The government is to invest a further £53m into its pilot tackling domestic abuse perpetrators, rolling out to15 new areas by March 2026, with full roll-out across England and Wales to follow.
The Drive Project has been piloted since 2016 to address the root causes of abuse, targeting perpetrators and using intensive one-to-one case management for up to 12 months to change behaviours and stop offending.
Over the next four years The Drive Project will receive £53m said Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary after percentages of perpetrators using physical abuse were cut by 82%, sexual abuse by 88%, stalking behaviours by 75% and jealous and controlling behaviours by 73% through the course of the scheme which has been piloted since 2016.
The scheme works with perpetrators to drive behavioural change, building their capacity to manage emotions and relationships differently, removing opportunities for abuse through close monitoring and disruption tactics alongside using domestic abuse protection orders (DAPOs) and appointing independent domestic violence advisors (IDVA) to support victims.
Case managers Interventions are tailored to each perpetrator’s risk level and pattern of abuse and can include:
- disruption tactics such as police intervention and the use of protection orders
- engagement with social services to safeguard families and children
- alternative accommodation to prevent perpetrators from returning to victims’ homes
- addressing drug and alcohol dependencies that can fuel abusive behaviour
- behaviour change to address patterns of control and violence
- monitoring and accountability to prevent reoffending
- dedicated support for victims to help them rebuild their lives and move on
“The roll out of these new programmes means the relentless pursuit of perpetrators who pose a risk to women and girls whether they operate at home or on the streets – and intervening early to prevent further harm.”
“Through our mission to make our streets safer, we will take every opportunity to challenge and change dangerous behaviours, intensively monitor and manage perpetrators who pose a risk, and give victims the support they need to take back their lives.”
said Yvette Cooper.
The Drive Partnership, a consortium of 3 organisations – Respect, SafeLives, and Social Finance – is working to end domestic abuse and protect victim-survivors. The Drive Project is their flagship intervention working with those causing harm in their relationships to prevent abusive behaviour. The project will be delivered in partnership with police and crime commissioners, police forces, domestic abuse services and the Drive Partnership, and supported by national training and resources.
Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips said:
“Through bold initiatives like the Drive Project and Project Vigilant, we’re going after perpetrators wherever they pose a threat. We are shifting the focus onto those who cause harm, challenging dangerous behaviours and making it clear that the responsibility for ending abuse lies with perpetrators, not those who suffer from it. Through our mission to make our streets safer, every penny we invest in holding perpetrators to account is a step towards a better and safer future for every victim.”
Kyla Kirkpatrick, Director, The Drive Partnership, concluded
“We welcome this investment from the Home Office into the expansion of the Drive Project across England and Wales because victim-survivors tell us that as well as more support for themselves, they want and need better responses to the people causing harm in their lives. They need them to be seen, held to account and stopped. The Drive Project does that and with 10 years of delivery, development and evaluation behind us know that it works.
“This work can only happen if the focus is absolutely on the safety and wellbeing of the victim-survivors. This investment will see the vast majority of funding flow directly to local domestic abuse perpetrator services and victim-survivor support services, and we will be working in partnership with local services to ensure that the Drive Project is tailored to meet the needs of local communities. We look forward to the forthcoming VAWG strategy to support victim-survivor services with much-needed investment and cross-departmental commitment.”
