Greenwich secures £1.95m funding for innovative domestic abuse project

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has won £1.95m of funding from the Department for Education’s Innovation Programme for a three year project which will transform help for children and families experiencing domestic abuse.

SafeCORE will work intensively with up to 360 local families a year who have had a number of contacts with the Council due to domestic problems and abuse. The project will work collaboratively with families to help them address the causes before problems get worse. By reducing domestic incidents and abuse, SafeCORE will prevent children’s needs escalating which in turn will mean that fewer children need to go into care.

Family practitioners will address the contributing factors using a holistic approach, working with the whole family to engage in collaborative problem-solving and put an end to the ‘stop start’ approach that families currently experience and which does not create positive change.

SafeCORE aims to reduce children’s exposure to domestic abuse, breaking the inter-generational cycle and reducing its impact on children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. It will also increase children’s and families resilience by focusing on building protective factors such as good school attendance and employment.

SafeCORE is informed by compassion focused therapy, systemic family therapy, multi-systemic therapy, Pause and Royal Greenwich’s successful response to troubled families. Taking the learning from these areas and applying them together in a new context, SafeCORE provides an innovative approach to practice which addresses the needs of children, young people and families whilst transforming the way in which professionals are supported to maintain their resilience and apply the CORE practice philosophy. CORE support means:

• Compassion
• Openness
• Responsibility
• Engagement?

The project links with the Council’s wider work to tackle domestic violence in the borough. Domestic violence is a high priority of the Safer Greenwich Partnership which aims to ensure that victims feel confident enough to report incidents plus receive the support that they need. The Royal Borough of Greenwich also works closely with the Metropolitan Police and funds a dedicated police domestic violence intervention team and domestic violence helpline.

Councillor Miranda Williams, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “I am delighted that Royal Greenwich has received funding for SafeCORE, which along with our own investment will transform the way we help children, young people and families experiencing domestic violence and abuse.

“SafeCORE is innovative because it takes a whole family approach to make life better for children, young people and families and make sure that positive change is sustained by improving resilience.”

Robert Goodwill, Minister for Children and Families, said: “Through the Innovation Programme, we continue to fund exciting and pioneering projects that look to shake-up our traditional approach to social care.

“Together they proffer a broad and balanced portfolio which both test new innovations, and scale and spread those that have been successful in Round One of the programme.

“I am delighted that we have supported this project, and look forward to continuing to hear about its great work in the future.”

For more information on safeCORE, visit: www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/domesticviolence