Amen (ay -men) noun Name of an organisationIn 2015/2016, AMEN hopes to deliver another ... Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam Nicola Dowling Director November 2015 two. Staff Members: Niamh

Amen (ay -men) noun Name of an organisation providing a confidential helpline and support service for male victims of domestic abuse.

Annual Report A report presented by the directors of a company to its stakeholders each year, containing the profit and loss account, the balance sheet and details of past year’s activity.

Our mission is to provide best-in-class support and practical assistance to male victims of domestic abuse in Ireland, to promote increased awareness and understanding among the wider public of the issues surrounding domestic abuse and to collaborate with statutory and non-statutory bodies to advance our aims and the needs of our clients.

Mission Statement noun a formal summary of the aims and values of a company, organization, or individual

Director’s Report

Staff, Volunteers & Trustees 2014

About AMEN Support Services Ltd

Services available at AMEN Support Services Ltd

Activities in 2014

Service provision - Contracts received in 2014

Service provision - One to One Support Sessions

Service provision - Court Accompaniment

Service provision - Counselling

Service provision - AMEN Support Services’ Helpline

Service provision - Group therapy & Group Support

Disclosures of domestic abouse towards male victims

Family profile of those contacting AMEN

Financial Statement

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Contents: (Kon-tents) noun what is contained in something

Director’s Report

The tragic death of Garda Tony Golden serves as an timely reminder of how domestic abuse continues to affect Irish families. The effects of domestic abuse on the family are well known. Victims of domestic abuse suffer both physical and mental harm, emotional torment and alienation from family members and friends. Domestic abuse impacts on almost every aspect of the victims’ lives; the ability to earn a livelihood, the right to live in peaceful occupation in their own home, the freedom to love and be loved and the right to the care and custody of their children.

AMEN Support Services recognises and welcomes the major developments in Family Law which protects the rights of male victims of domestic abuse. The Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 rightly recognises the primacy of children’s needs in any Family Law dispute.

The Act requires the child’s best interests to be the paramount consideration in any decisions on guardianship, custody and access. In all cases the views of the child must be taken into account if the child is in a position to express views.

Many male victims of domestic abuse are forced to leave the family home and the reduced access to their children compounds the emotional abuse to which they may already be exposed. The Act provides that a step-parent, a civil partner or a person who has cohabited with a parent for not less than three years may apply to the Court to become a guardian where they have co-parented the child for more than two years. The Act provides that an unmarried father will automatically be a guardian if he has lived with the child’s mother for 12 months, including at least three months with the mother and child following the child’s birth. Both developments are to be broadly welcomed by male victims of domestic abuse when the Act is fully commenced.

The new Domestic Violence Bill will further augment the recent developments in Family Law. Minister for Justice and Equality, Francis Fitzgerald recognises that “Domestic abuse persists as true horror in too many homes in 21st Century Ireland”.

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It is hoped that the new Domestic violence Bill will improve the protections available to victims of domestic abuse, making it much easier for victims to obtain Interim Barring Orders. AMEN was invited to make submissions in respect of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill which will also improve the protections available to male victims of domestic abuse. It is hoped that the victim’s experience of the entire judicial process will be improved and AMEN will continue to foster relationships with both the Courts Services and An Garda Siochána in this regard.

AMEN has greatly benefited from the contributions of its volunteers, staff, trustees and collaborating charities who work together to support male victims of domestic abuse. I would particularly like to commend our volunteer Counsellors for giving their time generously and without whom the counselling service would not be possible. In 2015/2016, AMEN hopes to deliver another Cook-it! Course which has proved hugely popular with clients prepares them for living alone and enables them to prepare meals for family members. AMEN will also be holding a Family Law conference in December 2015 in conjunction with the Meath Bar Association.

