Domestic Abuse - Making Safe Scheme in York and Selby

Following the success of the Making Safe in Scarborough and Ryedale, the Making Safe Scheme is now available in York and Selby.

Making Safe supports the victim and family by challenging the offender’s behaviour and providing support from the IDVA (Independent Domestic Abuse Adviser) both before, during and after any court proceedings. Support outside the court process can include enabling the victim to feel safe in their home with help from the Sanctuary Scheme, Community Watch and the North Yorkshire Fire Service.

This facility involves working together as agencies to ensure the victim feels safe from the offender, the scheme involves Community Watch completing a comprehensive assessment of the victim’s property and from this assessment recommendations will be made. The recommendations can include lock changes, window locks, patio door alarms, window alarms, loft alarms and national monitoring alarms. The fire service will install new smoke alarms, risk assess the outside of the victim's property and move and secure bins away from the house and if needed block off letter boxes and replace with external letter boxes.

The IDVA role is crucial for signposting on to other agencies, contribution at MARAC’s (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences) (a forum for sharing information about high risk cases), keeping the victim fully informed along the court process and addressing any Civil Court remedies such as Non Molestation Orders, Occupation Orders and Prohibitive Steps. Witness care also play a key role in passing all Domestic Abuse cases to the IDVA.

Making Safe also contributes to the prevention agenda and work with children is paramount in breaking the cycle of abuse that passes down in families. Children aged 13+ will be able to receive safety planning training, anger management counselling and information about the power and control involved in abusive relationships. A Children’s Advocate is available to work with younger children.

Offenders are also supported with guidance on lifestyle issues, return to learning initiatives, housing and benefit claims outside of the family home to prevent re-offending. Eight offenders have received support from Foundation Housing and since November have not re-offended domestic abuse on their partners.

York and Selby will focus on offenders that are charged and are going through the Specialist Domestic Violence Courts when magistrates will have an opportunity to consider an IDAP requirement. Making Safe success relies on challenging the behaviour and beliefs of perpetrators and IDAP provides this in a controlled and monitored environment.