The Protecting People team coordinate short-term research and engagement projects on key issues related to responding to VAWG and trauma. We work in partnership with the National VAW Network and other key partners to identify areas of focus, and coordinate insights gathering activities across networks to support the development of learning, recommendations and resources.
Violence against women and girls (VAWG) and substance use (2025)
The Improvement Service will coordinate a series of engagement activities from April – August 2025 focused on exploring the prevalence of and relationship between Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and substance use.
This project aims to:
- Better understand and respond to the needs and experiences of women affected by VAWG and substance use;
- Explore and identify the barriers, enablers and opportunities for improvement informed by women’s experiences of VAWG and substance use, including sharing good practice examples;
- Identify actions and recommendations to improve support provision for women affected by VAWG and substance use; and
- Explore opportunities for national and local partners to embed joined up, collaborative working approaches that will improve women’s experiences of navigating systems and services across VAWG and substance use.
This research project is intended to support Scotland’s Equally Safe Strategy and the Equally Safe Delivery plan, particularly by exploring how collaborative, inter-agency working approach between VAWG Partnerships (VAWPs) and Alcohol and Drugs partnerships (ADPs), alongside other partners, can ensure that an integrated approach to service planning, design and delivery is adopted to mitigate the risk of harm to women, children and young people. The project will also make links to the strategic aims of the National Mission on Drug Deaths (Plan 2022-2026), Rights Respect and Recovery, and the National Trauma Transformation Programme (NTTP).
Coming soon: Consultation and dates for engagement workshops
Our previous engagement projects
Understanding the mental health needs of women and girls experiencing gender-based violence (2021)
This research project was developed as part of the Scottish Government ‘s Coronavirus (COVID-19): Mental Health - Transition and Recovery Plan. This project was coordinated by the Improvement Service, and aimed to ensure that the Scottish Government and other key partners have a robust understanding of:
- The mental health and wellbeing needs of women and girls who have experienced all forms of gender-based violence, including domestic abuse (including coercive control), rape and sexual assault, commercial sexual exploitation and so-called ‘honour-based violence’;
- How these needs, and the systems and services in place locally to address them, have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; and
- Tangible actions for the Scottish Government and/or local authorities to ensure that women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence receive the appropriate mental health and wellbeing support they need, at the time they need it.
Access the learning report: Understanding the mental health needs of women and girls experiencing gender-based violence
Appendix 2: Full survey results
Throughout the research, the Improvement Service worked in partnership with specialist VAWG organisations to consult with survivors of VAWG on their mental health and wellbeing needs, experiences of accessing support and their recommendations for how systems and services can be improved moving forward. The SafeLives’ Authentic Voice (AV) panel – a panel of a diverse group of women living in communities across Scotland who have lived experience of gender-based violence – were consulted throughout the project. Their quotes on the publication of this research and the importance of the recommended actions are featured below.
As a member of the AV panel it was important that our views were sort for this research report. From this, the recommendations were drawn up from the genuine experience of victims and their families… It can take years for a victim of domestic abuse to leave. It should not then take years for the survivor and their family to access essential mental health services they may need.
An understanding of the impact of domestic abuse is crucial if mental health professionals are to offer a service which is fit for purpose. For those of us who have children with the perpetrators, we will never be free but with the appropriate psychological support and validation, we can be given an opportunity to recover and ultimately our children can receive the care they deserve to enable them to grow and be as resilient as possible.
Mental health support for survivors of DA is absolutely crucial; we have found that there are obvious flaws in the system that survivors are falling through the net, at often the most traumatic time in their lives. DA support and mental health support should be working hand and hand to help these victims rebuild their fractured lives.
When the domestic abuse stops, most victims soon realise the extent of how much the abuse has affected their mental health on a daily basis. Very often struggling and battling for years to heal, and to try and regain the feeling of well-being. I think it’s very important to have their mental health assessed early on, to help victims recover sooner and become survivors.
Minority Ethnic women and violence against women and girls (2023)
In March 2023, Public Health Scotland commissioned the Improvement Service to coordinate an Insights Gathering project on the experiences of minority ethnic women experiencing violence against women and girls (VAWG) in Scotland, and produce a report of the key findings. This work gathered insights from a range of VAWG and women’s organisations, working with and for minority ethnic women, on a number of key areas. It is intended to provide insight into the responses required from VAWG policy and practice to improve the lives of minority ethnic women and girls and address the inequalities they experience as victims and survivors of violence and abuse. The project took place from April - August 2023 with the aim of producing this learning report, which includes the following:
- Insights from a range of VAWG and women’s organisations, working with and for minority ethnic women, on a number of key areas around prevention, early intervention, crisis support and recovery;
- Recommendations for the responses required from VAWG policy and practice to improve the lives of minority ethnic women and address the inequalities they experience as victims and survivors of violence and abuse; and
- Specific recommendations for how the refresh of the Equally Safe strategy can embed an understanding of what is required to address the systems of oppression that drive VAWG in minoritised communities in Scotland.
Access the learning report: Minority Ethnic women and violence against women and girls
Phone: 07825 928726
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Improving outcomes for people and communities affected by poverty, inequality, trauma and adversity: Joining the dots across key policy agendas (briefing)
There are a number of key policy agendas that are part of a broader ambition to improve outcomes for people and communities across Scotland affected by poverty, inequality, trauma and adversity. This briefing highlights the links across these and explores opportunities for re-framing these multiple policy ambitions as opportunities to work together around the common goal of improving outcomes for people and communities.
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Improving outcomes for people and communities affected by poverty, inequality, trauma and adversity: joining the dots across key policy agendas (infographic)
This infographic provides an overview of a small number of key national policy agendas, approaches and commitments, all designed to support a cross-policy, person-centred approach to improving outcomes for people and communities across Scotland affected by poverty, inequality, trauma and adversity.