The Ministers of Justice and Health have seen at first hand the
transformative work being done by a domestic abuse charity in
Northern Ireland.
and visited Women's Aid in
Ballymena to meet some of the people who deliver the Family First
programme, which provides an early intervention approach to
address the devastating impact of domestic abuse on women and
children.
Family Support Domestic Abuse Specialists work with mums and
children in the family home and in refuge, providing
intensive one-to-one family support, hands-on practical
assistance and group work.
The service is one of 14 projects which received financial
support through the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Small Grant scheme,
with £25,595 awarded to Women's Aid Antrim, Ballymena,
Carrickfergus, Larne and Newtownabbey (ABCLN) for the Family
First programme.
Minister Long said: “I would like to pay tribute to everyone
involved in delivering this programme, which is clearly an
important resource in helping us address the issues which arise
out of domestic abuse.
“It encourages the children taking part to explore subjects such
as what makes an unhealthy relationship and what is coercive
control, and helps them develop safety and planning support
networks.
“The Domestic Abuse Specialists also help the mums to be the best
parent they can be, supporting families to recover from the
impact of domestic abuse.
“The project restores hope and helps participants on their
journey from victim to survivor. This ultimately benefits
everyone in society as those taking part in the programme lead
more productive and healthy lives.”
Minister Nesbitt said: “I would like to express my appreciation
to Women's Aid ABCLN for the opportunity to hear about the
crucial work they do.
“The cross departmental Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy
(2024-2031), which was formally launched in September 2024,
reflects our commitment to addressing and mitigating the impacts
of domestic and sexual abuse across all communities.
“The work being done by the Family First programme plays a
crucial role in delivering the objectives of the Domestic and
Sexual Abuse Strategy, in particular our pillar for Children and
Young People.
“I would like to thank Women's Aid ABCLN for their dedication and
commitment to this.”
As well as touring the refuge, the Ministers met some of the
staff delivering the Family First project in which three domestic
abuse specialists work with 36 mums and their children to reduce
risk.
This in turn enables children to remain safely in the home with
their mum and prevents them from going on the child protection
register or into care.
Gillian Creevy, Women's Aid ABCLN CEO, said: “The Family First
project was created in response to the unmet needs of women and
children experiencing family breakdown as a result of domestic
abuse.
“Our specialist knowledge allowed us to develop an intensive,
individually-tailored support service which could be offered over
an extensive period.
“Working in partnership with social work teams, our Domestic
Abuse Specialists were able to demonstrate impressive outcomes,
including the prevention, or removal, from the Child Protection
Register of more than 300 children, allowing them to live in a
secure and stable home with their mother.”
The Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy Small Grant Scheme is a
new initiative under the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy and
was designed to support community and voluntary organisations in
their essential work with victims of domestic and/or sexual
abuse.
Notes to editors:
- The Domestic and Sexual Abuse Small Grants Scheme is a key
initiative under the Domestic and Sexual Abuse
Strategy 2024-2031 seven-year strategy, which was
launched by the Justice and Health Ministers on 25 September
2024.
- Member organisations represented on the Domestic and Sexual
Abuse Expert Reference Group and/or that are represented on five
local Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse Partnerships were
eligible to apply for the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Small Grants
Scheme.
- A total of £309,609 was awarded to 14 projects.
- Accessing support:
The Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline can be contacted free of
charge, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on 0808 802 1414 or
via help@dsahelpline.org. For
more information visit the DSA Helpline
website.
Contact details of other support services, including
Carafriend, HERe NI, Men's Advisory Project, NSPCC, Victim
Support NI, Women's Aid etc, can be found on the NIDirect website.
Anyone who feels in immediate danger should dial 999. If it is
difficult to talk, use the ‘silent solution' by pressing
55 when prompted (if phoning from a mobile phone). This allows
police to know it is a genuine emergency.
