Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service Supporting victims of domestic abuse A guide to group work Free and Confidential Service0845 602 9035 The Freedom Programme Length: 10 weeks Who can attend: the Freedom Programme is available to women only. Referrals will be considered from women who are still in an abusive relationship; those who have left abusive relationships; and those who are affected by abusive relationships. Course overview: Created by Pat Craven, the Freedom Programme is designed to provide an opportunity for women to develop ways of thinking and behaving to protect themselves, their children, and others from harm. The programme seeks to provide them with the knowledge they need to achieve this.Based around 'The Dominator', the Freedom Programme looks each week at different aspects of his personality and the abusive tactics used by him. The programme supports its participants to identify abusive tactics and warning signs, and explore the belief systems of the abuser and of themselves. This includes the effects on children and how domestic abuse shapes their behaviours and belief systems. The Phoenix Programme Length: 10 weeks Who can attend: the Phoenix Programme is available to women only. Referrals will only be considered from women who are no longer in abusive relationships. Course overview: The programme asks participants to retrospectively explore their individual experiences of domestic abuse and their response to this.The topics are covered: The dynamics of abuse Life without abuse Knowing and recognising abuse Working with the effects of abuse Personal power Relating to others Assertiveness Moving on The Phoenix Programme provides an understanding of domestic abuse, and helps women to develop their abilities and increase self awareness to avoid re-entering another abusive relationship. Trust and Understanding Families Group (TUFG) Length: 12 weeks Who can attend: TUFG is available to women only attending with a child aged 6-11 years old. Siblings will not be accepted and should be referred into different groups. Referrals will only be considered from women who are no longer in abusive relationships. Course overview: TUFG is a community group work programme for children and mothers who have experienced and witnessed domestic abuse, and is led by a number of professionals from different agencies. The programme is specifically designed to provide children with the opportunity to think about and understand the violence and abuse they have witnessed. The children's group meets separately to the mothers' group; both groups meet on a weekly basis. Both the mother and child must attend the programme. The mothers' group supports mothers to put measures in place to support their children through their recovery. CRUSH Length: 10 weeks Who can attend: boys and girls aged between 13 and 19 who have experienced, witnessed, or are affected by, domestic abuse. Course overview: Originally created by West Mercia Women's Aid, CRUSH is group work for young people to support them to develop healthy relationships and break the cycle of domestic abuse. The purpose of CRUSH is to provide an awareness of what constitutes a healthy and unhealthy relationship by following four characters throughout the ten-week programme. The programme helps build confidence and social skills along with increasing a young person's self awareness.It is an interactive programme and this allows it to cater for the needs of the group and its individual members. Who we are and What we do Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS) offers support to anyone who have experienced or is experiencing domestic abuse. This includes those going through, or who have experienced, 'honour-based' violence, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, and dowry crime. All of our services are free and confidential. All of our group work programmes are run across the county. Please enquire for specific dates and venues. How do I make a referral? Referrals for all of the groups are taken through the GDASS helpdesk. The person who is due to attend must make contact with us directly so that we have an opportunity to discuss their support needs as a part of the referral process. The participant must be available to meet with facilitators prior to the group starting as a part of the referral process. GDASS cannot guarantee places on any programme until the full referral process and assessment has been completed. Supporting victims of domestic abuse Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Service Free and confidential service 0845 602 9035 support@gdass.org.uk facebook.com/GDASSglos twitter.com/GDASS_ Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS) is delivered by GreenSquare Group and Splitz Support Service. Both organisations are experienced in delivering domestic abuse services in the region.