New standards have been set to improve the services provided for perpetrators of Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence in Wales.
This was published under the 2016 to 2021 administration of the Welsh Government
The Welsh Government’s ground-breaking Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Act made a commitment to increase the focus on holding perpetrators to account and provide opportunities to change behaviour.
The standards published by the Welsh Government will provide a benchmark for perpetrator services in Wales and make a commitment to providing consistently high-quality and safe services.
Launching the new standards in Cardiff, the Leader of the House, Julie James said:
“Victims and survivors are central to our work to challenge abusive behaviour. However, to effect real change, we must work with individuals who perpetrate to transform their behaviour and allow them to live better and safer lives, which in turn will transform the lives of their victims, partners, future partners and children.
“The new standards will raise the bar for these services, ensuring they work effectively and safely with perpetrators to successfully break the cycle of violence.”
Work with perpetrators includes exploring what underlies abusive behaviour, being mindful of the impact key development experiences, including trauma, may have had. Support is also provided to promote positive change, including developing skills to manage conflict without resorting to violence or abuse.
The new standards include effective processes for selecting, training and supervising staff, better evidence base when choosing which services to provide, effective communication between agencies to manage perpetrator risk and stronger links to victim and child services.