Introduction
Safeguarding children and young people from domestic abuse is a key priority for the Plymouth Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (PSCP).
1 in 5 children experience domestic abuse in their family home in their lifetime in the UK. It was the most common violence related factor in children’s social care assessments in Plymouth in 2018/2019 and 2022/2023. It was the most common presenting issue in 2019 (89%) identified for women in Plymouth who had experienced more than one episode of care proceedings leading to removal of a child from their care which was significantly higher than national data. (Pause Plymouth Briefing Paper 2020)
Domestic abuse undermines a child’s basic need for safety and security. It can have a serious effect on their behaviour, brain development, education outcomes and overall wellbeing (NSPCC)
By using a whole family approach and intervening at the earliest opportunity including ensuring all children in Plymouth are supported to understand what a healthy relationship looks like we can together achieve what every child deserves which is to grow up in a safe, stable and loving home.
This practitioners guidance aims to improve and develop our knowledge and understanding of using a whole family approach to intervening in domestic abuse and is for everyone who supports children, families and adults across the multi-agency workforce.
By clicking on each section below you can explore the key areas and practice concepts when working with domestic abuse. This will be reviewed and added to regularly so please revisit this page to check for updates. We hope you will find this useful and please feel free to get in touch with us at pscp@plymouth.gov.uk if there is any content you would like us to consider adding.
This practice guidance is supported by our Domestic Abuse and Child Protection Practitioners Toolkit with practical resources for you to use in your direct work with children and families. You can find the toolkit HERE.
