Beschreibung

• The overall aim of the project was to improve knowledge and awareness of NGO counselling and psychological provision - in UK, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Latvia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands - for women and children affected by domestic violence in order to encourage effective investment and ensure longer term impact for victims.

Projektlaufzeit

• 01.04.2011 - 31.01.2017

Verbund/Partnerorganisation

• The Haven Wolverhampton (United Kingdom), University of Wolverhampton (United Kingdom), CESIS - Centro de Estudos para a Intervenção Social (Portugal), ARTEMISIA - Centro Donne contro la Violenza Catia Franci (Italy), Association, Resource Centre for Women ”Marta” (Latvia), Nadja Centre Foundation (Bulgaria), Skalbes NGO Society (Latvia), Stichting ProJob (Netherlands)

Ergebniszusammenfassung

• A Training module was designed and delivered by research partners to provider partners. This fulfilled the project objectives as it was a forum for sharing ideas, experience and learning. Partners carried out a comprehensive review of literature on existing studies of domestic violence and counselling approaches and produced a review report. This activity achieved the goal of identifying and sharing good practice of counselling approaches as it examined many of the different types of counselling and their merits in relation to women and children affected by domestic violence. The review also undertook a detailed analysis to better understand the impact of various approaches to counselling, and at what point they are required to intervene in potential cycles of abuse, developing independence, improving parenting and family and relationship bonding. Moreover, it explored the effects, both risks and benefits, of participation in NGO counselling on women and children who have experienced distress and ill health as a result of domestic violence. Partners conducted interviews with: women, in order to assess the clients’ perceptions of the effectiveness of counselling as part of the NGO crisis response as opposed to statutory sector support or intervention; counsellors, thus providing the opportunity to share ideas, experience and good practice about counselling approaches and provision within partner countries. The report on funding and mapping of services was produced in order to show the sustainability of existing services. This was supported by the funding questionnaire which examined the condition of the organisations participating in the research collection. The results pointed out funding constraints, as a widespread problem faced by the majority of the organisations and the common need of training for searching for additional and secure funding. Similarly, the mapping exercise, which was a brief inventory of counselling services for victims of domestic violence in the partner countries, demonstrated the limited availability of said services. The final research report analysed the qualitative data which was collected and aimed to directly find out the opinions of women who had accessed counselling services through domestic violence organisations. The dissemination of the project and its findings was a major objective of the project. As part of this, the website and final conference were primary methods of dissemination and served the purpose of raising the profile of the counselling services, and consequently the project partners who provided these services across the EU.