• Collaborate with victim support services/perpetrator programmes
• Ensure your programme is working in line with international standards for perpetrator work
• Overcome the challenges of building good collaboration
• Choose the model of victim support that works for your programme

Session 1: Examining beliefs and structures that hold women safe 

• Understand why a survivor-centred approach is central to working with perpetrators 
• Learn about service-generated risks and how to mitigate them 

Session 2: Effective collaboration of perpetrator programmes and survivor support services 

• Learn why cooperation between perpetrator programmes and survivor support services is crucial for the safety of survivors 
• Understand how to set up cooperation and what typical challenges are in practice 

Session 3: Models of working and guiding principles/practice for effective collaboration 

• Learn about possible models of survivor contact and support for perpetrator programmes
• Understand which model would be the best for your organisation

Session 4: Roles and Responsibilities; Information sharing and development of contracts and protocols 

• Learn about roles, responsibilities and information sharing
• Build your skills in managing challenging situations in cooperation and information sharing using real practice case studies 

Session 5: Managing risk and safety through collaboration 

• Learn how survivor support services and perpetrator programmes jointly assess and manage risks 
• Build your skills in running risk management meetings using practical case studies

This training provides key competencies for perpetrator programmes and victim support services for running safe, victim-safety-centred perpetrator work. Ensuring internal victim support measures and close cooperation of perpetrator programs and victim support services is a core demand of international standards, such as the Istanbul Convention. However, many programmes face challenges in establishing these measures.

This training is practice-based and offers concrete guidance and tools to start or improve this essential aspect of the work. It tackles important issues like:

• Why is victim support and cooperation with victim support services essential for perpetrator work? What are the benefits for women and children affected by violence? 
• What models of victim support within perpetrator programmes exist? What are their strengths and limitations?
• What are common obstacles in ensuring victim support, maintaining cooperation and best practices in overcoming them?
• What are the roles and responsibilities of victim services and perpetrator programmes? How can you work together, share information and make joint decisions?
• How can you do joint risk assessment and management?

Kath Albiston has worked in the UK for over 20 years in roles dealing directly or indirectly with domestic violence. As a consultant and trainer, she specialises in risk management and safeguarding, providing supervision, and designing and implementing domestic violence and risk assessments, policies and procedures. Kath further specialises as a Chairperson and author of Domestic Homicide and Serious Case Reviews, and undertakes expert assessments for family and civil courts.

Fionnuala Collins works as the Development Officer for MOVE Ireland. She provides tailored training for a diverse range of frontline staff to support recognising, responding and referring perpetrators to programmes. Fionnuala has developed various training methods to encourage reflection, better thinking and deeper engagement with difficult topics and tasks to create good communication, protocols, and practices. She brings over 20 years of frontline experience to this role in various facilitation contexts with victims and perpetrators of abuse in family, youth and community services.