It can be difficult to know what to say or do when someone tells you they are experiencing domestic or sexual abuse. And we know that your response matters to survivors, and could make all the difference in what happens next.
Drawing on over 40 years’ experience providing frontline services to people who have experienced domestic and sexual violence, Solace training can help you develop the confidence to respond to survivors and support them to the next step in their journey to a life free from violence and abuse.
Find out more below about our impact learning sessions, half and full day training courses, as well as bespoke training and consultancy options.
Training for businesses
Our courses are informed by our person-centred, trauma informed approach to working with clients, helping you build your skills in supporting survivors.
Supporting Staff and Colleagues Impacted by Domestic Abuse and Stalking
This session will raise awareness around how domestic abuse can impact people at work, what the barriers to seeking help can be and how they can best support a member of staff who is affected by this.
You will learn:
- How to spot the signs of abuse
- How staff can respond if a member of their team discloses that they are experiencing domestic abuse
- How to think about and plan for staff safety and wellbeing
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Preventing harassment and abuse in the workplace is everyone’s business. This session will delve into strategies for preventing and confronting harmful narratives and harassing behaviour in the workplace.
You will learn:
- What sexual harassment is as defined by the Equality Act
- Strategies and skills for confronting harmful behaviour
- An understanding of the context of sexual harassment and violence against women and girls
Being a Positive Bystander
There are many situations we might come across that make us feel like we want to intervene or take some kind of action. This session looks at identifying situations where we might want to intervene, and practical strategies for doing so.
You will learn:
- What it means to be a positive bystander
- How to identify situations where you may want to intervene
- Skills and strategies to safely intervene when witnessing harassing or abuse behaviour
Champions Programme
Solace’s Champions programme has been running for over 5 years. Over the course of 8 workshops, participants will gain the tools and confidence to spot the signs of domestic abuse, work with survivors, and take the lead in shaping their organisation’s response. Upon completing this accredited programme, participants will acquire 6 CPD points, receive a certificate of completion, and gain access to Solace’s Champions Network.
Training for charities and Public Sector
Domestic abuse is everyone’s business. That’s why we work with organisations across the public and third sector to shape their response to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, and build knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence to provide a holistic and effective response to survivors.
“I now feel confident when dealing with anyone who may have experienced domestic or sexual violence. I know how to use an open minded approach to help the person to explore their feelings and, with permission, seek advice or make a referral to services to support their needs”
Hommie, Family Services Manager
Understanding Domestic Abuse and Coercive Control (CPD Accredited)
It can be hard to know what to do when someone tells you that they are experiencing domestic abuse, but knowing how to respond can make all the difference. We know that people from all walks of life can be affected by domestic abuse, and that being able to talk to someone can make all the difference.
This course will help you develop your understanding of what domestic abuse is, what it looks like and how to respond, so you can be a vital source of support for survivors.
You will learn:
- The definitions and dynamics of domestic abuse
- How it impacts on survivors and the barriers to reporting and disclosing abuse
- How to support disclosures of abuse and access to ongoing services
Trauma Informed Practice for Frontline Practitioners
This session is designed for staff who may interact with or work directly with survivors of domestic abuse. It equips participants with the tools and skills needed to support these individuals using a trauma-informed approach.
You will learn:
- The impact of trauma on the body and brain
- What trauma-informed practice is and how to implement it
- How to support survivors with multiple disadvantages
- The skills for implementing a trauma-informed approach when working with survivors of domestic abuse
Supporting Children and Young People Impacted by Domestic Abuse
This session focuses on the dynamics and impact of domestic abuse on children and young people and equips participants with the tools to support children and young people experiencing abuse.
You will learn:
- How abuse impacts children and young people
- The impact of abuse to child development
- How to handle a disclosure of abuse from a child or young person
Supporting Survivors of Sexual Abuse
This session focuses on responding to disclosures of sexual abuse in a trauma-informed manner, how to maintain engagement with survivors, and how to signpost appropriate avenues for support.
You will learn:
- The dynamics and impact of sexual abuse
- What trauma-informed practice is and how to implement it
- How to handle disclosures of abuse in a trauma-informed manner
Supporting Survivors of Domestic Abuse
This session will focus on how to effectively support individuals who have experienced or are currently experiencing domestic abuse.
You will learn:
- The dynamics and impact of domestic abuse
- The impact of trauma and its implications for those who receive disclosures or work with survivors
- How to handle a disclosure of abuse, assess risks and develop safety plans
- How to spot the signs of abuse
DASH Risk Assessment
This session provides an overview and insight into the ACPO/NPCC DASH RIC process and is designed for staff who use or may need to use the SafeLives DASH to assess risk of harm.
You will learn:
- How to safely use the SafeLives DASH to assess risk of harm
- How to identify high risk indicators in cases of domestic abuse
- How to identify high risk indicators in cases of domestic abuse
MARAC Training
This session will provide participants with an understanding of the MARAC process and their role within it.
You will learn:
- What MARAC is
- How to present a case at MARAC and take the necessary follow-up actions
- How to engage in risk assessment and safety planning
Supporting Staff and Colleagues Impacted by Domestic Abuse and Stalking
You will learn:
- The barriers for survivors in disclosing domestic abuse and engaging with services
- How survivors are impacted by trauma and what that means for your practice
- Practical, survivor-centred tools and strategies for engaging survivors to access support
- How to effectively assess risk and safety plan
Champions Training
Solace’s Champions programme has been running for over 5 years. Over the course of 8 workshops, participants will gain the tools and confidence to spot the signs of domestic abuse, work with survivors, and take the lead in shaping their organisation’s response. Upon completing this accredited programme, participants will acquire 6 CPD points, receive a certificate of completion, and gain access to Solace’s Champions Network.
About Us
Why Choose Solace
At Solace, we’ve been supporting survivors of abuse for over 40 years. Our background in providing frontline support for survivors who need it most gives us unique insight into the important role that workplaces can play in supporting survivors, providing security and support at a time when their lives are in turmoil.
Our training packages are designed with the survivor at their core, to ensure that the solutions work for them; and the needs of organisations in the forefront, to ensure that the learning and tools are practically implementable.
And, as a social enterprise, working with means investing in our cause. We reinvest our profits to enable us to reach and educate more people about abuse.
Our approach
We want people to get the most out of our training and across all of our packages we focus not only increasing knowledge and understanding, but developing people’s practical skills, confidence and behaviours to be able to put that knowledge into practice.
Our training is interactive, participatory, thought-provoking and sensitive to the needs of our participants. We know that when it comes to training, one size does not fit all. That’s why when you come to us, as standard, we will have an initial discussion with you to find out how we can tailor our packages to best meet the needs of your organisation and staff teams. We’ll ask questions about the challenges your staff are facing and what kind of outcomes you would like to see from this training to inform our approach.
Don’t just take our word from it – read what some of our clients have had to say here
Book a training today!
To learn more about our training packages and to book a training, please reach out to training@solacewomensaid.org and a member of the team will get in touch.