New workshops launched for concerned friends and family
Friends and family members can often be the first to know when things are going wrong in a relationship, but it can be hard to know what to say or do. Make a Change has launched a free workshop and online resources that support people to have a safe conversation with someone that might be being abusive towards a partner or ex-partner.
Make a Change is excited to launch the pilot of our new workshops – Make Change Happen. In these three-hour sessions, people will learn ways to identify if someone they know is using abusive behaviour in a relationship, how to encourage that person to get support, and what support is available locally.
The workshops are launching in Trafford and Sunderland next month, in partnership with our local delivery partners. Make a Change Trafford is run in partnership between TLC: Talk, Listen, Change and Trafford Domestic Abuse Services (TDAS). Make a Change Sunderland is provided by Right Turn, a Wearside Women in Need (WWiN) project.
Rebecca Vagi, Make a Change National Lead, said, “It can be hard to know what to do when you suspect something’s wrong in someone else’s relationship. People worry about interfering or making things worse. But when the person whose behaviour is causing problems is a friend or family member, you’re in a unique position to motivate them to get support. The earlier that people get help to change, the less likely it is that their behaviour will spiral and get worse.
“The Make a Change programme is about everyone in our communities being aware of what harmful behaviour in relationships looks like and encouraging people to get support to change as soon as possible. Lots of people don’t know what support is available and it’s not well known that there is help for individuals who are using harmful behaviour to change, as well as the services that support people experiencing abuse.
“Services for people experiencing abuse are vital, and what we do isn’t a replacement. But we also want to encourage friends, family and the wider community to notice the root of the issue – the person whose behaviour is causing the problem. If we don’t also focus on people using harmful behaviour they can remain invisible, which supports a culture that has a level of acceptance and tolerance of abuse.
“Friends and family members can play a key part in recognising someone’s behaviour early on, ideally before it gets to a stage where agencies like police or social services are involved. If we take action by starting a conversation with someone using abusive behaviour, we’re sending a message that their behaviour is not OK. Collectively, if we all take a stand against this issue, we can change society’s tolerance for abuse and refuse to accept it in our communities.”
Make a Change provides specialist support to help people concerned about the way they’re treating a partner to understand the impact of harmful behaviour, make positive changes and develop healthy relationships. We also offer training which supports professionals to recognise warning signs, respond safely and effectively, and refer people into the programme. The Make Change Happen workshops add to the existing provision to provide a community-wide, early response to domestic abuse.
If you’re interested in signing up to a workshop please take a look at our Make Change Happen page for more information. We would also be grateful if you could share the link with anyone else you feel would be interested: www.makeachange.uk.net/makechangehappen