Working Without Fear Workshop
In England and Wales, domestic abuse costs £14 billion a year in lost economic output. This hard-hitting fact is due to decreased productivity, administration difficulties from unplanned time off, lost wages and sick pay. Domestic abuse has a massive negative impact on an employee’s health and wellbeing, staff morale, organisational image and the businesses reputation.
One of the main action points in the Domestic Homicide Review, following the murder of Hollie Gazzard, was that organisations need to be engaged and proactive on this subject. Working Without Fear is a tailor-made programme designed to help organisations recognise what domestic violence and stalking is, understand their implications, and help them respond appropriately so that staff are protected.
Working Without Fear will help staff understand the individual challenges they may face with regard to staff wellbeing.
– CPD Accreditation
We are delighted that the Working Without Fear programme is a fully certified CPD course. Feedback from the assessor:
”The course follows a clear and logical structure. The learning outcomes are clearly defined at the beginning of the course. The substantial content supports the learning objectives and is presented through in a systematic way, showing clear progression.”
– Testimonial
Claire Bell, Detective Chief Superintendent, Head of Public Protection, West Midlands Police.
‘‘Can I just reiterate and reinforce the thanks that you received today at the Force Leadership Conference for your time, thoughts and story. Having spent the remaining afternoon with my peers I have had a great deal of positive feedback about the presentation, the importance of the subject matter and the way you and Hollie make this so real. I have done many presenta- tions and sat through even more in this environment and it is rare that we get such a swell of positive feedback and support so thank you for your help in what I hope will be the start of a really successful and long standing campaign.’’
– Implications for staff
With research showing that one in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime, it is likely that organisations employ staff who have ex- perienced, or who are currently experiencing, abuse and/or stalking as well as those who are perpetrators. The programme will assist in establishing best practice when it comes to strate- gies supporting the wellbeing of staff suffering from domestic abuse and stalking.
Working Without Fear will highlight what desperately heinous crimes domestic violence and stalking really are and the devastating impact they have on staff and the organisation. It will help managers understand how to recognise the signs, know what their legal and moral re- sponsibilities entail, how to intervene early and how to help create a culture and environment where staff are ‘Working Without Fear’ encouraging them to come forward and seek assis- tance.
The workshop is a one-day course for up to 15 staff, and is split into six key areas:
1.Understanding and Spotting the Signs of DVA within the workplace:
– Definitions and a firm understanding of Domestic Abuse, Coercive Control and Stalking.
– Identifying the behaviours of a Perpetrator.
– Identifying the DVA signs of a Victim which can include: Psychological, Emotional, Financial, Sexual and Physical damage.
2.Risk and Impact on the Individual and the Organisation
– Identifying the risks and impact on your organisation.
– Identifying the impact on the victim and their colleagues. – How to reduce the risks.
3.Raising Awareness and Taking Action
– Raising awareness within the workplace of DVA.
– Exploring Case Studies of DVA within the workplace
– Clare’s Law
– Hollie Guard
4.Creating the Policy and Implementation
– Create a draft policy
– Procedure for implementing the policy.
– The Pledge
– Identifying DVA Champions
– Examples of good employer intervention through videos and case studies.
5.Responding to a Disclosure and Signposting
– How to handle a disclosure with practice sessions. – How to support a colleague and DVA Champion.
– Signposting
6.Dealing with Perpetrators
– How to spot the indicators that may suggest someone is a perpetrator. – How to deal with a perpetrator