The Domestic Abuse Assertive Outreach Service

The team forms part of the domestic abuse pathway. The team receives all of our referrals via Rotherham Rise who are the single point of access for domestic abuse. The team operates by implementing a model of support on a personalised basis by a single worker who will be responsible for coordinating and working with victims to access the necessary support they require to move away from an abusive relationship, essentially acting as change agents in order to try and break the cycle of domestic abuse. They support those who face a myriad of challenges, namely homelessness, drug, and alcohol misuse, offending behaviour, mental ill health and poor physical health. It is common that the people that the team support have experienced childhood trauma, family breakdown, and other major life changing events.

The team works in a trauma informed way and promotes multi-agency working in order to ensure adequate safety planning and help instil wellbeing and stability.

The team attends the daily Multi Agency Domestic Abuse (MADA) meeting and the Multi Agency Conference (MARAC) and Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements meeting.

The team works with victims who have been assessed as high or medium risk of domestic abuse whereby there has been domestic abuse within the last 3 months. A reason for referral must include at least 3 of the following:

• Victims that have had 5 or more repeat referrals at MARAC with the same perpetrator in the same year;
• Have been sexually exploitation as a child (CSE) and not current to ISVA or part of any operation investigating historical CSE offences and therefore not likely to be known to the Trauma Resilience Service;
• Been previously involved in the criminal justice system within the last 2 years or is known to partake in offending behaviour;
• Lost custody of one or more child or be at risk of children being removed, i.e., there are current child protection issues or Public Law Outlines (PLO), or Pre-Proceedings Meeting are likely to be instigated;
• Has an existing mental health disorder that is not well managed or underlying mental health issues which require support and intervention or expresses thoughts of self-harm or suicidal ideation;
• Has unmet physical health issues and requires support to address them;
• Involved in sex work;
• Reports of Co abuse however it is felt to be more reactive abuse;
• Child to Parent Abuse specifically children aged 16 and above;
• Victim has unmanaged substance misuse issues and is currently not involved in with substance misuse services;
• Issues of unstable accommodation, for example is homeless, rough sleeping or sofa surfing;
• Honour based abuse;
• No Recourse to Public Funds and/or immigration issues.