Focus
Highland has taken a multi-agency approach to the roll out of Safe & Together, with all training programmes being offered to targeted groups and key workforces. The Project Coordinator has also been attending network and learning events to connect with other local area leads, particularly attending all National Safe & Together Implementation Forums. Learning from this forum is fed back locally to partners, which informs further practice and implementation. These connections have been used to discuss the possibility of sharing resources across the north of Scotland to aid implementation in the short term and sustainability in the long term. There are plans to develop a comprehensive Evaluation Work plan in collaboration with the Improvement Service and the Safe & Together Institute, which aims to provide more robust and quantifiable evidence of progress.
Outcomes
The majority of evidence of improvements to date are anecdotal through discussions directly with the Project Coordinator and through the Practitioner Forum. Post-training evaluations have also indicated positive responses from participants as they highlight that they have increased knowledge of domestic abuse and more confidence in applying the Safe & Together model in practice. Additionally, there has been a significant increase in staff interest in attending Safe & Together training. Practitioners have noted that they are more likely to have a shared approach to the families they work with, particularly in relation to the focus on shared language and terminology:
“The focus on the language used when assessing domestic abuse, being more strength based with survivors can help conversations and protective factors in measuring impact on child safety.” - Children & Families Social Worker on Core Programme
“That it emphasises on holding the perpetrator accountable. That it fills terminology like taking a holistic approach and therefore makes it clear what that means, e.g., describing in detail what the perpetrator did; describing the victim's efforts to protect the children even if they may seem tiny to the outsider.” - Police Officer on Core Programme
“It is life changing knowing that [the Safe & Together model] exists and there are people out there that understand, listen and support survivors from this perspective... I truly believe this will change lives and has done so far – it's very powerful.” - Senior Children’s Worker on Core Programme
As awareness of the Safe & Together model is growing, the Project Coordinator is now able to input to all ongoing and new policy and procedural reviews and refreshes to ensure that they are domestic abuse informed.
Enablers
It is felt that the Safe & Together model strategically fits with existing practices around child protection and tackling violence against women and girls, whilst also supporting priorities such as being trauma informed and committing to The Promise.
[A] Strength of the training was the different areas covered in terms of domestic abuse away from victim shaming. Considering how the survivor has protected children/herself. Considering language used.
As a result, support at the strategic level has been strong from the outset of the roll out and implementation of the model. Senior Managers and Chief Officers have also been actively engaged in the programme.
Barriers
Capacity issues since the pandemic have resulted in struggles with staff levels and workloads. Additionally, there are competing pressures on staff to undertake training in other new developments and service improvements. One person who attended the Core Programme noted:
I felt that I would have benefited from protective time to do the training, as on three occasions I was on duty, and I had to leave the training/join later. I feel that if it is being rolled out across Highland, it should be mandatory.
The online nature of the training was highlighted as a barrier as it was felt that it could be difficult to engage in this way. It was also noted that it would be more beneficial to have local trainers providing the learning rather than American trainers:
“Online training was very difficult to engage with. The training was too spaced out. This was very disruptive to my work schedule and also difficult to pick up where we left off.” - Criminal Justice Social Worker on Core Programme
“Slight cross over issues with trainer being American and us being in Highland. A local trainer may have had more insight into Highland models of working.” - Social Work Manager on Managers/ Supervisors Programme
The short-term nature of DES funding was emphasised as another barrier, particularly to longer term planning and ensuring that this is a sustainable model of practice.