Statistics about the numbers of women who experience domestic abuse only takes us so far. How do we understand what’s really happening, especially for women in mid and later life?

The power of story telling shouldn’t be under estimated. Carrie Bower understands this and her blog, podcast and website are an amazing resource for anyone who wants to dive in. It’s probably not what you would expect. It contains many hopeful stories. There’s nothing else like it.

Expect to hear more about Carrie’s own personal journey & the effect her content has had on others. Carrie ‘feels lighter’ having expressed herself this way. And I felt lighter at the end of this conversation. I hope you do too. About Carrie Bower: Carrie is the Domestic Abuse Lead at Age UK, a national charity for older people. Her role includes leading Age UK’s domestic abuse policy, and providing training and resources to Age UK employees, volunteers and the older people using Age UK services. Carrie was instrumental in Age UK’s report No Age Limit: The Hidden Face of Domestic Abuse which along with other campaigning, resulted in the ONS removing the upper age limit, in the domestic abuse crime survey data collection. Outside her role at Age UK, Carrie writes a blog knowyourplace.uk and hosts a podcast Let's Get Visible which focuses on raising the visibility of women in mid and later life who are or have been affected by trauma and domestic abuse. About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Join the Facebook group here

Find Donna on LinkedIn here 

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

The need for specialist domestic abuse services is pressing & urgent. At this uncertain time with a brand new government it is unclear whether trauma informed support will be available regardless of postcode. Every penny must be well spent. When this is done properly, spending on the NHS & other services will reduce. Not to mention it has the potential to save lives.

So it is timely to understand what these services can and should look like. In this episode we focus on support for for mothers and children. they are the subjects of so many of our reviews.

May I introduce to you in this episode Sophie Bell, whose role is focused on prevention of abuse and neglect. Sophie walks us through services designed by the NSPCC for before, during & after domestic abuse.

In this episode we also speak about the effect of witnessing domestic abuse at various stages of a child’s life as well as the effect of short term funding as opposed to long term funding when providing a service.

 

Sophie Bell

Sophie Bell is the Associate Head of Development and Implementation, Prevention of Abuse and Neglect at the NSPCC. Sophie's role is focused on prevention of abuse and neglect and she walks us through services designed by the NSPCC for before, during & after domestic abuse. Website: https://www.nspcc.org.uk

Domestic Abuse, Recovering Together (DART™) 

https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/services-children-families/dart

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Join the Facebook group here

Find Donna on LinkedIn here 

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

 

 

When I became an independent reviewer I felt I had lost my professional network. People around me didn’t seem to understand exactly how it felt to be doing what I do. I never imagined a social media platform would change that for me. Fast forward to 2024 & that is exactly what LinkedIn does.

If you are starting out with LinkedIn you may have no idea where to begin. You may not fully understand how it can help you at all. Let alone how to get the best from it.

Meet Helen Tudor. Her approach is refreshing & accessible. What’s more, it just works. Listen if you are interested in building your profile, networking, finding people or opportunities or connecting with others who care about the issues affecting the safeguarding & domestic abuse sector.

In this episode we also speak about not being able to afford the food shopping, having teenagers & worrying about posting when you feel your hair is a mess.

 

About Helen Tudor

Helen Tudor (was Pritchard) is a multi award winning entrepreneur who's built multiple 6 figure businesses since starting in 2016. 

Most well known for helping entrepreneurs get leads from LinkedIn through her flagship programme The LinkedIn and Business Mastermind, Helen offers insight and knowledge to business owners all over the world through her online communities. 

She lives in Grappenhall, Cheshire with her husband Stu and their four teenage children, two cats and a sausage dog called Dave.

You can find Helen here:

https://getleadsfromlinkedin.com/5daychallengereg/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenpritchard/

https://www.facebook.com/LinkedInLeadGen

 

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Join the Facebook group here

Find Donna on LinkedIn here 

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

There are a number of  principles, expectations & standards for us all to digest & implement as we embrace the implementation of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023. It’s helpful at this stage to explore how this feels for a partnership & gather thoughts & insights from an independent scrutineer. Have you considered the relevance & helpfulness of the descriptors to help you break down some of these broad & somewhat visionary terms? Who must we involve if we want to get this right?