Amen would like to take this opportunity to extend our sympathies to the family of Garda Golden and offer our sincere thanks to An Garda Siochána, many of whom are at the coalface of domestic abuse.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

Nicola DowlingDirectorNovember 2015

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Staff Members:Niamh FarrellAoife McGrathSandra KellyJoe FoxGerry LeneghanWayne Dunne

Volunteers:Charles NwaokorieJoyce GallagherDavid KavanaghRhoda SmithClíodhna O’LearyLaura ThompsonMaria Gentile

Board of Trustees / National Executive Commitee:Liam BoweNicola DowlingPadraic BerminghamMarie GaffneyJamie CorcoranBrian AndrewsJoe ClancyFinola O’Sullivan

ManagerSupport WorkerSupport WorkerSupport WorkerCourt AccompanierClerical Assistant (Tús Scheme)

CounsellorCounsellorCounsellorCounsellorSupport WorkerClerical AssistantClerical Assistant

Trustee & DirectorTrustee & DirectorTrustee & TreasurerTrustee & Secretary to the Board of TrusteesTrustee & Chairman of the Board of TrusteesTrusteeTrusteeTrustee

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About AMEN Support Services

AMEN Support Services Ltd is in existence since 1997 and has been working for almost eighteen years to support and help male victims of domestic abuse. Thousands of men have shared their experiences with us over the past number of years; experiences of abuse inflicted upon them by their partners, past and current; spouses or female family members.

Our Annual Report theme this year is ‘Words are all we have’. Our victims’ struggle with putting their experience into words; words to describe how they feel when they are not believed, words to describe how abuse has ruined their self esteem and words to describe how they miss their children.

AMEN listens without judgement to their story. We support men to find words that empower them to move on from victimhood to survivor; words without judgement, words of support, words of encouragement, words of information and words of counselling.

You can read examples of the men’s experiences, written in their own words, in the footnotes on each page of this Annual Report. These extracts are taken from our publication Letters to AMEN, Volume 2,(2012).

Our services at AMEN include:

• Confidential Helpline• One to One Support Sessions• Support Group Meetings• Counselling• Outreach Clinic• Presentations, and• Training Workshops.

‘She would not allow me to go to bed. When I did manage to get to bed, she pulled the bedding off me because she wanted to me to stay awake with her.

She then started throwing things at me.’Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

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Services Available at AMEN

Confidential Helpline which operates Monday to Friday, 9am—5pm. The helpline is the first point of contact for men and/or their concerned family members or friends. The helpline provides information and support and is the only dedicated helpline in Ireland supporting and addressing the needs of these men. The helpline staff and volunteers are highly skilled and trained and are there to support, inform and listen in a non-judgemental manner.

One to One Support Sessions are offered to both the men and their family members who require further information or support.

During one to one support sessions, we offer men an opportunity to:

• discuss the nature and effects of their abuse in detail,• explore their counselling needs,• address their concerns in relation to the welfare of their children; and• seek assistance with the completion of court forms and various types of

paperwork.

These support sessions are usually by appointment but drop—in visitors are always welcome.

Support Group Meetings provide a confidential space for men to share their experiences. The meetings allow men to rebuild their self esteem and develop coping mechanisms. The meetings are delivered by highly skilled and experienced facilitators.

‘I live in the hope that this terrible situation will change.’Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

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Services Available at AMEN

Court Accompaniment Service is offered to men who require assistance in the District or Circuit Court. For example, assistance with applications for Protection, Safety or Barring Orders; assistance with applications for Access, Custody and Guardianship.

Advocacy and support in relation to court accompaniment is specific to the needs of the individual.

Counselling is operated entirely by volunteers and is a fundamental service offered to clients. Counselling is offered in the AMEN office in Navan and also on occasion in Dublin. Counselling is facilitated by highly skilled Psychotherapists with extensive experience in the area of domestic abuse.

Outreach Clinic is available in Dolphin House, Family Law Courts, East Essex Street, Dublin 2, on a weekly basis. This clinic supports men in preparation for court as well as emotional support and legal information to those who cannot attend the office in Navan. The clinic is facilitated by our Court Accompanier / AMEN Support Worker.

All AMEN services are offered to men regardless of their geographic location and a large number of men make significant journeys to obtain support.

Public Awareness of the issues affecting male victims of domestic abuse is highlighted through school presentations, workshops, awareness raising campaigns, community events and media interviews.

