A national standard has been set to ensure that court
facilities and security meet the needs of victims and witnesses. Government
funding has been provided for the employment of independent domestic violence
advisors (IDVAs) to provide individual support to victims/survivors.
The Probation Service is delivering a programme focused solely
on perpetrators of domestic violence. This Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme
(IDAP) has been developed to address perpetrator behaviour, and include support
for the victims.
Self-referral perpetrator courses, which are run in the
community through voluntary organisations, are being introduced in many areas.
Most of these programmes are affiliated to RESPECT which has published
standards for the operation of community perpetrator programmes and is
developing accreditation for them.
In the South West there are Special domestic violence courts in
Truro, Bodmin, Plymouth,
Torbay, Exeter, Bridgwater, Yeovil, South
Gloucestershire, Poole, Weymouth, Swindon,
Chippenham, Bath, Bristol,
Weston-super-Mare and Cheltenham. Further
information on these Courts can be obtained from the Local Domestic Violence
Co-ordinators or Local Criminal Justice Boards.
Please see the link below to the CAADA website which
includes a MARAC toolkit.
