Manage working relationships with individuals affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence through the criminal justice system
Overview
This standard is about managing working relationships with individuals affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence that you are supporting through the criminal justice system. It includes ensuring that you remain within appropriate boundaries of behaviour and conduct when providing support to and concluding relationships with the individuals.
As part of this standard you will also be expected to provide advice about the range of other services and agencies that can support individuals, and help them to decide on and access these.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
1. agree your objectives for providing support to individuals with relevant others in line with organisational policies and procedures
2. inform individuals about your role responsibilities and agreed objectives
3. gather information about individuals which informs your understanding of their needs, including:
• risk assessment
4. explore what support you will provide individuals to meet their needs in line with the limits of your authority, responsibility and professional competence
5. inform individuals when the support needed is outside of your role and
responsibilities
6. support individuals in ways that consider their personal boundaries and the professional boundaries of your role
7. provide information about other support and services to individuals which meet their needs and enable them to make informed choices
8. support individuals to access other support and services in line with organisational policies and procedures
9. explore with individuals the impact of engaging with the criminal justice system in line with your agreed role and responsibilities
10. promote engagement with the criminal justice system in ways which encourage individuals to recognise the beneficial effects of doing so
11. explore with individuals the impact of accessing support and services in line with policies and procedures
12. advise individuals about timescales and processes for bringing working relationships to an end in line with organisations policies and procedures
13. support individuals to conclude their access to support in line with organisational policies and procedures
14. communicate with individuals in ways which meet their needs in line with organisational policies and procedures,
15. take steps to ensure you look after your own health, safety and welfare when engaging with individuals in line with organisational policies and procedures
16. inform others when you identify risks in line with organisational policies and procedures, including:
• risk to your own safety and welfare
• risk to individuals’ safety and welfare
17. maintain your professional competence and ability to support individuals to fulfil your role and responsibilities
18. inform others when you identify risks and threats to the professional nature of your working relationship with individuals in line with your organisations policies and procedures
19. maintain up to date records in line with your organisation’s policies procedures
20. evaluate and share your findings with relevant agencies and stakeholders in line with organisational policies and procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
1. legal, organisational and policy requirements relevant to your role, the role of others in your organisation and the activities being carried out 2. the relevant national and local guidelines, policies, and procedures available and how and when they should be accessed
3. range of agencies and services you may work with
4. your role and responsibilities including the limits of your authority in the criminal justice system 5. the limits of your authority, responsibility and professional competence and who to seek advice from when you need support in your role
6. different styles and forms of communication and how to adapt them to meet the needs of individuals 7. common barriers to communication and ways to overcome them
8. individuals’ feelings and reactions which may hinder their ability to discuss their experiences
9. the importance of building trust and empathy with individuals and methods to achieve this
10. the importance of treating individuals with sensitivity, flexibility and respect
11. the impact your values and beliefs can have on your engagement with individuals
12. the importance of avoiding risk to self and individuals when providing support
13. the importance of challenging discriminatory or potentially damaging attitudes and behaviour and how to do so
14. the role and impact of intersectionality in relation to domestic abuse or sexual violence
15. your professional boundaries and individuals’ personal boundaries
16. the implications of active complicity, coaching, and inappropriate contact with and between individuals during court proceedings, and how to recognise and avoid this
17. the impact accusations of coaching and active complicity with individuals can have
18. the importance of maintaining your professional competence and abilities
19. the impact on individuals of engaging with the criminal justice system
20. the processes and stages of the criminal justice system that individuals engage with
21. what constitutes domestic abuse and sexual violence, and its prevalence in the community
22. what constitutes re-victimisation and the factors that can accelerate this
23. what constitutes grooming of individuals and how it can be identified
24. factors that increase risk to individuals and how they can be reduced or avoided
25. different types and sources of information relevant to individuals affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence and how to access them
26. services and support available to individuals in your geographical area, their criteria and how to make referrals to them,
27. the impact that transferring between different support services can have on individuals
28. common information and support needs of individuals affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence and how to meet these
29. actions required when disclosure of violence is identified
30. how to share information in ways which allows individuals to make informed choices and the importance of doing so
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
Domestic Abuse
A pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. The abuse can encompass but is not limited to, a combination of psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse.
This definition also includes so-called ‘honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage. Children also experience domestic abuse when witnessing domestic abuse.
Intersectionality
The interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage
Needs led approach
A form of advocacy that places the survivor at the centre of interventions and support work. This means listening to their story, concerns and struggles and identifying strengths. It results in the collaborative production of support packages that are specific to survivors’ individual needs. A needs-led approach is an empowering endeavour that pays attention to survivors’ intersectional circumstances, avoiding the traps of institutional bias or ineffective responses
Strength based approach
Recognising that individuals have strengths. These strengths are recognised and built on as part of aiding recovery.
People at risk
An individual who is defined as in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, risk of abuse or neglect
Sexual Violence (see also definitions below that may be used covering sexual abuse or sexual assault)
Similar in nature to sexual abuse, but this term is more often used to describe brief or single incidences, such as if sexually assaulted by a stranger
Sexual Abuse
Undesired sexual behaviour by one person to another. This is often carried out by force or by taking advantage of the other person. This term is generally used when the sexual behaviour is regular or over a prolonged period of time.
Sexual Assault
Any unwanted sexual behaviour that a person has not consented to. This can range from rape to voyeurism or exhibitionism, to unwanted touching above or under clothes.
Trauma Informed Practice
An approach to health and care interventions which is grounded in the understanding that trauma exposure can impact on a person. Practitioners will work in ways so as to not inadvertently retraumatise impacted people and with an emphasis on client safety, choice, collaboration and empowerment.