1. Barnardos Domestic violence: Risk Assessment Model
Barnardo’s Core Presentation
Slide No. 1
Tuesday, 28 March 2017
Barnardos Domestic violence: Risk Assessment Model

2. BARNARDOS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Risk Assessment Model Contacts
Trisha Kelly - Training Consultant
Libby Fry –Assistant Director
Barnardo's, London

3. BARNARDOS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Risk Assessment Model
BACKGROUND:
Adapted from a manual produced by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services in Canada
Piloted with Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland since 2003.
THE MODEL:
Designed for use by first contact staff and social care professionals to assess the severity of domestic abuse experienced by children and young people, living within families exposed to domestic violence.
Gender specific; assessing male to female domestic violence.
Provides safety planning interventions for children, young people and non-abusing parent.
PRINCIPLES OF THE MODEL:
Protecting children is the first priority
Protecting the non-abusing parent usually the mother helps protect the child
Providing supportive resources
Perpetrators are responsible for their abusive behaviour
Respecting the non-abusing parents’ right to direct their life without placing children at increase risk of further abuse.

4. BARNARDOS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Risk Assessment Model- 4 modules
AIMS:
To help children and young people stay safe and healthy
To increase the competence of Social care professionals and Multi-agency staff when dealing with domestic violence through a training and mentoring package.
OBJECTIVES:
To assist staff to identify risks to children from domestic violence
To assist staff in decisions whether a case presents as in need of a safeguarding response or family support
To help staff to make appropriate intervention for children, non-abusing parent and perpetrators
To provide a specific domestic violence risk assessment format within initial and core assessments

5. BARNARDOS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Risk Assessment Model
Four separate modules:
Module 1: Multi-agency domestic violence risk identification matrix (DVRIM)
Designed for first contact multi-agency staff to enable screening/ identification of risks and to provide specific guidance for the initiation of CAF and appropriate levels of intervention
Module 2: Domestic Violence Initial Assessment within Social care
Training consisting of a number of triggers for assessing the risk to children and the non abusing parent for use by Social care staff whilst undertaking an initial assessment
Module 3: Domestic Violence CORE assessment within Social Care A specific in-depth DV core assessment tool to be used by Social Care staff when children/ YP are subject to core assessment. Sec 17/47 of CA 89
Module 4: Safety intervention with children and mothers Provides social care staff with safety planning interventions to be undertaken with children/yp and the non abusing parent during initial assessment and core assessment process.
Suggested Implementation:
Phase 1: Formation of Steering Group
Phase 2: Presentation to Local Safeguarding Board
Phase 3: Training Module 1: Multi-agency ½ day DV awareness training and use of the threshold scales and professional guidance.100 Multi-agency staff (inc CAF assessors, health professionals, education)
Phase 4: Training Module 2 & 3- Two days training on initial core domestic violence risk
assessment model.
Phase 5: Training Module 4 -One day training on safety planning interventions with children and mothers.
20 social workers or key practitioners. E.g. CP coordinator, Police
Phase 6: Action Learning Sets– practice learning
sessions with a group of 5/6 staff

6. BARNARDOS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Risk Assessment Model
OUTCOMES:
Increased staff awareness and understanding of the dynamics of Domestic abuse and the risks domestic violence presents for children and young people
An improvement in practitioners ability to respond more effectively to domestic violence.
Safety planning and risk assessment will enable staff to assess children’s safety in families where domestic violence occurs
Non-abusing parent will be more aware of the risks posed by domestic violence and be able to keep themselves and their child safer
More accurate core assessments where domestic violence is intensely assessed
More children and young people will be identified as requiring support and safeguarding
Children/ YP and the non-abusive parent will have safety planning interventions aimed at improving their safety.
Model works in conjunction with other risk assessment tools –Common Assessment Framework (CAF); Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), and Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) and Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).
BENEFITS:
More specialised domestic violence assessment of families during section 47 & section 17 enquiries
Provides a consistent multi-agency framework to identify and assess level of risk
Increases safeguarding of children with greater informed decision making.
Greater focus on the needs of children and victims
Offers holistic support to families

7. BARNARDOS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Risk Assessment Model
BENEFITS :
Greater support to staff dealing with domestic violence cases
It enhances the assessment process within CAF as a specific risk assessment tool.
It supports the Early Intervention model
Maintains the focus of domestic violence as a main concern within the assessment framework without marginalising any other significant concern
2 day Train the Trainer programme available for boroughs to maintain delivery of the Matrix in-house.
Any further enquiries please contact:
Trisha Kelly
Tel: