Responding well domestic abuse training
Westmorland & Furness Council, in partnership with SafeLives, are offering the training opportunity to complete ‘Responding Well’ Domestic Abuse Training. This training has been agreed as the consistent, baseline DA Awareness across Cumbria.
SafeLives are a UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone and for good. They are independent, practical and evidence-led, with survivor voice at the heart of our thinking. They work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse.
This face-to-face training is free to all professionals and the sessions will last a full day.
Learning outcomes
- define Domestic Abuse with an update on the DA Act 2021 and the changes to current practice/legislation.
- ensure a thorough understanding of controlling and coercive behaviour and how abusive relationships develop.
- explore typologies of abuse using Michael Johnson’s model and consider how this impacts our assessment of risk and intervention for families.
- understand the importance of risk assessment- using tools such as the SafeLives DASH (as specific to Cumbria which uses a combined DASH) but also our professional judgement
- identify how trauma impacts survivors and how we can work in a more trauma-informed way.
- understand best practice when working with those impacted by DA and how to use our knowledge of DA to respond in a non-victim-blaming way.
Book your place
For available dates and to book a place, please click on the link below
Book your place (Eventbrite)
If you have any queries regarding the training or you are having issues with booking, please contact Alison Goodfellow by email: alison.goodfellow@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Important Information - Police Officers/staff need not attend as Cumbria Constabulary have their own DA Matters Training.
Domestic abuse risk assessment and combined homicide timeline training
In conjunction with Victim Support and Cumbria Constabulary, the following training is available for all professionals potentially working with victims of Domestic Abuse.
The training aims to equip colleagues to:
- identify the signs of Domestic Abuse
- to be able to effectively assess risk with the use of the DASH Risk Assessment and combined homicide timeline
The training is recorded and can be accessed at any time. It is 3 hours and 33 minutes in duration Domestic abuse, stalking, harassment and honour-based (DASH) training - YouTube
Tom’s story – learning from a domestic homicide review
This powerful and thought-provoking multi-agency training shares Tom’s voice—the voice of a child who lived through domestic abuse and tragically lost his mother to it. Developed as part of a Domestic Homicide Review, this session gives practitioners a rare and moving insight into the lived experience of children impacted by parental domestic abuse.
Using Tom’s own words, the training promotes child-centred, trauma-informed practice, encouraging professionals to reflect deeply on how domestic abuse, coercive control, and neglect affect children’s emotional wellbeing and development.
Aims and objectives
- child’s voice: hear Tom’s story and understand what we can learn from his and his family's experience.
- raise awareness: explore key themes including domestic abuse, coercive control, neglect, and their impact on mental health.
- understand trauma: reflect on the effects of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on children’s lives and outcomes.
Training Details
This training is for all professionals from across all safeguarding partner agencies and sectors who work with children and families.
How to book
To reserve a place or make an enquiry, please contact us at:
wfscptraining@cumbria.gov.uk
Domestic Abuse and Operation Encompass Awareness Sessions for Settings.
The Early Help Team and Domestic Abuse Team are able to deliver an awareness session to staff at schools, colleges and settings around the following Domestic Abuse topics:
- Introductions and role of the DA Team
- Definitions of abuse
- Indicators and types of abuse
- What is controlling and coercive behaviour?
- Stages of change model
- Domestic abuse and the impact on children and child’s voice
- DASH & MARAC process
- Support for families and children
- The Operation Encompass process
- Support from the Early Help Team
This awareness session is available to all staff with DSL responsibility or who work directly with families.
Dates of sessions:
Tuesday 4th November – 3:30-5pm
Wednesday 12th November – 3:30-5pm
Monday 17th November 3:30-5pm
Thursday 27th November 6-7:30pm
All sessions are from 3:30-5pm on Microsoft Teams. Please email the following Mailbox to book your place and include DA Awareness Session in your email title and request which session you would like to book on to.
Family.Help.WAF@cumbria.gov.uk
Non-fatal strangulation
We are pleased to offer a one-hour online training session for all front line multi-agency staff on non-fatal strangulation (NFS).
Available dates:
Monday 29 September 2025
Tuesday 11 November 2025
Monday 16 March 2026
Time: 12pm to 1pm
Platform: Microsoft Teams
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the session, participants will have:
- an increased awareness of the seriousness of NFS
- an understanding of the physiological and psychological impact of NFS
- the ability to identify and manage the risks associated with NFS
- insight into how victims may present
- an understanding of how to respond and support victims and children/young people using a trauma-informed approach
This essential training is suitable for all levels of frontline multi-agency professionals.
To sign up, please email: wfscptraining@cumbria.gov.uk
