Kent & Medway Quality Assurance Framework for the Delivery of Domestic Abuse Prevention/Positive Relationships Programmes for Children and Young People
December 2013
Sharon Manship, Research Assistant, Centre for Health Social Care Research, Canterbury Christ Church University, Rowan Williams Court, 30 Pembroke Court, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4UF. Telephone: 01634 894472
Acknowledgements
This framework was put together in collaboration with:
Alison Gilmour, Kent & Medway Domestic Violence Co-ordinator
Kirstie King, Medway Safeguarding Children Board
Niki Luscombe, K-dash
Using funding from Canterbury Christ Church University’s Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) grant and the Kent Community Safety Partnership.
The use of the framework is endorsed by the Kent & Medway Domestic Abuse Strategy Group. It is expected that anyone delivering domestic abuse prevention/positive relationships programmes are compliant with the Child Protection competency frameworks.
Contents
Introduction4
Guidance on Using the Framework5
Background6
Quality Assurance Framework
Objective 17
Objective 28
Objective 39
Objective 410
Sources of information and methods 11
References12
Appendix I13
Appendix II14
Appendix III15
Introduction
This framework is intended for the use of service providers who deliver domestic abuse prevention and positive relationships programmes to help demonstrate outcomes and capture data on impact, as well as the schools/organisations in receipt of such interventions.
The framework is splitinto four overarching objectives which contain examples of performance information that could be used to demonstrate impact (quantity, quality and outcomes). Suggestions follow the objectives as to sources of information and methods that can be used to evidence these outputs.
The terms contained within each section can be defined as follows:
Quantity:measures demonstrate ‘how many?’ and ‘how much?’
Quality:measures highlight the quality of the activity (i.e. ‘how well did we do it?’)
Outcome:what difference a programme has made to the experience of children and young people, schools, etc. (i.e. ‘is anyone better off?’)
Each organisation will be unable to capture every aspect within the framework, so the lists should be read as suggestions that will aid in the articulation of impact. Programme providers may be able to answer quality/quantity aspects, whereas outcomes are longer term goals which may be evidenced by schools, organisations or outside agencies in the future. Each party may come up with additional relevant objectives of their own in order to help demonstrate outcomes, and it is suggested that they work in partnership together in order to do so.
It is worth noting that Ofsted’s grade descriptors for PSHE education make a very clear connection between PSHE development and spiritual, moral, social cultural (SMSC) development. According to Oftsed good practice guidelines, one of the elements of an outstanding PSHE programmes is one that is “…explicit, comprehensive and coherent. The statutory elements of sex and relationship education (SRE) are fully met.” (Ofsted 2012).
There is further support available to helpschools with development of their PSHEand Emotional Health and Wellbeing acrossmanyaspects,includinghealthy relationships, anti-bullying and self-esteem.For more informationplease contact Kent's Children and Young People Wellbeing Teamon 0300 7900304. For Medway, please contact the Child Health Programme Manager, Catherine Wilson, on 01634 332645. Full contact details for the locality leads in Kent and Medway can be found in Appendix I.
For further local resources, advice and information on services for victims, friends and family, and perpetrators of domestic abuse please visit the Domestic Abuse Support in Kent website at
GUIDANCE ON USING THE FRAMEWORK
If your school/organisations wishes to adhere to the Quality Assurance Framework, there are some issues which need to be taken into consideration:
- There is no dedicated resource to manage framework and therefore it is recommended that the programme provider and recipient school/organisation liaise in order to establish responsibilities and accountability;
- Is there a ‘champion’ within the school/organisation who can lead and take ownership of the programme?;
- Ensure that there are the time and resources to ensure that the work is followed up, for example, three/six/twelve months after the programme has finished;
- Be aware that providers may not get outcomes back from the school/organisation unless effective partnership working and collaboration is in place from the initiation of the programme;
- Programmes are more like to get re-commissioned if they are able to demonstrate solid outcomes.
BACKGROUND
Schools and colleges have a key role to play in promoting good mental health for all children and young people (DoH 2013). Addressing health inequality and building resilience in even the most challenged young people can also be delivered in youth work settings (DoH 2012). Promoting emotional resilience, good mental health and providing early and effective evidence based intervention and prevention programmes in schools, colleges and other youth settings will assist in achieving the ambition of improving children and young people’s mental health.
Children and young people acknowledge the importance of being healthy and having a healthy lifestyle, but do not always feel they have access to the information and advice that would enable them to make healthier choices (DoH 2012). Research suggests that schools are well placed to run prevention programmes as they can address gender norms and attitudes before they become deeply ingrained in children and youth. Community interventions can also empower women, engage with men and address gender norms and attitudes (WHO 2009).