We focus our discussion on an approach that may resonate with you. We see the ‘whole family’ approach being discussed in reviews & other analysis. Assessing the impact of adult issues on family life and Children's needs requires a collaborative whole-family approach to understand the adults' difficulties. Adult and children's services can then be delivered with an holistic approach based on relevant knowledge and skills from both services who should consult to support understanding and assessment.    I call upon those who support services for adults and children to embrace the importance of being involved in the implementation of the Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023. This is an exciting opportunity for something new to materialise. About Suzy Kitching:

Suzy Kitching is a children’s Social Worker with over 25 years’ practice experience. Alongside her work with Strengthening Practice, Suzy is an Independent Scrutineer for a Local Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and a Lead Reviewer for Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews.

Suzy is passionate about skilled practice and learning; she was awarded an MBE for services to children and families in 2010 following the success and innovation of an integrated adult and children service she set up and developed.

Suzy has worked in the Northeast of England as a practitioner and delivered Training in skill-based family practice across the country. Developing whole family practice where adult issues (substance misuse, domestic abuse, and Mental health) impacted on the wellbeing and safety of children.

Suzy has worked in Local Authorities at both an operational and strategic level, she has supported practice improvement and culture change as Head of service and Principal Social Worker. Suzy has a real interest and passion in supporting and improving practice by applying learning into practice.

To find out more about the online training click the link below:

Multi-Agency Working to Safeguard Children Online Training - Westminster Insight

 

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Join the Facebook group here

Find Donna on LinkedIn here 

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

We all want media coverage of domestic abuse incidents to be more accurate & less victim blaming. As a starting point there has to be a focus on making the experience of a survivor being interviewed by the press a more positive experience. The project undertaken by researcher, Michelle Rawlins, draws on direct experience & commentary from survivors & there are many insights to be drawn from this episode for all of us. This ground breaking work will lead to a toolkit for trainee journalists and inspiration for a brand new style of reporting.

 

About Michelle Rawlins

Michelle Rawlins is an award-winning journalist, author, ghostwriter and copywriter with 25 years' experience working for national newspapers, magazines and online publications.

Michelle has built a long and consistent career from interviewing people in all walks of life and turning their words into print for traditional media and digital platforms.

After initially cutting her teeth at three fast-paced press agencies, at the age of 23 Michelle went on to build a highly successful freelance career.

Michelle has produced a vast myriad of true-life, health and news articles for national newspapers, including the Daily Mirror, Sun, The Guardian and the Daily Mail, alongside being a regular supplier of features and reports to women’s magazines, including Take A Break, Bella, Closer, That’s Life, Slimming World and Chat. She is also proactive in securing a place on the couch on shows including This Morning, Good Morning Britain, Loose Women and the Victoria Derbyshire show, for those she works with to ensure they gain maximum media attention. To find out more about Michelle and her research click here

Find Michelle on Twitter.

Organisations mentioned in the episode:

IDAS https://idas.org.uk

Women's Aid https://www.womensaid.org.uk

 

 

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Join the Facebook group here

Find Donna on LinkedIn here 

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

Most reviews identify a problem with information sharing, so it’s time to improve our skills in analysing the in-the-moment reasoning of practitioners faced with the dilemmas this issue raises. The idea that reviews distort the picture of the totality of the work being done does not sit comfortably with any of us, but Jonathan makes a good case on this point. Expect a few lightbulb moments. Is it too high an aspiration to expect reviews to change behaviours & cultures?  Hear from one of my favourite thinkers to find out more.

 

About Jonathan Dickens:

Jonathan Dickens is Emeritus Professor of Social Work. He worked in the school of social work from 1998 to 2023, and served as head of school from 2016-21. Before joining UEA, Jonathan had worked in Peterborough as a community worker, in London as a local authority social worker and then as a child care legal adviser (advising and acting on behalf of the local authority in court proceedings relating to children) and in Romania (1994 to 1997), as a trainer and consultant to teams of Romanian social workers. 

The multiple and competing functions of local reviews of serious child abuse cases in England:

https://doi.org/10.1177/02610183231218965

 

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Join the Facebook group here

Find Donna on LinkedIn here 

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

Do Domestic Homicide Review recommendations make a difference? We know that  there is a lack of national oversight about the effect of the recommendations, & we await Home Office guidance on how this will change. Do they mostly suggest training to effect these improvements? How are they considering protected characteristic? Do they highlight good practice? The study commissioned by the Domestic Abuse Commissioner & undertaking by the HALT team is the place to find out. Hear from the one of the authors to find out more.

