Routes to intervention

Transcription

1 Respekt Project Respekt project is a part of Safer Families Edinburgh and is based within the Children and Families Department of City of Edinburgh Council We work both with voluntary and Court mandated men and their partners or ex-partners The project started in August 2013 and since then we have worked with 32 women and 22 male

2 Routes to intervention Man abuses Convicted Respekt No outstanding DA charges Edinburgh Caledonian Safer Families Edinburgh Women s Service Men s Service Women s Service Men s Service Children s Service 2

3 What we do... Respekt project provides an intervention for Polish families consisting of a behaviour change programme for perpetrators and a support, advocacy and safety planning service for their partners. Individual sessions plus Polish Women s and Men s Groups The service is provided by Polish speaking social workers who are able to deliver the service in users first language.

4 Apart from supporting Men and Women directly and working on increasing the children s safety - Respekt Project has other outcomes such as: Practitioners in frontline agencies will have an increased understanding of the needs of Polish families experiencing domestic abuse consultations, presentations, cultural differences, increased engagement from families. Polish families and agencies will have an increased understanding of the child protection system, and the role of the statutory agencies e.g. courts, police, criminal justice etc Polish Professionals Group, information day for Polish community.

5 Referrals The most significant amount of referrals come from Practice Teams, Caledonian Edinburgh, EDDACS, selfreferrals Consultations for professionals, risk assessments Short term support for women at high risk even if the man is not on the programme

6 Poland Capital City: Warsaw Population: 38,8mln Government: Parliamentary republic

7 In violence we forget who we are Mary McCarthy

8 Trauma after World War II (68 years ago) Happiness Sadness Loss Hunger Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) No lights on the streets No police, No schools No court, No doctors No law Anger and Traumatic Memories Sexual violence

9 / 44 years of Communism People's Republic of Poland Thousands were killed in Poland intelligentsia, people who refused to be party members of the communist party The 1952 Constitution of Poland, written under communist rule, says Women have a duty to give birth to, nurture and teach children the future generation of communist citizens. AN IDEAL WOMAN IS THE PRIDE OF POLAND

10 Catholic Church / John Paul II Martial law in Poland fighting for freedom "Solidarnosc Labour Union- 20 million people taking part in over two thousand demonstrations in Poland

11 Barriers for Polish families and professionals 1) Language barrier reported by 97% of professionals - Court services; Police services; social services; jobcentre; medical examination - Using children or/and friends as interpreters - Complications for professionals while undertaking assessments - Limited access to emotional support - Women feel more dependent if they do not speak English and their partner deals with income, benefits, housing..etc

12 Domestic violence and the importance of a good translation service

13 Possible solutions Referring clients and encouraging them to attend English classes Awareness about language differences Speaking without using specialised words and try to speak slower Checking if interpreters were trained in domestic abuse if not consider informal chat about dynamics of domestic abuse before the meeting Evaluating with the clients translation services and giving feedback to the organisation Not using children as translation services If using friend, family member to translate make sure to mention confidentiality

14 2) Lack of understanding of Scottish Social System 67 % of respondents Polish people are often not aware what are their rights approaching Polish advisory institutions. Limited understanding of Child Protection Procedures, Children s Hearing System, Criminal Justice and general role of social worker in Scotland.

15 Possible solutions Inform clients about social, criminal (any) services in a detailed manner Provide leaflets in Polish language Don t assume that Polish clients have knowledge about their rights and responsibilities in UK Make sure that client understands you by paraphrasing, summarising sentences Women s safety booklet in Polish Have in mind that it might be extremely hard for the clients to express emotions in foreign language

16 3) Culture Domestic abuse is still mainly understood as significant, physical injury, a smack on a bottom is still seen as allowed Higher tolerance to controlling behaviour Man is the head of family Matka Polka (Polish Mother), who is honoured for sacrificing her own ambitions, dreams, rights to fulfil the needs and desires of her family - - woman who can manage everything and there are little expectations from men Religious dilemmas while considering a divorce, not being able to receive communion Different approach to communication with people

17 ''It's not like in the American movies I see on television, where the woman packs up and leaves,'' Bozena said as she served instant coffee in mugs hidden in her room away from the kitchen where her husband kept his things. ''I'm separated from him by a wall and a locked door.'' She does everything she can, she said, to minimize contact with him in the 200-square-foot apartment. df

18 Possible solutions Be aware about differences in approaching domestic abuse by Polish people as it will help you to understand their way of thinking and allow better response Educate clients what is (not) acceptable and what supports are available in UK as the Polish clients expectations regarding professional response may be lower Tell the client that domestic abuse in Polish culture is also not acceptable and cannot be an excuse Have in mind that the child and woman who does not speak English is more isolated, has less chances to be heard

19 4) Isolation People often feel isolated due to language barrier lack of emotional and practical support from family also important after separation, single mothers the children affected at schools, playgrounds etc. working under professional qualification stress, lower self- esteem drugs and alcohol emotional and mental health problems

20 Possible solutions Encourage to engage with local community but not necessary only Polish always give an option! Makes sure to seek information about available services for Polish families and share it with other agencies Seek advice from a Polish Consulate Give feedback to other services if you see the need for Polish speaking specialised services (mental health, alcohol etc)

21 5) Differences in law implications in practice Application for the child s passport Legal age for becoming responsible to criminal law Bail conditions Maintenance money

22 Possible solutions Seek advice in Polish Consulate Consultations with Polish speaking specialists Educate clients about differences Learn about differences If possible initially seek additional information about the client ( Pesel, ID number, City where they were born)

23 Language meaning Good morning Hi, hallo! How are you? How do you do?

24 You : psychological and social distance

25 Cheeky language? English: I don t suppose there is any chance you could lend me a pound, please, could you? Polish: Can you lend me a pound? English: Could you open the door, please? Polish: Can you open the door?

26 Katarzyna Zalewska Asia Bartsch, 26