‘The thought of being told to leave my family home and not see my daughter breaks my heart. I keep returning to my abusive partner only so I can be a

family man and see my child.’Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

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Activities 2014

2014 was another busy year for AMEN. Volunteers, Staff and Management participated in a wide range of events and embarked on a number of new projects and training to further develop their skills and enhance the services on offer to men.

Although resources remain limited within the organisation, representatives worked tirelessly to raise the profile of the organisation and increase recognition of the issues affecting men in the hope that more men will come forward and seek assistance.

Media Interviews:AMEN continued to engage with media outlets through advertising and interviews in order to maximise the opportunity to raise awareness of the organisation and encourage men to come forward and seek assistance. In 2014, thirty one interviews were conducted through a combination of radio and newspaper media as well as appearances on national television. Niamh Farrell, Manager was interviewed on TV3’s Ireland AM show in July 2014 and also appeared on RTÉ’s Morning Edition programme in November. This represented an increase of almost 20% on the previous year’s media activity.

Presentations:AMEN continued to deliver presentations to schools, colleges and community groups. 2014 saw a 17% increase in the number of such presentation being delivered.

Training Workshops:These workshops were developed in 2012. The workshops are based on the principles of Recognise, Respond and Refer. In 2014, we had an increase of 60% in the number of workshops delivered.

‘I still love her. I can forgive her. All I want is to get my old wife back. But if I can’t have that, what about our children. If I leave I know things will only get

worse.’Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

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Activities 2014

Awareness Campaign: For the past number of years, AMEN Support Services has been very fortunate to be involved in the Dublin Institute of Technology, Students Learning With Communities programme. This collaboration has enabled AMEN to gain a fresh perspective on the work currently done by the organisation and also the manner in which the organisation delivers its message.

In 2013/14, AMEN worked with 3rd Year Visual Communication students under the guidance of Lecturers Brenda Dermody and Claire Bell to produce a series of images that would raise awareness and include AMEN’s contact details. Below are images from the campaign, created by Lauren Flynn and Ben Silva. This awareness campaign was funded by Cosc— The National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence.

Information Stands: We are grateful to organisations who invited us to hold a stand at their events. 2014 saw another increase in the number of information stands facilitated by AMEN. These information stands allow for large numbers of the public to learn about the services offered by AMEN.

‘She wants to kill me and destroy everything I have. She destroyed my possessions cut up all my clothes. She has grabbed my throat and kicked and

punched me.’Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

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Activities 2014

Rebranding ProjectIn 2014, we decided to upgrade and update the overall image of the organisation. We are grateful to Deividas Dvylaitis, 3rd year Visual Communications student, Dublin Institute of Technology for designing our new logo.

The new logo is modern, eye-catching, engaging and symbolises the support we offer. The crisp lines and strong colours are easily recognisable. The dot on the top of the M brings the letter to life, - changing the letter M to a person.The A is designed to stand beside the M (Men) providing support and encouragement.

The overall design fits with the ethos of our organisation.

‘I am the victim, yet it is me that will probably have to move out of our lovely home and leave our children at her mercy!’

Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

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Activities 2014

D.I.T. Fellowship: Manager, Niamh Farrell was conferred with a Distinguished President’s Community Fellowship Award from Dublin Institute of Technology (D.I.T.) The award was in recognition of her outstanding contributions to both the stIudents and staff in D.I.T. through her partnership with Students Learning With Communities initiative.

The President’s Community Fellowship Awards are conferred on a small number of dedicated community partners to acknowledge their contribution to the D.I.T. mission of civic engagement.In collaboration with students and colleagues, community partners help to design course-based, credit bearing projects that enhance student learning. By addressing real world challenges, students also have the opportunity themselves to make a significant contribution to society.

Training: AMEN is committed to ensuring staff and volunteers have the opportunity to engage and participate in training where and when possible.In 2014, staff, volunteers and the Board of Trustees of AMEN participated in a number of training courses including Children’s First Child Protection Training and Risk Assessment Training.

Support Worker, Aoife McGrath completed the Parent’s Plus Parenting When Separated Facilitator Training and is currently delivering parenting courses to men.

