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Domestic Abuse Informed School Service

Would you like to be a Domestic Abuse informed school?

On average a child spends 779 hours in school each year. That’s a lot of opportunities to offer support and safe environment to a child who suffers from abuse. But how confident are you and your staff in supporting children affected by domestic abuse?

Domestic Abuse Informed School initiative has been created by Next Chapter to raise awareness of domestic abuse and give support to children and young people effected by domestic abuse. Our DA Informed School programme provides domestic abuse training sessions for teaching staff, group workshops for students and 1-1 support.

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1 in 5

Around 1 in 5 children have been exposed to domestic abuse. Exposure to domestic abuse is child abuse. Being a victim of abuse has a serious impact on children’s health, development, wellbeing and learning.

The Next Chapter’s specialist Children and Young People’s Team composed of Family Domestic Abuse Practitioners and Young People Violence Advisors, work with families affected by domestic abuse. Support offered is personalised to client’s needs.

The Next Chapter is the provider of DA Informed Schools training and workshops, which are intended to raise awareness and knowledge and understanding of domestic abuse to schools. The training aims to ensure that staff understand the reality of living in an abusive household and how children and young people’s trauma may present itself in the classroom. We want to ensure your staff can respond appropriately and effectively to children and young people who have experienced abuse and to access support available. Our healthy relationship workshop for students focuses on helping children and young people understand what inappropriate, controlling or abusive behaviour in a relationship is, and what to do about it if they experience behaviour that upsets, frightens or harms them. Each session is designed to be age appropriate, active, fun and engaging, but also challenging.

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Packages

We offer three packages depending on your school’s needs.

Email us for prices and further information.

Gold
  • DA for Professionals Training
  • Healthy Relationships Workshop - 2 year groups + merchandise
  • Drop-in Sessions - 1 per month
  • Staff Champion for Year Group
  • Designated DA Lead for Staff
  • DA Student Lead
  • DA Policy
  • DA Procedure
  • Direct Referral Process
  • Certification, Prospectus, Admin & Professional Support (DA Policy & Procedure)
Email Us
Silver
  • DA for Professionals Training
  • Healthy Relationships Workshop - 2 year groups + merchandise
  • Designated DA Lead for Staff
  • DA Policy
  • DA Procedure
  • Direct Referral Process
  • Certification, Admin & Professional Support (DA Policy & Procedure)
Email Us
Bronze
  • DA for Professionals Training
  • Healthy Relationships Workshop - 2 year groups + merchandise
  • Designated DA Lead for Staff
  • Direct Referral Process
  • Certification, Admin & Professional Support
Email Us
“I have been meaning to email you to say a huge thank you for visiting us and delivering your workshop with our salon and hospitality students. I know from the feedback from students and tutors the week was very well received and the students fully engaged. A week of workshops like this is a huge task and I hear that the energy, enthusiasm and positivity from your team that so successfully engaged our students was still evident on day 5 as it was on day 1. Thank you so much for giving our students this opportunity.”

Colchester Institute

"Thank you for your visit #TrueNotToxic and delivering your training to our students. We loved how interactive the sessions were; how easy it was to talk to you; and that you offered us a service personalised to our unique needs. Your workshops have opened up new conversations with students who now seem more curious about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Students said they enjoyed honest conversations with your facilitator and some of the activities were eye-opening. I personally was impressed with the facilitator's ability to 'read the crowd' and spot vulnerable students, offer them and us advice on how to support them. I would definitely recommend your service to other schools. Thank you again!"

The Gilberd School

"Your communication from start to finish was excellent. I felt that you went our of your way to find out what areas we felt as a school we needed some focus and prepared two very personalised timetables for the days you would be visiting. You let me know in advance any resources that were needed and asked lots of questions to ensure you were prepared for your visit. From speaking with teachers, they loved the little quiz that you did with the children. The activity 'recipe for a friend' was also great."

Earls Colne Primary School

Families that are referred to us through the DA School Initiative programme will benefit from the following:

  • Group support for parent affected by domestic abuse
  • 1:1 support of a key worker for parents affected by DA
  • Groups for children affected by abuse (direct and/or indirect)
  • 1:1 support for children affected by abuse
  • Drawing and talking
  • Lego therapy
  • Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence - programme package and 1:1 support
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Want to become a Domestic Abuse Informed School?

Email us: info@thenextchapter.org.uk