Domestic abuse prevention programmes address a range of transferable learning and development opportunities for children and young people, such as raising self-esteem, improving relationships, resilience and problem-solving. Evaluations of school-based interventions suggest they can increase knowledge about dating violence, improve attitudes towards it and their effectiveness at reducing levels of actual abuse towards females appears promising (WHO 2009).
In an evaluation of prevention programmes for adolescents in Kent and Medway (Manship and Perry 2012), the high cost of domestic abuse in both human and financial terms was highlighted. LeHegarat’s (2010) report on services for children affected by domestic abuse identified that the numbers of victims in the Kent and Medway area was 53,953[1] at an estimated cost of over £1million. These figures demonstrate a strong argument for investment in prevention and early intervention services in the area.
One of the recommendations of Manship and Perry’s (2012) evaluation was to ensure that all programmes carry out thorough and consistent evaluations and to consider the need to secure funding to enable formal, external and longitudinal evaluation to take place across the county. The Children & Young People Domestic Abuse Programmes Steering Group (list of members in Appendix II) has therefore developed this Quality Assurance Framework which provides a model to help providers and recipient organisations of prevention programmes to demonstrate their impact, and help commissioners and funders to feel confident in investing in approaches that build social and emotional capital.
In addition to the aforementioned evaluation, an external environment mapping exercise was undertaken in the form of a survey of Kent and Medway professionals attending domestic abuse prevention/positive relationships events in July 2013. Results further highlighted the necessity of a framework such as this one. Relevant data from this exercise can be found in Appendix III.
Quality Assurance Framework for Delivery of Domestic Abuse Prevention Programmes to Children & Young People
Increase awareness of children and young people
regarding the issues of domestic abuse and positive relationships
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
QUANTITY / QUALITY / OUTCOMES
Number of children and young people who have received domestic abuse inputs
Number of children reporting increased confidence, self-esteem, social skills
Number of participant disclosures regarding domestic abuse / Feedback from children and young people that they are able to:
-identify the characteristics of a positive relationship and those of an abusive one
-recognise warning signs and indicators and safely end abusive relationships
-adopt healthy and appropriate coping strategies
-recognise the influence of peers, media and popular culture
-recognise and challenge learned behaviours (their own and those of others)
-understand equality and diversity
-demonstrate awareness of the historical and cultural context of domestic abuse
Children and young people report an increased sense of self-identity
Facilitators report anecdotal evidence of knowledge being increased
/ Children and young people are confident to apply the knowledge they have gained to enable them to develop positive relationships in the future
Teachers and staff report that they have more children and young people coming forward regarding domestic abuse issues that they are able to support/signpost
… OBJECTIVE 2 …
Increase awareness of the support services available for
those children and young people affected by domestic abuse
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
QUANTITY / QUALITY /
OUTCOMES
Number of self-referrals to support services
Number of parents/carers accessing support services for children and young people
Number of referrals from school for children and young people
Domestic abuse information available and accessible in school/community premises
Number of times support services are advertised in school/organisation newsletter /
Children and young people report they have the ability to:
-seek appropriate help and intervention
-understand the rights and responsibilities of young people, agencies and communities / Support services are accessed by children and young people, who report that support was helpful in addressing their domestic abuse/positive relationship issues
Children and families that have experienced domestic abuse are performing well in key areas such as attendance and attainment
… OBJECTIVE 3 …
Increase awareness of staff regarding the issues of domestic abuse and positive relationships
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
QUANTITY / QUALITY / OUTCOMES
Number of staff trained in (at least) basic awareness of domestic abuse issues
Number of links/onward referrals made by staff with services /
Staff report that they are confident in responding appropriately to issues of domestic abuse
Staff report that they know where to go for help in relation to domestic abuse issues, including:
- Use of local service providers directory
- Kent Domestic Abuse website
- Practitioner guides
- Handouts/presentation slides
Staff report through development review/supervision that training/awareness raising has positive impact on practice
Staff report anecdotal evidence of how they have applied their knowledge to support children and young people
… OBJECTIVE 4 …
Change in culture of school to develop a whole-school approach
to the issues of domestic abuse and positive relationships
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
QUANTITY / QUALITY /
OUTCOMES
Number of children and young people recruited on mentoring/advocacy programmes /
Children and young people reporting that they feel empowered to advocate for themselves and others regarding positive relationships/domestic abuse prevention
Identified referral routes for all identified cases (children and young people and adults)
Domestic abuse policy implemented and staff awareness recorded in supervision / Arrangements and services are designed to address domestic abuse, e.g. designated DA lead in school
Domestic abuse features regularly as part of the whole curriculum, e.g. built into PSHE or commissioned service
Mentoring and advocacy programmes for children and young people established and service users report that it has been beneficial
Increase in attainment of SATS/examinations
Reduction in absence levels
Sources of Information and Methods
The below menu of choice should provide schools/organisations with ideas of the sources of information that can be used as well as the methods for obtaining it.