Volunteering: Meath Volunteer Centre (www.volunteermeath.ie) celebrated Amen’s commitment to volunteering during National Volunteering Week 2014.Volunteers are vital to the delivery of services in AMEN and we are truly grateful for the continued commitment shown by volunteers during 2014.

‘I live in hope that this terrible situation will change. I feel trapped and don’t know what to do.’


Pictured are AMEN volunteers Maria Gentile & Finola O’Sullivan.

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Activities 2014

Green Ribbon Campaign: AMEN participated in the distribution of Green Ribbons to coincide with the National Green Ribbon Campaign aimed at encouraging people to talk about mental health. AMEN facilitated an information stand in Navan Shopping Centre and disseminated information in relation to Mental Health with the help of SOSAD Navan.

SOSAD. 24 hour emergency: (046) 903 1855, (083) 371

2622 Email: [email protected]

Conference: AMEN addressed the Outcomers Conference in Dundalk in May 2014. This conference was Outcomers first conference in Ireland on domestic abuse in LGBT relationships. AMEN was privileged to share our experience and to be given the opportunity to reach a population who may require our assistance and are not currently accessing our services. Dundalk Outcomers launched a new information leaflet at this conference, providing information on domestic abuse

AMEN’s contact details are included in this leaflet.

Dundalk Outcomers (042) 932 9816 www.outcomers.orgNational LGBT Helpline 1890 929 539 www.lgbt.ie

Cook it!: During 2014, with thanks to a private donor, AMEN ran the HSE approved Cook it! classes. The cookery classes were facilitated by trained Cook it! personnel and took place over six weeks. The course gave men the opportunity to learn to cook healthy and nutritious meals for themselves and their children while on a budget.

Consultative Forums: AMEN continues active participation in a number of national and local consultative forums and committees. These include, Garda Diversity Forum, National Steering Committee for Violence Against Men and the Dublin 15 Domestic abuse Forum.

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Contacts received by AMEN

In 2014, slightly over six and a half thousand (6,660) contacts were received by AMEN. We use the word ‘contacts’ to describe the level of activity within the organisation.

For the purpose of this Annual Report the word contacts represents the total number of interactions with the service,including phone calls, texts, emails, posts, counselling, court accompaniment, group meetings and one to one support sessions. These 6,660 contacts represents a 36.8% increase in overall activity within the service from the previous year.

Service Provision 2014

‘I remember standing in my children’s bedroom one night, when my wife was basically biting my face. I just stood there crying, a broken man.’


Figure 1: Graph representing overall activity (contacts)

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One to One Support Sessions

A total of 477 one to one Support Sessions were delivered to 359 men in 2014. Many men contacting AMEN attended more than one session. This is an increase of 47% from 2013 and an increase of 82% from 2012. The support sessions took place both in the AMEN office in Navan and the outreach clinic in Dublin.

One to One Support Sessions generally last one to one and a half hours.• 80% of the support sessions lasted one hour• 20% of the support sessions exceeded 1.5 hoursHalf of all the support sessions were delivered to men living in the Dublin North—East region; just over one third (35%) were from Dublin Mid—Leinster and the remaining 15% were from other parts of the country.

The ethnicity of the men who availed of one to one support sessions was recorded.• 70% were Irish• 30% were non nationalsThere was an increase of 12% in the number of non nationals seeking one to one support.

Age profile of those attending one to one sessions.81% of men disclosed their ages; of these,• 62% were between 40 and 50 years of age• 28% were between 50 to 60 years of age• 10% were a combination of men over 60 years of age or under 30 years of age.

‘After 15 years of abuse, he finally got out, but he walked away with nothing, no home, no car, no money, no self worth, no confidence, she has it all.’


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Court Accompaniment

AMEN’s Court Accompaniment service offers clients information, assistance and support in advance of court appearances. The service also helps clients complete and submit paperwork to the Courts.

Court Accompaniment is offered in Meath, Dublin, Louth, Kildare, Cavan, Monaghan, Westmeath and Wicklow.

The Court Accompaniment service is funded through The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime (C.S.V.C.), through the Department of Justice and Equality.

