Page 184 - PROOF_ENG

182
It would be helpful to have a better understanding of the numbers of children and young people reached through these sessions and to have the involvement of specialist services during campaigns to support disclosure. Awareness raising sessions for adults also need to be expanded with improved effectiveness and resources.
A more robust awareness raising strategy also needs to be developed to raise awareness of elder abuse building on the pilot in Carmarthenshire and Cardiff.
There is a gap in services for those that are not able to engage with services which could be because of fear of repercussions or the effects of coercive control. Historically Domestic Abuse services provided an outreach service which allowed victims to maintain a level of contact with services and the time to be able to accept support. There is no dedicated outreach service in the region and although specialist charities make efforts to offer outreach via volunteers, they are often hampered by a lack of resourcing to recruit volunteers and manage the service effectively. Where gaps exist survivors could benefit from improved support from universal services which are able to keep in touch with the survivor and offer additional support via specialists at the right time. There is also a need to deal with the effects of coercive control that prevents many victims from getting in touch with any services.
Prevention and Early Intervention
The introduction of targeted enquiry through the Ask and Act process that targets enquiry through services that are likely to come into contact with those experiencing abuse is likely to lead to an increase in demand for support and therefore waiting lists. In Ceredigion some targeted work in training staff in education has resulted in a large increase in direct support for children, which resulted in increases in waiting lists for support. Clearly this is problematic as it delays intervention, support and ultimately recovery. Early intervention can prevent inappropriate development becoming embedded longer term and can break the cycle of abuse so that it does not carry on into the next generation.
When teenagers exhibit violent and abusive behavior there is a gap in services to address violence. This requires a partnership response to combat abusive behaviour in teenagers and reduce escalation.
Perpetrator programmes which aim to reducing abusive and violent behaviour vary across the region:
• Ceredigion lacks any perpetrator programme except where there is a court
conviction and relies on being able to refer onto programmes in neighbouring
counties
• Carmarthenshire have a pilot charity-funded project to provide support to whole
families including perpetrators of abuse
• Pembrokeshirerunanon-RESPECTaccreditedprogrammethatissuitableforsome
perpetrators and not others
West Wales Population Assessment March 2017 VAWDASV