Bracknell Forest Council: Evaluation of the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Service (DAPS)

www.reason-network.org.uk [email protected]

Bracknell Forest Council:Evaluation of the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Service (DAPS)Liz PhillipsResearcher, NFERFiona WalkerHead of Centre for Evaluation and Consultancy, NFERNick YoungDomestic Abuse Perpetrator Service, Bracknell Forest Council


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Today’s webinar will: • be interactive! • outline the DAPS programme: aims, objectives,

delivery model• outline the evaluation’s methodology, key

findings and recommendations• outline the next steps for the DAPS programme• provide opportunities to share your opinions and

experiences.


Let’s start with some polls….


Bracknell Forest Council’s Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Service (DAPS)

BackgroundAims and objectivesReferral processDeliveryOutcomes


27 CPP at referral- 21 removed - 1 transferred- 5 LAC

18 CIN at referral- 15 not escalated to CP- 1 CIN discontinued-2 changed to CP

1 Other

- Stayed LAC

Outcomes‘46 completers’

CP

CIN

Other


Service availability• Wide? Meeting demand? Demand outweighing availability?

Service quality• Excellent? Good? Fair or variable? Low?

What factors influence service effectiveness? • Individual-level? Service/programme-level? Both? Other?


Aims of the evaluation

ChallengesStops

Prevents

AccountabilityResponsibilityUnderstanding

Attitudes Beliefs

Behaviour

SupportReferrals

Engagement

CP Plans Police records


•develop and refine the key research questions

•create topic guides for perpetrators, current/ex-partners and staff

•set up telephone interviews

•conduct telephone interviews

•analyse interview data, produce emerging findings report and provide transcripts

•return to data, conduct deeper analysis, and produce fuller evaluation report

Working together to:


Key findings

• Perpetrator engagement

• Impact: perpetrators, families and staff

• Other support services for perpetrators and families

• The programme: what works?

• The future: making improvements


Conclusions

DAPS is meeting its aims

Encouraging evidence for effectiveness and impact

But – wider evidence base and evidence of ‘hard’ outcomes needed


Recommendations

DAPS programme should continue and be extended

Full impact evaluation

Social workers help to promote engagement; promoting engagement needs further attention

Keep: one-to-one delivery; ‘anytime’ contact; male deliverer; phone/text appointment system; ‘positive thinking’ elements; regular/ongoing progress reviews

Dedicated delivery accommodation


RecommendationsExisting male social workers trained to support delivery

Strengthen links with partner agencies

Targeted support for female perpetrators?

Earlier referral – before ‘crisis’ point


Using the research in practice

•Consider the recommendations in the report within the context of the resources available

•Present the findings to the Senior Managers and Partnership Boards within the Council

•Work with Partners to address the need to extend access to the DAPS programme to provide earlier intervention

•Work with the Bracknell Forest Domestic Abuse forum to train more professionals to engage more men with the DAPs programme


Bracknell Forest Council’s Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Service (DAPS)

‘We felt that Reason delivered all elements of the delivery contract in a helpful, efficient and cooperative manner. In other words they did what they said they would do. We feel that they persisted in their efforts to communicate with a hard to engage target group even when this was difficult due to an avoidance or lack of cooperation from the people we identified to be interviewed’.

‘We wouldn’t have been able to carry out this evaluation ourselves due to lack of capacity so them conducting this on our behalf was helpful’

‘The evaluation will help us to make a more robust argument for resources to expand the project’s capacity and add value and an evidence base to our own experience of the project’s effectiveness’.

Karen Roberts and Nick Young.


What are the main barriers to developing and implementing effective domestic abuse perpetrator programmes?


Relevant resourcesDoing research and evaluations:• Planning Guides & Tools, e.g.

– Defining your Aims– Practicalities– Ethical Considerations

• Data Collection & Analysis, e.g.– Interviews Guides & Tools– Survey Guides & Tools– Focus Groups Guides & Tools

• Reporting Guides & Tools• Using your Findings Guides & Toolshttp://www.reason-network.org.uk/resources/doing-evaluation/

http://www.reason-network.org.uk/resources/doing-evaluation/


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Documents

Bracknell Forest Council: Evaluation of the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Service (DAPS)