Making Partnerships Work

Partnership is at the heart of an effective response to domestic violence.  It is unfortunately still true that some partnerships exist only to commission services. We believe that specialist services are crucial to the safety of the victim and children and as a means of helping perpetrators to change their behaviour. But there will never be enough of such services.

This means that:

• The statutory sector needs to take on a greater responsibility for responding to domestic violence within its own agencies.

• The statutory sector must work with other agencies (both voluntary and statutory) in a multi-agency, connected and coordinated way.

Partnerships will not just happen, they require dedication to coordination, training, information sharing and development.

We have extensive experience of developing, managing and operating a successful local model that produces positive results for victims and their families. We are also vastly experienced at translating this model into local contexts. Whilst we believe we can help develop the solutions to domestic violence, it is the ownership, skills and knowledge of the area which will turn models into success.

Over the years we have worked across the UK (and abroad) and within successful and less successful partnerships. From large county structures to districts and unitaries, we adapt or support according to the needs of the local area.

Examples of what we can do to help your local partnership:

• Full review of your partnership, its response and developments for the future

• Review of any aspect of your partnership (e.g. Specialist Domestic Violence Court, Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences)

• Facilitated days with key partnership members to consider future plans

• Coaching for partnerships, or individuals within the partnership

• Training on all aspects of domestic violence and related partnerships

• Self-assessments of partnerships, with mechanism for comparison

• Guidance on strategies and action plans

• Chairing of conferences, seminars etc.

What others say:

'Sandwell Domestic Abuse Strategic Partnership found the work undertaken by Standing Together to be extremely beneficial. We have, to date, used the document to guide our discussions around future developments; in particular using the recommendations to endeavour to steer the Governance structures in the future.

Standing Together utilised their expertise in delivering  a co-ordinated community response to Domestic Violence to help Sandwell identify  and assess the partnerships' strengths and weaknesses as a mechanism for moving forward.'

Domestic Violence Coordinator, Sandwell Domestic Abuse Strategic Partnership, 2011

"We knew we had got somewhere on responding to high risk victims and survivors of domestic violence in Southampton through our IDVA and MARAC work but recognised the need to earlier interventions to prevent cases escalating to this level and really make a difference.  Anthony Wills and Standing Together were commissioned, because of their extensive experience of working on dv issues, to review what we were doing in Southampton and to come up with some ideas for solutions to this issue. Anthony carried out extensive research with survivors and local providers of statutory and specialist services to produce an excellent report.  This detailed suggested solutions which were professionally presented to our Councillors and Executive Safe City Partners.

As a result of this work and our own subsequent 'invest to save' business case, domestic violence issues now have the backing of senior partners in Southampton and we are working on implementing a more structure 'medium risk' response.  In addition we have sustained investment in the high risk services despite the current austere times and we have no doubt this was triggered by the initial work delivered by Anthony Wills and Standing Together"

Southampton Domestic Violence Partnership, 2011

For more information on how Standing Together could help your partnership, and to discuss possible consultancy oppertunities, please contact Anthony Wills.

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Last Modified: 1st July 2011