Links:

The Homicide Abuse Learning Together (HALT) website: https://domestichomicide-halt.co.uk/ The briefing documents for the current research: https://domesticabusecommissioner.uk/reports/

The principal investigator on the project is Professor Khatidja Chantler, and the researchers are Dr Vicky Baker, Dr Clare Gunby and Dr Kim Heyes

 

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Join the Facebook group here

Find Donna on LinkedIn here 

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

Even though we have come a long way, large pockets of society still exist where an improved understanding of domestic abuse might make a huge difference. These are the areas where we haven’t yet understood how what we do & the way we do it can act as a deterrent, help improve detection & even tackle the problem of domestic abuse. Legislation & the role it has played is a major factor. Is the way the Domestic Abuse Bill is working now, for instance, in any way similar to what we envisaged only a couple of years ago?  

For a bird’s eye view of these issues & a look at where we are headed, I can think of no better person to speak to than Suzanne Jacob. We each have a role to play. If you can’t see how you or what you do fits in, I suggest you listen to this episode. There are victims who have suffered decades of abuse for whom you may be the right person to speak to. Whatever level of understanding you have, there’s something in this conversation for you. 

About Suzanne Jacob OBE:

Suzanne worked for the UK Government on some of its most challenging and high profile crime and security policies, many of which had complex legal and international dimensions. She led a significant part of the security programme for the 2012 Olympics, for which she was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours List 2013. She joined UK-wide charity SafeLives in 2015, and became Chief Executive in December 2017.  Find Suzanne on LinkedIn here Find more information about Safe Lives here

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, Momentum her space for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Join the Facebook group here

Find Donna on LinkedIn here 

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

 

When I asked Kul Mahay about organisations with a learning culture it was inevitable that we would begin by speaking about the pandemic. It forced us to become more creative. Being creative is everything when we want to generate valuable learning.

Reviews are pre-occupied with learning from what didn’t go well. But that leaves us feeling value less. So how do we use emotional intelligence, as leaders & in reviews to flip this?

If you are ready to hold up the mirror & consider the culture you create as a leader or a reviewer, this Is an episode you will enjoy. 

About Kul Mahey:

Kul Mahay is an accomplished senior leader with over 30 years of senior leadership experience, in the police service and is recognised as a top leadership and emotional intelligence specialist. He has extensive experience in cultural diagnosis and transformation, leadership development, executive coaching, conflict resolution, development of executive teams, HR transformation, and serious and large-scale investigations, critical and major incident command, and contingency planning, working right up Executive level.

He is regularly called upon to comment on issues around organisational culture and embedding emotional intelligence into organisational practices.

As a trained TV presenter, Kul is regular asked to appear on tv as an expert. He hosts his own ‘Unlocking Leadership’ radio show as well his popular podcast ‘Human Centred Leadership’ known for his engaging conversations with senior leaders from across the globe.

Website: https://www.igniteyourinnerpotential.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kulmahay/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/human-centred-leadership-podcast-with-kul-mahay/id1600862985

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, CPD for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP

When you have spent 30 years in a policing career it can be hard to see how you might fit into anything else. This was how it felt for Andy Labrum, Founder of Blue Light Leavers. He has supported thousands of others through the transition & is ready to share vulnerably about his own journey & that experienced by others in his community.

Andy’s approach is to offer inspiration & guidance, but it is based on direct experience. Be prepared to gain insight into the skills you never realised you have from your public sector background which are sought after in a range of different industries. If you hold any limiting beliefs about considering a new path or project & wondered if you were alone in encountering insecurities whilst being ‘at a crossroads’ in your professional life, this Is an episode you will enjoy.

 

About Andy:

Andy Labrum is a former police officer who after 30 years of service transitioned to the private sector. Andy has developed into a coach for blue light leavers to support them through the transition and build their confidence. He established Blue Light Leavers and supports thousands of police officers to think about their next steps. 

Website: https://www.bluelightleavers.com/

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bluelightleavers

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andylabrum/

About Donna Ohdedar: Donna has 16 years public sector experience, including her last role as Head of Law for a leading metropolitan authority. Now a safeguarding adviser & trainer, Donna is involved in serious case reviews in both children’s and adults’ safeguarding, domestic homicide and is a SILP Reviewer and Mentor. Donna offers ‘SILP School’ her university accredited training course, CPD for reviewers & a free online network for leaders in review practice.

Find out more about SILP School here

Engagement + proportionality + strengths = SILP