Funding awarded to challenge and change domestic abuse offender behaviour
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion and Worcestershire County Council are delighted to have been awarded just over £250,000 from the Police Transformation Fund to work with some of the most high-risk domestic abuse perpetrators and challenge them to change.
The Drive Project is a new multi-agency response to domestic abuse that encourages people to stop asking, “Why doesn’tshe/he leave?” and start asking, “Why doesn’t he/she stop?”. It aims to reduce the number of victims by disrupting offenderbehaviour and both challenging and supporting perpetrators to change, whilst holding them to account.
One in fourperpetrators are repeat offenders, with some having as many as six different victims. This supports the need to focus on the perpetrator, as well as the victim, as without specialist intervention there is a danger they could move onto someone else.
Following the successes of the phase one pilot in 2016, the Drive Partnership created a proposal for implementing phase two in five areas across the country – one of which was West Mercia. Worcestershire was identified as the area to deliver the project in first, due to it having the highest number of referrals into the police-led Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC).
The Drive project has also been mentioned in the government’s recent Domestic Abuse Bill Consultation as an “innovative approach which we are proud to support”.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “Putting victims and survivors first is a promise I made when I first came into office.Whilst there is some incredible support out there for victims, there is a glaring hole around working with perpetrators. If we’re ever going to reduce the number and severity of incidences of domestic abuse, we need target the source and get to the root of the problem.
“Having learned of how successful the pilot has been in other areas, I am very much looking forward to working together with the Public Health Directorate in Worcestershire County Council to tackle these issuesand make it a success in this area too. I can only hope that we will then be able to extend the project into the rest of West Mercia. It’s especially encouraging to see that the Home Office are supporting the Drive project across the country.”
Cllr John Smith, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Health and Wellbeing, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Police and Crime Commissioner on this programme, with Worcestershire selected as a pilot site for West Mercia.
“This refreshed approach focuses on the prevention of domestic abuse so has Worcestershire County Council's full backing.”
In order to deliver the Drive project, service providers, who can provide at least four case managers and a service manager, are being asked to bid for a tender. The tender will close at noon on 27th April 2018. Further information can be found here –
ENDS.
Notes to Editors:
The Drive Partnership is made up of SafeLives, Respect and Social Finance and works with Police and Crime Commissioners and police in each area, and in partnership with local delivery partners.
The project was first piloted in West Sussex, South Wales and Essex in April 2016 and has seen almost 200 high-harm perpetrators go through the project in the last year.
The project has been supported by Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, Comic Relief and the Tudor Trust.
MOPAC, West Mercia, West Midlands, South Wales and Norfolk were successful in securing funding from the Home Office Police Transformation Fund to deliver Drive.
Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion and Worcestershire County Council are jointly commissioning the Drive programme contract in Worcestershire:
PCC contribution - £170,000
Worcestershire County Council - £150,000
The Police Transformation fund has contributed to local funding that has been provided by the Commissioner and Worcestershire County Council.
For more information on the Drive project –
For further information and interview requests, please contact:
Gareth Boulton, Head of Communications and Engagement (OPCC).
Tel: 01905 747 154 or 07968 236385Email:
Lizi Piggins, Engagement Officer (OPCC)
Tel: 01905 331 667 or 07976 865 264 Email:
Sarah-Jane Morgan, Engagement Officer (OPCC)
Tel: 01905 338 850 or 07817 032 739 Email:
Date:Thursday 5 April 2018
John Campion, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, Hindlip Hall, Worcester, WR3 8SP
Tel: 01905 331 656 Web: Twitter: @WestMerciaPCC