The High Sheriff of Wiltshire has visited Swindon’s custody suite to see how a new programme is working to break the cycle of domestic abuse offending.
Since January, Behaviour Change Workers from the Open-2-Change programme have been based at Gablecross custody unit.
They have so far triaged 40 suspects and are supporting Wiltshire Police in tackling domestic abuse at the point of arrest.
The initiative was developed through the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls partnership and is funded by the National Lottery.
Open-2-Change, run by Swindon-based charity Society Without Abuse, has specially trained workers who are vetted to work in custody and offer direct support to detainees, officers and recovery services for families.
On Monday, 22 September, High Sheriff Martin Nye met Open-2-Change staff, Detective Inspector Lou Morley, Wiltshire Police’s lead on domestic abuse, and the force’s Offender Management team.
He was told how suspects are given safety plans for their release and offered referrals for support with issues including housing, anger management and substance misuse.
Detective Inspector Lou Morley said: “No one wants to be a perpetrator. We all imagine being in a loving relationship, and those who cause harm are often overlooked as partner agencies and police focus on supporting the victim.
“By placing Behaviour Change Workers in custody, we can reach perpetrators at the earliest opportunity and offer them the tools to change their behaviour.
“Many Domestic Abuse perpetrators grew up in homes where violence was present and may be suffering from trauma. This may be the first time they’ve been asked how they are – and truly listened to.”
Louisa Wrighton, Open-2-Change Manager, said that getting to the people committing domestic violence was essential if the cycle was to be broken. Its one-to-one programme has been running since 2019 and more recently within the Gablecross custody suite.
“This means we can directly reach the people who would benefit most from our support at an earlier opportunity,” she said.
“We can then work with them to identify the reasons why they behaved as they did and then help them to learn from and adapt their behaviours.
“This then has a positive impact on future relationships as well as the potential to reduce reoffending.”
A separate behaviour change scheme is also delivered in Wiltshire by the charity Fear Free.
