Supporting professionals to detect and respond to economic abuse (360G-CR-4908637)

COVID19 -SEA has successfully developed and delivered a training programme for professionals working with victim-survivors of economic abuse. In light of social distancing measures, SEA is now seeking funding to reorient our training programme to online provision, so that it remains available and accessible to the community of professionals providing support for victim-survivors of economic abuse, responding to need and demand over the next 6 months. SEA?s successful training programme comprises the following modules: - Understanding economic abuse in the context of domestic abuse; - Recognising the signs of economic abuse and the impact it has on victim-survivors; - Increased knowledge of forms of economic abuse during, on leaving and post-separation; - Understanding perpetrator tactics and the wider system challenges faced by victim-survivors; - Reflection on practice and identifying ways to improve responses. The programme includes OCN-accredited modules, and is aimed at a wide audience including professionals from domestic abuse charities, money/debt advice services, local authorities, the police, the housing sector, and the banking and insurance industry. The requested funding will enable us to reorient this into an online training programme, for which we will seek OCN-accreditation. We envisage doing this by offering three linked options: E-learning package The e-learning package will offer a starting point for learners, an introduction to economic abuse, and it may be done at any time to suit each participant. We envisage that many will realise the need to undertake the online training as a result. Online workshops Providing face to face training is an important means of engaging participants, offering an interactive process, facilitating networking, confirming participants? knowledge and understanding, and eliciting a commitment to change practice. The online workshops will aim to recreate this environment, hosted by an experienced facilitator. SEA is exploring available platforms with a range of functionality in order to do this. Webinars Webinars are an ideal way of focusing on a specific topic in more detail. SEA plans to develop a series of webinars to be made widely available to a larger and potentially more diverse audience. The three components of the programme things will complement each other and be supported by the suite of specialist resources (Tools to Support) that are available for professionals via SEA?s website. SEA?s Tools to Thrive for victim-survivors will also support professionals? work, including four new resources we have developed in response to Covid-19. The increased reliance on online communications since the Covid-19 outbreak can be built on, and SEA will seek to maintain an online relationship with learners e.g. through regular newsletters, circulating links to updated resources, sharing news and success stories. We will also explore setting up an online forum for training participants to continue discussions and to share ideas and best practice informally. The training will be publicised widely through existing partnerships and networks, and also via the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Local Government Association, the Association for the Directors of Social Services, Local Authority safeguarding leads and councils for voluntary services, domestic abuse local partnership boards. The target audience will be any service provider with a new statutory duty placed on them by the Domestic Abuse Bill, as well as domestic abuse charities, advice services, etc. A recent evaluation of Economic Abuse Training delivered to police Domestic Abuse Matters champions by SEA in partnership with SafeLives suggested ?the training would benefit other statutory agencies with social workers and health professionals listed as separate examples.? The project will be delivered over 6 months. The first two months will focus on developing the training modules and gaining accreditation. The next step will be marketing the training programme and taking bookings. The final three months will focus on delivering the training and reviewing and refining the programme. At this stage we envisage delivering the following outputs: - An e-learning package freely available online via a registration portal - 30 online training workshops (up to 10 participants in each) - Monthly webinars (6 in total) The delivery model will be regularly reviewed in response to the evolving context, social distancing measures and analysis of risks. Until the Covid-19 outbreak, SEA was working on a business plan to develop the earned income potential of the training programme. In light of the current context, this has been temporarily put on hold. The requested grant will enable SEA to continue delivering vital training over the next 6 months. When social distancing measures are sufficiently eased, SEA will be in a strong position to transition back to delivering face to face training (whilst also retaining components of the online training offer) and develop the earned income stream to be self-sustaining long term.