In 2014, under the funding received from the CSVC, 145 men were assisted through 185 meetings.

Almost two thirds (65%) of the men availing of Court Accompaniment were Irish Nationals. The remainder were delivered to nationals originally from countries such as Nigeria, Poland, UK and India.


“I have to put up with being degraded and belittled on a daily basis. I feel afraid of her and have heard her on the phone saying she will knife me”


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Counselling

An increase of over 100% was recorded in 2014 in the number of counselling hours provided.Five volunteer Counsellors provided 214 hours of counselling during the year. These counselling hours were delivered in the AMEN office in Navan and also in Dublin. Thirty three (33) men availed of counselling with 12% of these being non nationals.

Seventy two percent of counselling hours (167 hours) were delivered from the office in Navan, while the remainder were delivered through AMEN’s Dublin based volunteer Counsellor.

On average, clients received six sessions of counselling each.

As there is no direct funding for counselling services, all counselling hours were provided by volunteers as outlined above. AMEN is extremely grateful and appreciative of these Counsellors’ contribution

‘She became very violent and aggressive. I couldn’t disagree with her. I was not allowed to have an opinion of my own. She was always right.’


AMEN’s counselling room, Solas

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The AMEN Support Services’ Helpline

The AMEN helpline operates Monday—Friday, 9.00a.m. to 5.00p.m.

The AMEN helpline is the main point of contact for those availing of our services. The helpline is a vitally important service and offers comfort, support and a listening ear as well as much needed legal information. Calls to the helpline are from men experiencing domestic abuse, concerned family members, relatives and friends; as well as professionals from other agencies working with men. A victim of domestic abuse contacting the helpline will often speak for the very first time about their experiences at the hands of their violent and abusive partners.

In 2014, the helpline was staffed by one full time support worker and two part-time support workers.

All helpline support staff are highly skilled and trained in a broad range of disciplines in order to deal with the varying and complex needs of the callers.


‘My brother phoned me tonight, a crushed and defeated man. He doesn’t know where to start or even how to start to see the end of this black tunnel

that has gone on for far too long.’Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

Figure 3: Graph representing all calls to the helpline

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Helpline (continued)

The busiest quarter of 2014 was Quarter One with February being the busiest month, similar to 2012.

We received 5,670 calls to the helpline in 2014.This is an overall increase of 39% from 2013. Out of these 5,670 calls, almost 47% (2,642) were classified as crisis calls. Crisis calls are from men, and occasionally relatives, who are extremely distressed by their circumstances. The remaining calls were classified as non crisis and these included equally important issues such as enquiries about services and community supports.

This equates to a total of 1,369 people using the AMEN helpline, of which 850 were new men.

On average, helpline calls lasted approximately 20-30 minutes.

Over 90% of callers reported that they obtained information about the organisation from non statutory sources such as family, the internet, AMEN advertising and social media.

‘I don’t have any friends as she doesn’t like me to nor do I have any hobbies as she doesn’t like me going anywhere without her.’


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Group Therapy and Group Support Sessions

AMEN delivered two sets of group support sessions during 2014; The first set, facilitated by two of AMEN’s volunteer Counsellors, took place in May and June over six weeks. The second set, facilitated by two external Psychotherapists took place in October and November over eight weeks. On average eight men attended each week. Topics discussed included; self care, resilience, stress management and mindfulness. The men who participated in the group sessions were given the opportunity to share their experiences whilst also supporting the other participants. Both of these sessions were extremely successful with a 98% attendance rate.


What will she do in the future? Will she try and stab me again? The next time, will she kill me? What will she do to our baby when it’s born.’


AMEN’S group therapy sessions facilitated by Erich Keller, Psychotherapist, were featured on Ireland Live on UTV Ireland.

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Disclosures of domestic abuse towards male victms

Men disclose a range of abusive behaviour inflicted on them by their spouse or partner. Abuse ranges from verbal and psychological abuse to severe physical abuse. Disclosures often include incidents where children are victims of abuse or witness parental abusive behaviour.

