Elmore releases new podcasts about its domestic abuse perpetrator interventions

‘Ending the Cycle of Abuse’ is a new four-part series released today by Elmore about the frontline service Elmore delivers to perpetrators across Oxfordshire as part of Family Solutions Plus, the model commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council.

The only voices you’ll hear belong to the women who created the interventions or managed the team delivering them or directly delivered the interventions themselves. This is a deliberate choice to ensure the experiences of women underpin conversations about how to prevent mainly male abusers from harming mainly female partners.

The series is hosted by Liz Jones, who developed the programme and helped to establish the service, and Sadia Hussain, who managed the team providing interventions for perpetrators and victims/survivors.

The podcast series has the following episodes:

Episode 1:  Society—does it make abusers, and can it change abusers?

This episode explores society’s role in conditioning abusers and whether people who abuse can change, and features Liz Jones and Sadia Hussain.

Episode 2: Abusers—how do we change them and what does it take?

Featuring Elmore perpetrator caseworkers Kerrie and Irina and team manager Tilly, this episode explores the enablers of change for abusers and the interventions that can lead to change.

Episode 3: Perpetrator Programmes—how do they benefit partners and children?

Featuring Oxfordshire County Council’s Laura Clements, this episode explores why we need perpetrator programmes, what they can and can’t achieve, and their benefits to partners and children.

Episode 4: Myths and Stereotypes—what are they and how do we challenge them?

This episode investigates the misconceptions and stereotypes that influence how society perceives abusers and victims/survivors, and features Liz Jones and Sadia Hussain.

Liz Jones and Sadia Hussain, the podcast’s co-hosts, said: “The main focus should always be on the victim/survivor and the children who live with domestic abuse every day.  However, if we continue to ignore the abusive partner we are potentially collaborating in domestic abuse. We strongly believe we can support abusers to change their behaviour and, by making this podcast, we want to encourage more work to address the roots of abuse.”

Tom Hayes, Chief Executive of Elmore Community Services, said: “Domestic abuse must end, and it will only end, if those who choose to abuse stop abusing. Community-based support like Elmore focuses abusers on what they have done and why it is so damaging. In this new podcast series, the women who developed Elmore’s domestic abuse programme want to encourage understanding and action to end the cycle of abuse.”

Notes:

Elmore’s domestic abuse victims/survivors and perpetrators services are delivered as part of the Family Solutions Plus model commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council. The services supported 506 people from 1 April 2021-31 March 2022. 244 of the people supported were perpetrators while 262 were victims/survivors.

Family Solutions Plus is a collaborative partnership model set up to safely reduce the number of children that the local authority cares for. Together Elmore’s domestic abuse workers and County Council social workers address the causes of abuse through perpetrator group programme and victims/survivors one-to-one support.

The perpetrator programme works alongside perpetrators to recognise their behaviours as abusive, take the responsibility for their behaviours, understand its roots and address the factors that sustain abuse, stop the damage of their abusive behaviours, and enable positive change to happen.