June Newsletter 2025
Welcome Message
Hello Champions,
June is here, and with it comes the chance to pause, reflect, and look at how far we’ve come this year. We’re now halfway through — and the work you’ve been doing as Domestic Abuse Champions continues to make a real impact.
Whether you’ve had a conversation that helped someone feel seen, attended training to strengthen your knowledge, or simply been a consistent, trusted presence — it all matters. These actions, however small they may seem, can change lives.
This month’s newsletter includes key updates from the NIDAS team
Thank you, as always, for being part of this network. Your role is vital, and your dedication doesn’t go unnoticed
Best Wishes,
NIDAS
NIDAS news Updates – June 2025.
📢 NIDAS Updates – What We’ve Been Up To
Connect with Our Specialist IDVA Team
Our dedicated team of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) are available to visit and speak with teams across services, sharing their expertise on a range of specialist areas.
If you’re interested in learning more from our specialists or would like to arrange a session for your team, please get in touch with us at dachampions@nidasnorfolk.co.uk.
Our specialist IDVA team includes advisors with expertise in:
- Male Victims
- Diverse Communities
- LGBTQ+ Individuals
- Older People
- Disabilities
- Unmet needs
- Substance Misuse
These sessions are a great opportunity to deepen your understanding, ask questions, and strengthen collaborative working. We look forward to hearing from you!
💜 Hope to Recovery – Supporting the Next Step Forward
So far this year, we’ve delivered a number of recovery sessions for our service users, with many individuals taking brave steps forward in their journey toward healing.
At the heart of our recovery work is the Hope to Recovery Toolkit Programme — a structured, 6-week group designed to support service users who are ready to move beyond crisis and begin rebuilding their lives. This programme offers a safe, supportive space to reflect, grow, and regain confidence after abuse.
Referrals to the programme are made through our NIDAS Community Development & Recovery Team, and come directly from our IDVAs, once risk has been removed and someone feels ready to focus on recovery.
This is powerful, person-centred work — and we’re proud to walk alongside those taking these important next steps.
Here is a step-by-step breakdown of what each week contains:
Session 1
What is abuse?
We create a group connection plan
We look at the government definition of domestic abuse
We discuss myths and truths around relationships
Session 2
Dynamics of abuse and coercive control
We look at Biderman’s Chart of Coercion
We look at the dynamics of power and control in abusive relationships
We explore the concept of cognitive dissonance
Session 3
How people can become trapped in abusive relationships
We look at the stages of coercive control
We look at the cycle of abuse
We explore grounding techniques
Session 4
Impact of abuse on parenting skills
(Can be optional for those who do not have children)
We explore scenario’s where non-abusive parents must navigate situations/parenting to keep their children safe and protected from the demands/behaviours of the abusive parent and how this impacts our parenting as a whole
We look at the nurture wheel for parenting
Session 5
Healthy relationships
We explore the differences between healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships
We look at the relationship behaviour checklist
We look at the equality wheel
Self-directed work – self-esteem questionnaire, assertiveness questionnaire
Session 6 (occasionally, depending on school holidays, we will combine sessions 5 and 6)
Action planning towards abuse free lives
We think about what’s has helped us the most
We re-cap anything unclear
We look at an action plan for moving forwards (goals for 1 week, goals for 1 month)
🧠 Thank You for Joining Us – June Refresher Training
A big thank you to everyone who attended our Domestic Abuse Champions Refresher Training this month. The focus was on Domestic Abuse and Older People — a vital topic that often goes under the radar. Your engagement and commitment to learning help keep these important conversations alive and evolving.
If you weren’t able to join us this time, don’t worry — there are plenty more opportunities coming up. Just head over to the Champions Portal to see the full list of refresher training sessions available throughout the year.
We’d love to see you there
Facts & Figures on Domestic Abuse
Figures suggest that 16 to 19 year olds form the age group which suffers most from abusive relationships. The Office for National Statistics says 8.7% of these teenagers report experiencing domestic abuse.
However, there is currently no legal requirement for students of that age to be taught Relationship and Sex Education (RSE).
Child-Homicides-2025-Web-Final.pdf – 19 more child homicides could have been prevented
Industry News – Government, local and National level
Article link – Austerity has hit the UK’s ability to tackle violence against women, European watchdog warns | The Independent
The Council of Europe has said there is an ‘urgent need’ for more places in women’s shelters and warned cost-cutting measures have left vital services ‘underfunded and understaffed’ – Video link – Inside a Domestic abuse refuge
Fourteen arrested in domestic abuse operation – Article link – Oxfordshire police make 14 arrests in domestic abuse operation – BBC News
‘My daughter would still be alive’: Campaigners call for teen education on relationship abuse – Tuesday 17 June 2025 at 10:29am – Article link – ‘My daughter would still be alive’: Campaigners call for teen education on relationship abuse | ITV News
Transforming the criminal justice response to domestic abuse – GOV.UK
Training or reading material/books
New HBA identification checklist ;
Victims can attend parole hearings to see perpetrators held accountable;
Understand you rights / victims code – https://victimandwitnessinformation.org.uk/your-rights/as-a-victim
Domestic abuse in later life: A secondary analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14773708251335388
Shame: The bestselling true story of a girl’s struggle to survive
Jasvinder Sanghera (Author)
No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us
Rachel Louise Snyder
New Report: Babies, children and young people’s experiences of domestic abuse
A new report from the Domestic Abuse Commissioner highlights the urgent need to better support children as victims of domestic abuse. It includes 66 recommendations to improve services, funding, and frontline responses. The Government has 56 days to respond – https://domesticabusecommissioner.uk/reports/
NIDAS up and coming virtual DA Champions training and events – with places still available
June 25 @ 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
NIDAS Domestic Abuse Champions Learning Event – From ‘Report to Court’ – Domestic Abuse & The Criminal Justice System
October 1 @ 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Honour Based Abuse, Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage Training
November 3 @ 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Domestic Abuse, Stalking & Harassment (DASH) Training
December 12 @ 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Stalking & Harassment Training
Karma Nirvana – Tickets are now available for our National Day of Memory 2025, and can be purchased via Eventbrite.
