Free from fear in military communities
“It overwhelms me that among so many competing Defence priorities <domestic abuse> has found a voice… and that voice is loud.” Lt Col Elisabeth Roberts from the Defence Domestic Abuse Survivor Community and Awareness Network (DDASCAN), writing in MOD’s Domestic Abuse Action Plan, published last year.
It’s a comment which echoes what we heard in designing our three-year Covenant Fund funding framework, and its key theme of ensuring that armed forces communities aren’t disadvantaged.
Our Free from Fear programme seeks to address and prevent domestic abuse within the military community.
We’ve awarded just over £1 million to seven major projects, whose work could change the landscape for those in need.
Improved training for better, long-term support
North Devon Against Domestic Abuse, which covers the whole of Devon, will provide Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) support to help build understanding of the needs of victim-survivors. Empowerment is key, and they will give survivors access to networks of support and shared learning. This project will also work with perpetrators, to effect positive change on both sides.
Creating a legacy of support is also a priority for Independent Domestic Abuse Services. The team will create an online training resource to ensure continuity of service long after the funding has ended.
Early recognition of abuse is vital. FearFree will work with military medical teams to improve recognition of abuse through training which will cover enhanced understanding of Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (DASV), knowledge of ‘honour-based’ violence, female genital mutilation and forced marriage, and understanding the impact of DASV on children.
Easier access for those who need it
But the issue spreads beyond awareness. Good accessibility of support cannot be overstated.
Aurora New Dawn will develop a UK-wide helpline for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking. In an extension of their current support, they will include a WhatsApp facility for those overseas, as well as email access. Funding is enabling them to bring in two advocates to lead on this work, both with armed forces connections.
In North Yorkshire, Independent Domestic Abuse Service will employ two military domestic abuse practitioners to allow them to increase the number of people they can support. This includes awareness raising through training and drop-in facilities, to create a much-needed easy access route to support.
Building trust
Changing culture and perception is difficult and takes time – but is imperative in building trust in those providing support.
We’ve awarded Trevi funding to implement long-term improvements to support services to ensure they meet the evolving needs of victims/survivors – some of whom, like the spouse above, have sought help previously but not received the support they needed. Many have lost trust in systems set up to help them.
Trevi’s aware, through its work with this community, that case workers assigned to support victims/survivors can be military personnel. This understandably creates a perception of protection for abusers, especially higher-ranking individuals. Indeed, they are aware of incidences where, despite reporting of abusive behaviour, no interventions were taken.
Their work will help women to navigate the right pathways to support, building trust alongside an evolving understanding of the individual needs of victims/survivors within the armed forces community.
Creating secure networks
Building strength through shared experience is powerful. In Oxfordshire, Reducing the Risk will create a military domestic abuse friends’ network. This will be supported by domestic abuse champions to listen to and support those affected, and, importantly, link victims/survivors with further support. Their work extends to recovery too. Reducing the Risk has developed a programme for managing trauma and helping those affected onto their next steps.
Similarly, the Penelope Project by West Mercia Women’s Aid will look to create a community of empowerment amongst the women they encounter. It will consider the barriers to coming forward and will deliver training with various welfare teams in different locations to widen that knowledge and access to support. Ultimately it will create a network of informed and empowered peers who can support one another.
Making a difference to victim-survivors of domestic abuse
Collectively, the projects we have supported under our Free from Fear programme will build and strengthen support, ensuring secure, trauma-informed pathways that are there for those who need them.
They will seek to empower from within, raising awareness of domestic abuse in military communities, and provide specialist support which considers the unique challenges victims-survivors in the military community can face.
We brought the funded projects together in an inspiring meeting which highlighted lots of opportunities for these organisations to share ideas, resources and learning, and to support one another to amplify their collective impact.
Free from Fear Programme Lead, Carol Hartley said: “Being in the meeting, which brought all the grant holders together, was an inspiring opportunity to witness these sector experts sharing both their knowledge and their enthusiasm for collaboration in this challenging field of work. I look forward to supporting these projects on behalf of the Trust and seeing the positive impact they will have for some of the most vulnerable people in the armed forces community.”
More funding to come
The Free from Fear programme will open again soon for applications. Look out for further updates on our website and social media. In the meantime, we invite you to learn more about each of the organisations we’ve supported. We’ll provide updates on their progress over the next two years of funding.
Useful links
https://reducingtherisk.org.uk/