top of page
Adults'
All features
Training
Children's

New initiative to support domestic abuse survivors with learning disabilities

Women with learning disabilities, autism or both are three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than their non-disabled peers. A new project aims to find specialised carers to provide targeted support to these people.

24/04/24

New initiative to support domestic abuse survivors with learning disabilities

A campaign has been launched to find carers for people with learning disabilities who have experienced domestic abuse.

The initiative – thought to be the first of its kind in the country – is a joint scheme between Cambridgeshire Shared Lives and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (DASV) Partnership.

It arose after the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Needs Assessment identified gaps in safe accommodation for people with disabilities, including learning disabilities.

Research shows a growing national need for more specialised domestic abuse services. It was found that women with learning disabilities, autism or both are three times more likely to experience domestic abuse than their non-disabled peers (ONS, 2021). Cambridgeshire County Council is pleased to launch the first project of its kind, addressing someone’s care and support needs at the same time as their needs as a survivor of domestic abuse.

The aim of this campaign is to recruit Shared Lives Domestic Abuse Carers – a paid role with carers being self-employed and the scheme paying their fees.

This will provide a person-centred, long-term support approach for survivors of domestic abuse, acknowledging the impact abuse can have for people specifically with learning disabilities. People can offer support just for a few hours in the daytime, for an overnight stay, or for an extended break.

Organisers are keen not only to provide vital care and support for those who have experienced domestic abuse in Cambridgeshire, but also to give residents new skills and career opportunities to encourage support within their communities.

The scheme is being funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough DASV Partnership. The Partnership chose to approach the Shared Lives team at Cambridgeshire County Council for the pilot due to their experience with supporting people with learning disabilities.

“This is an exciting and much-needed initiative which will provide invaluable support for people with learning disabilities who have experienced some sort of domestic abuse – often an under-acknowledged characteristic which deserves greater recognition,” White Ribbon Ambassador for Cambridgeshire County Council Cllr Neil Shailer said.

“As the first scheme of its kind in the country, I hope more will follow. Also that this will help raise the profile of people in similar situations who might currently be suffering in silence.”

Paint on Face

Stoke On Trent Council

Senior Social Worker Pre Birth Team

Job of the week

Sign up for an informal interview for this role today

£42,403 - £45,441

SWT_SideAd1.png

Featured event

Social World Podcast

Podcast

30 Jan 2024

Instant access

Featured jobs

Stoke On Trent Council

Social Worker Court Team

Barnardo's

Youth Wellbeing Practitioner

SWT_Online_Events_ad.png

Most popular articles today

Extra-familial exploitation of adolescents: Recognizing and responding to risk factors

Extra-familial exploitation of adolescents: Recognizing and responding to risk factors

World Social Work Day ‘intergenerational solidarity’ theme announced

World Social Work Day ‘intergenerational solidarity’ theme announced

‘Using jargon goes against core social work values’: The power of language in social work

‘Using jargon goes against core social work values’: The power of language in social work

Children’s Minister vows to tackle social worker burnout and "undervalued" workforce

Children’s Minister vows to tackle social worker burnout and "undervalued" workforce

Sponsored Content

What's new today:

Supporting social work students with additional needs during their placement

bottom of page