Quantity /
- Management information records (multi-agency: schools, providers, etc.), including attendance, numbers, missed sessions, classes, etc.
- Pre- and post-programme evaluation questionnaires
- School monitoring checklists
Quality /
- Focus groups of children and young people, staff and facilitators
- Pre- and post-programme evaluation questionnaires
- Case studies
- Case record audits
- Implementation of ‘Teen Stars’
- Direct feedback/anecdotal evidence from children and young people, parents and professionals
- Surveys (online, paper, use of social media)
Outcomes /
- Supervision
- Staff meetings
- School referrals to other services
- Audit of case records/safeguarding files
- OFSTED inspections
- School monitoring checklists
- Internal/external reviews and audits
- School/exam league tables
- Case studies
References
DoH (2012) Children and Young People’s Health Outcomes Forum – Report of the Public Health and Prevention Sub-Group
DoH (2013) Improving Children and Young People’s Health Outcomes: A System Wide Response
LeHegarat, C. (2010) Services for children affected by domestic abuse. Kent County Council: Kent and Medway Domestic Violence Strategy Group
Manship, S. and Perry, R. (2012) An evaluation of domestic abuse programmes for adolescents in Kent and Medway. Canterbury Christ Church University: Kent
Ofsted (2012) Generic grade descriptors and supplementary subject-specific guidance for inspectors on making judgements during subject survey visits to schools. [Online]. Accessed: 27 November 2013
APPENDIX I
Locality Leads for Kent's Children and Young People Wellbeing Team
Liz McAvan / Team Manager / / 0300 1231 969
Alison Lucas / Thanet All Schools and Sandwich/Deal Primary Schools / / 0300 7900 304
Crystal Stean / Ashford and Tunbridge Wells / / 0300 1231 969
Gilda Arabnia / Shepway and Dover / / 0300 7900 304
Ian MacDonald / Swale and Swanley /
/ 0300 7900 304
Jane Kennedy / Maidstone and Tonbridge & Malling / / 0300 1231 969
Kirsty Heath / Canterbury and Dover / / 0300 7900 304
Valerie Ruthven / Team Administrator / / 0300 7900 304
Angela Shone / Children and Young People Wellbeing Practitioner /
/ 0300 1231 969
Kate Collins / Dartford, Gravesham and Sevenoaks / / 0300 1231 969
Holly Till / Children and Young People Wellbeing Practitioner / / 0300 1231 969
Medway contact:
Catherine Wilson
Child Health Programme Manager
Public Health Directorate
Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, ME4 4TR
Tel:01634 332645
Email:
APPENDIX II
Membership of Children & Young People Domestic Abuse Programmes Steering Group
Gilda Arabnia, Children & Young People Wellbeing Scheme
Steve Butler, KCA Young Persons’ Service
Kirstie Dray, Early Intervention Team, Tunbridge Wells District
Allison Esson, Kent County Council
Lucy Farnham, Rising Sun
Alison Gilmour, Kent & Medway Domestic Violence Co-ordinator
Kirsty Heath, Children & Young People Wellbeing Scheme
Sarah Holness, Project Salus
Deborah Jordan, North Kent Women’s Aid
Kirstie King, Medway Safeguarding Children Board
Niki Luscombe, K-dash
Sharon Manship, Canterbury Christ Church University
Sylvia Murray, North Kent Women’s Aid
Rebecca Perry, Swale Action to End Domestic Abuse
Peter Williams, DAVSS
APPENDIX III
Data from survey of Kent and Medway professionals attending domestic abuse prevention/positive relationships events in July 2013
Does your organisation have a Domestic Abuse (DA) policy for staff?
Does your organisation have a DA policy for clients/service users?
Is there a need for a domestic abuse/healthy relationships programme in your organisation?
What do you see as the training need(s) in your organisation with regards to domestic abuse/healthy relationships?
General awareness of what domestic abuse is / 64% / 76%
General awareness of the services that are available for people affected by domestic abuse / 80% / 73%
How to do a Risk Assessment of someone who is experiencing domestic abuse / 83% / 29%
How to support children and young people affected by DA in the family home / 90% / 39%
Working with young people who are in abusive relationships / 78% / 42%
What are the barriers for embedding preventative programme in your organisation?
Other (19%) incorporates one mention of each of the following: lack of support services and processes; lack of information from other agencies; management priorities; current opportunity; commissioning and hierarchy of NHS; working with only targeted families
1
[1] Women and girls aged 16-59 who have been a victim of domestic abuse in the past year, using the Home Office ready reckoner