Breakdown of disclosures of domestic abuse towards male victims:

Total disclosures: 8,437Physical abuse: 3,278Sexual abuse: 2Psychological and Verbal abuse: 5,157

‘She said that I don’t deserve to live and that if I try to go, she will kill me.’Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

Figure 4: Graph shows breakdown of abuse disclosed by male victims

DISCLOSURES OF ABUSE

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Ninety five (95)% of all men contacting AMEN had children.

Over 60% of men have one or two children and 40% have three or more children.

Men contacting the service occasionally spoke of their concerns for the safety and welfare of their children.

One hundred and seven (107) men disclosed that they believed their children were previously or currently abused by their current or former spouse or partner. Amen referred these cases to Tusla as appropriate.

There was an almost 400% increase in Child Protection Referrals to Tusla in a twelve month period.

Family Profile of those contacting AMEN

‘She has punched, kicked, torn my hair, tried to break my fingers, spat at me and bit me on the face, hands, arms and legs. I am not a big man but I am a

black belt in karate. I have never hit her.’ Letters to Amen, Volume 2, 2012

Drawing presented to AMEN by a grateful client’s family

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Financial Statement

Amen Support Services Limited(A company Limited by Guarantee and not having a Share Capital)

Income and expenditure account for the year ended 31st December 2014

2014 2013

€ €

Turnover 180,424 190,469

(192,388) (192,555)

Loss on ordinary (12,388) (2,086)

- -

Loss for financial year (12,388) (2,086)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Balance Sheet as at 31st December 2014

2014 2013

€ € € €

Fixed assets

Tangible assets 7,194 5,976

Current assets

Debtors 117

Cash at bank and in hand 42,474 57,927

42,591 57,927

Creditors: amounts falling

due within one year (2,153) (3,883)

Net current assets 40,438 54,044

Total assets less curren

47,632 60,020

Net assets 47,632 60,020

Reserves

Revenue reserves account 47,632 60,020

Membe 47,632 60,020

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The Trustees, Management and Staff of AMEN Support Services Ltd. would like to thank most sincerely the organisations that provided funding in 2014;

• Tusla—Child & Family Agency• Cosc—The National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and

Gender—Based Violence• The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime

Without this core funding, AMEN would not be in a position to provide the services currently being offered to male victims of domestic abuse.

We would like to thank all the individuals who made donations in 2014. Without generous donations from supportive individuals, programmes such as Cook it! would not have taken place in 2014.

AMEN would also like to thank all who volunteered so selflessly their valuable time, skills and expertise to help further develop the organisation.

Without the constructive collaboration we receive from other charities, community groups and organisations, AMEN might well be an agency operating on the periphery.

Thank verb express gratitude to. Thank you a polite expression of thanks.

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NOTE noun a short comment on or explanation of a word or passage in a document

For the purpose of this Annual Report, AMEN, AMEN Support Services and AMEN Support Services Ltd. are interchangeable titles and refer to the charity organisation AMEN Support Services Ltd. which is a company limited by guarantee with no share capital.

The information and statistics in this report are based on details and facts disclosed by men and their families during their contact with AMEN Support Services Ltd. Due to the nature of our service (dealing with abused men), we are dependent on the willingness of the men to disclose information in order to compile a comprehensive annual report.

Percentages included in this report are rounded figures.

AMEN Support Services Ltd. operates in line with Children’s First Guidelines for the protection and welfare of children.

Amen is now under the remit of Tusla, Child and Family Agency. AMEN are dedicated to ensuring that the needs of the child and family are addressed alongside the needs of the male victim. The 400% increase in child protection referrals to Tusla in 2014 is reflective of our expanding role and our commitment to Children’s First Guidelines.

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Visit: www.amen.ie Or call the Helpline 046 9023718

Listen verb 1 Concentrate in order to hear something or someone. 2 Pay attention. 3 Respond to a person.

Hear verb 1 Listen or pay attention to. 2 Receive information or a message 3 Hear a person out, listen to the whole of what he or she wishes to say.

Documents

Amen (ay -men) noun Name of an organisationIn 2015/2016, AMEN hopes to deliver another ... Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam Nicola Dowling Director November 2015 two. Staff Members: Niamh