Tackling Domestic Abuse with the Drive Project

Published: 8 December 2020

Today, the Derbyshire PCC, Police, and City and County Council, NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group have announced that they will be responding to domestic abuse by introducing the Drive Project in their area.  

This welcome news means that Drive is continuing to expand across England and Wales ensuring more areas have bespoke systems in place to keep child and adult victims and survivors safer by managing the risk that high-harm, high-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse pose. Drive challenges and supports high-harm, high-risk perpetrators to change whilst working closely with partner agencies – like the police and social services – to manage risk and disrupt abuse.   

Derbyshire joins South Gloucestershire in Avon and Somerset and Wirral Council as one of three new sites being supported for the next three years with funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK. 

Councillor Roy Webb, the city council’s Cabinet Member for Adults Health and Housing, said, 

We very much welcome the opportunity to get involved in the Drive project alongside our partners from the County Council, Derbyshire Police and PCC.  

Tackling domestic abuse and protecting and child and adult victims is a hugely important to us all. We want to live in a city with as few cases as possible and for those who sadly are affected to receive the best possible support.

The Drive Project is an innovative programme, challenging those who commit domestic abuse, to break the cycle of violence and change lives.

Hardyal Dhindsa, Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said:  

Domestic abuse in any form is not acceptable and no-one should feel it’s inevitable.  Lockdown has heightened the risks, with many people being literally locked-up with the very person abusing them.

I’m proud to support this scheme, which recognises that we must tackle the problems from all sides.  Perpetrators can get help to rehabilitate and change their ways, which reduces the risk of harm to others.  My message to those at risk is to report your concerns, and perpetrators need to know that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated.

Councillor Carol Hart, the county council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Communities, said: 

We welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with other organisations to tackle domestic abuse in all its forms in Derbyshire with this project which works with those who carry out the abuse. We are committed to supporting Derbyshire victims of domestic abuse and have done so for many years through various initiatives, including providing funding for the local point of contact for those seeking support and advice. The Derbyshire Domestic Abuse Helpline can be reached on 08000 198 668. 

Michelina Racioppi, from the safeguarding team at NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said:  

We are delighted to be working with our key partners in supporting the Derby and Derbyshire Drive Perpetrator Domestic Abuse Project (Drive). The work of Drive is incredibly important and seeing how Drive has performed in other areas we are confident it will help to change the abusive behaviours of perpetrators of domestic abuse and make a significant difference to the victims of domestic abuse in Derby and Derbyshire.

Temporary Detective Inspector Brian Bilby, of Derbyshire Constabulary’s Public Protection Unit, said: 

Derbyshire police are committed to putting a stop to domestic abuse. We work very closely with local domestic abuse support services that offer help and assistance to victims and their family and we are pleased to be involved with Drive.

We hope that through Drive we can achieve a real difference and change the behaviour of perpetrators. Our overall aim is to allow families to live their lives free from domestic abuse, now and in the future.

The Director of Drive, Kyla Kirkpatrick said, 

We warmly welcome all stakeholders in Derbyshire to the network of Drive commissioning and delivery partners across England and Wales. We are particularly looking forward to working with this impressive partnership across the PCC, Police, City and County councils, NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group. Their investment and partnership approach demonstrates their joint commitment to increasing the safety of victims and survivors by responding to perpetrators of domestic abuse. We look forward to working together over the next three years to prevent and end the harm that perpetrators cause. 

Community, Crime, Public safety