Success for ground breaking project supporting abused parents
A ground breaking initiative supporting Doncaster parents suffering abuse from their teenage children is helping families move from crisis to recovery.
The Getting On programme is one of only a few projects tackling Teenage to Parent Abuse (TPA) in the UK.
It is part of Doncaster Children’s Services Trust’s pioneering Growing Futures programme – a unique new model designed to reduce the harmful effects of domestic abuse on children and families.
Growing Futures Project Manager at Doncaster Children’s Services Trust Phil Hayden said: “Abuse by teenagers towards their parents poses a significant challenge, yet with research into the issue only recently emerging, we discovered a lack of provision of this kind in our region and nationwide.”
“Parents suffering abuse from their children can feel shame and blame while living in crippling fear of assault, as well as a fear of consequences for their child if reported,” he said.
“Our Getting On programme, with one-to-one therapeutic work with children and young people is a completely new and different way of working. We want to avoid a pattern of abuse where children move from one abusive relationship to another. Getting On is part of our new ‘whole family approach’ in Doncaster, aimed at building self-esteem and resilience so that families can move on together, towards a future free from domestic abuse.”
“We’re encouraged by what has been achieved by the families who have attended the programme so far, and pleased to see this working.”
It is early days but so far five families have completed the nine week programme, all with positive results, with a further six families due to finish soon.
One 13-year-old boy who attended the first course after being abusive towards his mother, said: I have changed my relationship with my Mum and with others, like teachers. I still need to work on my anger but I’m calmer now and I’ve got better with my sister.”
Leading national research into ‘adolescent to parent violence’ undertaken by Drs Rachel Condry and Caroline Miles at the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), University of Oxford has been used to inform and develop the Getting On programme materials.
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Notes to editors:
About Doncaster Children’s Services Trust
The Trust is a new and independent organisation set up to deliver social care and support services to children, young people and families in Doncaster. We've been set up as an innovative way to provide these services following an agreement with national government and the local authority, and we're the first of our kind in the country. We believe that every child and young person in the borough deserves the best start in life and support when they need it to reach their full potential. We will support children and young people of all backgrounds, races, disabilities and cultures who need support in the borough at times of need or crisis in their lives. Visit www.doncasterchildrenstrust.co.uk
About Growing Futures
Domestic abuse and violence means harm at home, and it damages young lives. For nearly one third of children and young people in Doncaster, abuse is happening at home.
The Getting On programme is part of Growing Futures, which focuses on children and young people, finding new and better ways to keep them safe and help them recover.
Led by Doncaster Children’s Services Trust, Growing Futures brings experts together – from health services, the police, Doncaster Council, the voluntary sector, schools and children’s centres – to develop a ground breaking new approach.
Growing Futures is supported by £3.1 million from the Department for Education’s Innovation Fund.
Growing Futures' new team of Domestic Abuse Navigators are helping children and their families quickly find the support they need to stay safe and move on together – for good. Growing Futures is:
offering new and tailored therapies to help children recover from the emotional trauma and avoid repeating patterns of abuse in the futurehelping parents rebuild their lives, grow in confidence and avoid abusive relationshipsworking with perpetrators to challenge their behaviour and address the long term impact it has on their liveschallenging the acceptance that domestic abuse at home is normal – it’s not.
Visit www.doncasterchildrenstrust.co.uk/growing-futures
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