1. Recognising and responding to the impacts of domestic abuse on women

About this training

Women’s Aid has developed a half day online training programme focused on recognising and responding to domestic abuse. The training is for anyone who in their professional capacity interacts with survivors of domestic abuse. Training is delivered on Zoom. Each participant must have access to a private space, a good internet connection, a computer, or another device to take part in the training.

Upcoming training dates

• Thursday, 25 April 2024, 10am-1pm (registration at 9.45am)
• Wednesday, 19 June 2024, 10am-1pm (registration at 9.45am)

The fee for the training is €95.00 per person. For information on how to book a space on this training, please go to the Women’s Aid website - https://www.womensaid.ie/get-training/training-events/

Why avail of the Training?

As domestic violence affects 1 in 4 women in Ireland, anyone working with women can encounter domestic violence through their work. The responses a victim/survivor receives when seeking initial support from frontline services can have a major impact on their safety and well-being, and that of their children. Whatever your work role, this training will give you the foundation knowledge to appropriately respond and to link women to support services both locally and nationally.

What will I gain from this training?

The training is framed around the 3 Rs – Recognise, Respond, and Refer.

Recognise

• Dynamics of domestic abuse
• Forms and tactics of abuse used by the perpetrator and the intention behind them
• Impacts on the victim/survivor and their coping mechanisms
• Indicators that may alert us a woman is experiencing domestic abuse

Respond

• Learn victim-centred principles which should guide your response
• Understand the barriers facing victim/survivors in seeking and accessing support
• Learn how to safely support a disclosure

Refer

• Increase knowledge about referral options to specialist domestic abuse services and what they can offer

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2. Recognising and responding to the impacts of domestic abuse on women and children

About this training

Women’s Aid has also developed a two x half day Online Training programme focused on understanding how women and their children are impacted by experiences of domestic abuse. This training will be of particular interest to professionals who in any capacity support and provide services to children and families. Training is delivered on Zoom. Each participant must have access to a private space, a good internet connection, a computer, or another device to take part in the training.

N.B. Please note that session 1 of this training covers the same content as the Recognising & responding to the impacts of domestic abuse on women (half day online training). When deciding which training to opt for please choose either; half day Recognising & responding to the impacts of domestic abuse on women or the two half day Recognising & Responding to the impacts of domestic abuse on women and children.

Upcoming training dates

• Wednesday, 13 & 20 March 2024, 10am-1pm on both days (registration at 9.45am)
• Thursday, 23 & 30 May 2024, 10am-1pm on both days (registration at 9.45am)

The fee for the training is €190.00 per person. For information on how to book a space on this training, please go to the Women’s Aid website - https://www.womensaid.ie/get-training/training-events/

Session 1: Recognising and responding to the impacts of domestic abuse on women.

As domestic abuse affects 1 in 4 women in Ireland, anyone working with women can encounter domestic abuse through their work. The responses victims/survivors receive when seeking initial support from any service, including in the workplace, can have a major impact on their safety and well-being, and that of their children. This training will give you the foundational knowledge to appropriately recognise domestic abuse and to respond to women. Day one training focuses on:

This training will enable participants to:

Recognising domestic abuse

• Gain knowledge about the dynamics of domestic abuse
• Increase understanding of the forms and tactics of coercive control used by the perpetrator and the intention behind them
• Understand the impacts on the victim/survivor and their coping mechanisms
• Recognise indicators that may alert us a woman is experiencing domestic abuse

Responding to survivors

• Learn victim-centred principles which should guide your response
• Understand the barriers facing victim/survivors in seeking and accessing support
• Learn how to safely support a disclosure

Referring to specialist DV services

• Increase knowledge about referral options to specialist domestic abuse services and what they can offer

Session 2: Recognising and responding to the impacts of domestic abuse on children and their mothers.

Children are sometimes viewed as peripheral to or merely as witnesses to the abuse of a parent. The reality is that children are centrally situated in families where a parent, usually their father or father figure, is coercively controlling and violent towards their mother. This training provides foundational knowledge on how the perpetrator’s pattern of behaviour impacts on children and on how to collaborate with the non-abusive parent in the best interest of children. Day 2 training focuses on:

This training will enable participants to:

How the perpetrator’s pattern of behaviour impacts on the child.

• Gain knowledge about how perpetrators’ patterns of behaviour impacts on children’s safety, well-being and daily life.
• Gain knowledge about children’s experience of post separation abuse and coercive control.

The impact of the abusers’ behaviour on women as mothers

• Gain knowledge of how perpetrators’ pattern of behaviour impacts on women as mothers.
• Understand the ways in which the adult survivor continues to mother through domestic abuse.

Collaborating with the non-abusive parent in the best interests of the child

• Increase awareness of principles underpinning child centred responses to experiences of domestic abuse.
• Increase knowledge about building partnerships with non-abusive parents that maximise the safety and well-being of children.

About Women’s Aid

Women's Aid is a national frontline organisation working to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse including coercive control, in Ireland since 1974. We do this by advocating, influencing, training, and campaigning for effective responses to reduce the scale and impacts of domestic abuse on women and children in Ireland and providing high quality, specialised, integrated, support services. For more information, please visit: www.womensaid.ie

Important: Please note that the training may not be suitable for anyone currently experiencing, or who has recently experienced, domestic violence as the material may be distressing. If you have any questions or concerns about participating in the training, please feel free to contact us.

The training is designed to upskill those supporting women experiencing domestic violence. If you are a woman experiencing domestic violence, or if you are concerned on behalf of someone else, please contact Women’s Aid 24hr National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900.

Women’s Aid is supported by the Scheme to Support National Organisations which is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Rural & Community Development.