Domestic violence is a sadly prevalent issue in our society. It’s a sensitive topic that is difficult to discuss, but one that must be addressed as it has an impact on many people’s lives. Recognising the importance of raising awareness of this issue, and training more people to be able to work in this area, BCU is working with Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid (BSWA) to develop new learning resources for safeguarding against domestic abuse. Learning about domestic abuse can be applied to standalone accredited or non-accredited CPD modules as part of the MSc Safeguarding.
A fruitful collaboration
The creation of the module has developed from the long-term working relationship between BCU and BSWA, with both organisations contributing to the design and delivery of the module.
Maria Clark, course leader for the MSc in Safeguarding, said of the partnership: “The expertise of staff from BSWA with day-to-day experience of working with women and children who have experienced domestic abuse means that our courses are relevant and based on real world experience. It’s a great opportunity for our students to gain a real insight into the subject and be better prepared for supporting women and children in their future work.”
As well as fully co-designing the curriculum, people from both organisations will also be involved in the delivery of the of teaching and learning, so students will be able to interact with and learn from experienced BSWA staff in order to develop their own practice.
Student wellbeing
As well as exploring how to support women who have experienced domestic violence, we will also work together to address the importance of self-care for people working in this field. Working closely with people affected by trauma can have a huge impact on the individual. The situations encountered are very upsetting so it is important for practitioners to have strategies to manage the emotional labour and fatigue involved. It is important to focus on the wellbeing of staff, as well as the women they are working with, and explore ways to ensure that they can continue with the important work they do.
Spreading the word
As a charity, BSWA not only to delivers services directly to women, but also aims to increase awareness and understanding of domestic abuse, so working with students from BCU is an important aspect of the partnership.
Sally Dennis of BSWA explains: “As an organisation, we’re not just about service delivery, but also sharing practice and offering expertise in domestic abuse. We can’t reach every woman and child living with domestic abuse, so we want to reach people who can. This partnership helps us to spread the word beyond those we can work with directly. We’re particularly excited to be working with BCU’s Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences because the type of courses the Faculty offer mean that many graduates will encounter victims of domestic abuse in their working lives. We hope that this this new partnership initiative for teaching and learning will have a positive effect on victims of domestic violence in Birmingham and beyond.”
If you have been affected by domestic violence, you can contact the BSWA helpline:
- Confidential Helpline ‐ 0808 800 0028
- Text Service ‐ 18001 0808 800 0028 For Deaf people and people with a hearing impairment
MSc Safeguarding modules
Check out the accredited and non-accredited modules you can complete as part of our MSc Safeguarding course.
