independent evaluation capturing the ‘soft’ outcomes of the programme. Outcomes will be negotiated during delivery.

Matching funding contributions include the following: