The Westminster government has published seven guidelines to help police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales ensure effective interventions with domestic abuse perpetrators. Up to £36m has also been allocated to the work.
The guidance is based on the need for interventions to be conducted at the right time by highly skilled staff. The seven standards are:
- the main outcome should be enhanced safety and freedom for all victim-survivors, including children;
- all agencies involved with tackling abusive behaviour should be involved to enable change in perpetrators;
- interventions should hold perpetrators to account, while treating them with respect and offering them opportunities to change;
- intercessions should be made equitably with respect to protected characteristics that intersect and overlap;
- they should be delivered by skilled staff who are supported in responding to domestic abuse;
- the right intervention should be offered to the right people at the right time; and
- they should all be monitored and evaluated to improve practice and expand knowledge.
The Home Office has committed up to £18m in each of the next two years to the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Intervention Fund so PCCs can increase availability of perpetrator intervention schemes, such as behaviour change programmes, that aim to improve victim safety and reduce the risk posed by abusers.
