About The Course

Domestic Violence Awareness for housing workers

Course Description

This one-day course will train staff from voluntary or statutory housing agencies on domestic violence with a focus on the experiences of their client groups, which include high-levels of mental health issues and problematic substance use.

The course will look at definitions of domestic violence, myths and statistics, examine reasons why it is difficult to leave an abusive relationship and explore the links between domestic violence and homelessness.

Delegates will learn how the recognise indicators of domestic violence, how to ask about domestic violence and how to effectively provide support to those who have disclosed abuse.

The course will also provide delegates with information on legal issues, local and national services available and how to refer to a Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC).

Learning objectives

By the end of the course learners will be able to:

• Define domestic violence (DV), describe different forms of abuse, and explain its prevalence
• Compare myths and realities about DV and its links to homelessness, substance use and other complex needs
• Analyse barriers survivors face in leaving an abusive relationship
• Describe key indicators of DV
• Identify appropriate ways to ask services users about DV
• Demonstrate how to respond appropriately to disclosures of DV
• Evaluate risk in relation to DV
• Explain how to access specialist DV services, including MARAC.

Who should attend?

The course is aimed at practitioners working within the housing sector.

Basic Mental Health Awareness Training: for domestic violence workers

Course description

This day will explore attitudes around mental health in the context of domestic violence. Based on the AVA toolkit Sane Responses, the day covers key guidelines of good practice in support of women who have mental health difficulties, appropriate methods for asking about mental health and options to support women after disclosure. Post-traumatic Stress is covered as a useful framework for understanding the impact of domestic violence on mental health.

Learning objectives

• To gain basic awareness of the impact of domestic violence on mental health
• To learn about the myths and realities regarding mental health and domestic violence
• To understand the process of sectioning under the Mental Health Act
• To practise asking about mental health issues and responding to disclosure
• To increase best practice working with women experiencing the dual issues
• To develop skills with survivors who have mental health support needs.

Who should attend?

Priority will be given to staff from front line domestic violence services who wish to improve their response to survivors who may be experiencing psychological distress.

Supporting Survivors to Recover from the Impacts of Domestic Violence – Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Course description

This course is designed to help professionals identify signs of post-traumatic stress (PTS) in women and girls who have experienced violence and to explore different aspects of complex PTS. Delegates will practise introducing the framework and offering information to women. There will be opportunities to learn about and try out basic strategies to overcome intrusive memories and flashbacks, to discuss avoidance or numbing and to reduce hyperarousal or hypervigilance. These strategies are intended to support women and girls once they are safe from violence or after their safety plans are in place.

Learning objectives

• To develop an understanding of PTS and Complex PTS
• To increase confidence in talking with victims of vawg about their psychological distress
• To explore options for offering information to women
• To practise helping a woman identify signs, recognise triggers and normalise her reaction
• To experiment with basic strategies to manage symptoms of intrusive events, flashbacks or nightmares
• To identify and discuss numbing and avoidance in the context of healthy emotions
• To develop a range of options to help women manage arousal symptoms or sleeping difficulties.

Who should attend?

No prior knowledge of therapeutic approaches is assumed. The course might be of most interest to professionals working directly with women who are recovering from their experiences of violence and who have responsibility for their individual support or key work.

The Links between Mental Health and Domestic Violence

Course description

This course is specially designed for non-specialist workers who wish to gain an insight into both domestic violence and mental health and whose clients may present with both issues. Participants will explore basic domestic violence awareness and examine mental health in the context of domestic violence, as well as some of the myths and realities around links and causality. It will give participants the knowledge of the effects of domestic violence on an individual’s mental health and explore the different types of problems that may arise. This course will equip delegates to approach the dual issues in an integrated way and to improve their service.

Please note that this is a predominantly theoretical course and will not give in-depth training on safety planning and risk assessment.

Learning objectives

• To gain basic awareness of the impact of domestic violence on an individual’s mental health
• To learn about myths and realities regarding mental health and domestic violence
• To understand the barriers to accessing services when experiencing dual issues of mental health and domestic violence
• To gain an understanding of appropriate methods for asking about mental health and ways to encourage disclosures
• To improve confidence in dealing with disclosures of mental ill-health and domestic violence
• To gain knowledge of key guidelines of good practice in relation to supporting individuals who are experiencing mental health difficulties
• To learn about support services available locally, regionally, and nationally.

Who should attend?

Generic workers who are not necessarily specialists in the mental health or domestic violence sectors (e.g. professionals from police, housing, health and social work) who wish to raise their general awareness about the dual issues.