A suite of new resources support practitioners and leaders to rethink how they respond to domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in child protection.
Developed as part of the Rethinking Domestic Abuse in Child Protection: responding differently (RDAC) project, the resources draw from research that found current systems often fail to recognise wider inequalities that shape families’ experiences of domestic abuse.
Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the project explored how children’s services respond to DVA and how factors such as poverty, gender, race, ethnicity and age influence both families’ experiences and professional decision-making.
Researchers identified significant gaps in the information collected and used by services and policy makers, alongside limited understanding of the social and economic contexts in which domestic abuse occurs. Drawing on insights from families and professionals, the project outlines five principles that aim to guide services to ‘do and think differently’ when working with families where domestic abuse is a concern.
The resources include a frontline and strategic briefing, along with case studies showing how local areas have applied learning from the project. Together they offer insights, recommendations and questions to support practitioners and leaders working across social care to critically reflect on current responses to DVA within their organisations. This includes prompts that explore how Family Help and multi-agency teams under the Families First Partnership programme can engage families with decision-making and support more effective, socially informed responses.
The project team extends its thanks to the practitioners, families, policy makers and managers who contributed to the work.
View the resources
RDAC Principles for Practice: Key messages
The study has developed five Principles for Practice to inform and support practice and policy developments:
- Move on from casework – DVA is a complex social problem, children’s services casework should be embedded in a broad preventative approach.
- See the whole person – Adopt a holistic approach to assessing and responding to DVA and understand that explaining behaviours does not equate with excusing them.
- Fit for purpose data – Data frameworks should be developed that support effective practice and policy by capturing data that is critical to improved understanding.
- Evidence-informed understandings – Developing nuanced, detailed understanding of the types and nature of DVA and its consequences.
- Building confidence – Utilising the expertise of those that have experienced DVA, both individually and at a community level, will support services and practices that are directly relevant to lived experiences.
Emeritus Professor Kate Morris, Chair in Social Work at Sheffield University said:
We hope that this study provokes much needed change in approaches to domestic abuse and child protection. The study highlights the need to do and think differently in addressing this complex social problem. Without real change children, families and communities will struggle to secure the support that is so desperately needed.
About RDAC
RDAC was a three-year research project that ran between 2022 and 2025, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
It built upon learning generated through the earlier Domestic Abuse and Child Protection Change Project, which engaged over 30 local authorities across England and identified key areas for development in children’s social care practice when working with families affected by domestic violence and abuse.
View the resources
