Fulfilling Lives in Islington and CamdenFulfilling Lives in Islington & Camden (FLIC) has now closed its doors. However, all of our news, learnings and reports can be found here, and our clients' voices and films can be found here. FLIC was an eight-year Lottery funded learning programme, designed to support people experiencing multiple disadvantage and affect system change to improve the experience and outcomes for people accessing services. Too often the voices of people experiencing multiple disadvantage aren't heard. Putting clients at the centre of everything we do was key to our work. