07 September 2008Local reporters have an exclusive chance to find out more about one of the most underreported and serious crimes in the District next week.
Recently released figures for Sevenoaks District show that over a quarter of all victims of domestic abuse, in the period from January to March 2008, were repeat victims.
On Tuesday afternoon (10 June) reporters can visit the West Kent Community Domestic Abuse Programme (CDAP) and have the exclusive opportunity to interview the project manager and two participants on the programme to understand how it works and how valuable it is to the District.
The two participants recently started the programme. One is a volunteer who decided he needed to address his abuse of his partner after reading about the programme in a local paper. The second participant was arrested after being abusive towards his partner and was required to attend the programme as part of his probation order.
The CDAP is designed to help men who feel their behaviour towards their partners has been, or still is abusive, to challenge their behaviour and to see how it is affecting their partner or ex-partner and any children who are involved.
It is a rolling programme that lasts 27 weeks and is made up of nine modules, with each module having three sessions. Sessions are held once a week at the Wealden Centre in Tonbridge and last for two and a half hours.
The group who attend the programme, which is completely free, is a mixture of men who are on probations orders and those who have been referred by their GPs or Social Services. Men can also self-refer.
The programme is funded by the Sevenoaks District Community Safety Partnership.
For more details about CDAP contact the programme manager, Penny Hennessey, by calling 07933 359210 or by e-mailing penny.hennessey@kent.probation.gsi.gov.uk.
Cllr Keith Loney, Sevenoaks District Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for community safety, says: “Domestic abuse is something that happens behind closed doors, which is not often discussed in public and can have a devastating effect on the victim. Programmes, like this one, aim to encourage users to take responsibility for their actions, understand the effect they have on others and ultimately change their behaviour.”
The Community Safety Partnership is officially launching its new three year strategy from 9 June 2008 with a week of opportunities for the media to find out more about the work taking place in the District to reduce crime and the fear of crime and strengthen communities. The strategy is available from Sevenoaks District Council by calling 01732 227000 or online at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/communitysafety.
The Partnership brings together all of the agencies in the District who can have an effect on crime and includes West Kent Police, Sevenoaks District Council, Kent County Council, Kent Fire & Rescue Service, West Kent Primary Care Trust, the voluntary sector, Kent Drug & Alcohol Action Team, West Kent Housing Association, Moat Housing Association, Kent Youth Offending Team and the Probation Service Team, West Kent Extra and the Kenward Trust.
