Domestic Violence and Abuse in Devon - ADVA - Updated 15 February 2010

 Most Recent Home is Where the Hurt is Advice leaflet

Domestic Violence and Abuse and its impact on children
Research, practice experience and accounts from children and young people show the significant impact domestic violence and abuse has on the lives of children and their current and future wellbeing. The Farmer and Owen Study (1995) showed that for three out of five children and young people suffering physical abuse, neglect and emotional abuse their mothers were also subject to abuse from their male partner .

In Devon the adva partnership (against domestic violence and abuse), comprising all statutory and relevant voluntary sector agencies, work together to improve the safeguarding of families affected by domestic violence and abuse. This means jointly-funded initiatives to provide comprehensive support services across the county; services which have recently won Devon an audit ‘Green Flag’ for its domestic violence work.

Key benefits to GPs in Devon are:

• Localised provision of specialist support services in the voluntary sector to whom you can refer patients.
• Leaflets providing information of these services, available for patients and practices dvinfo@devon.gov.uk
•  Services across the county that provide support for victims/survivors (female and male); for children and for male perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse
• Access to high quality, subsidised specialist training to understand the prevalence and impact of domestic violence and abuse on families; why it is so hard for a victim to leave the abuse; what you can do as a professional to provide support – even if it is only listening, leaving the ‘door open’ for the patient to return and appropriate referral on to another specialist support service www.adva.org.uk (Professionals site)

For more information access  -www.adva.org.uk
or contact the central office on 01392 382233
or email dvinfo@devon.gov.uk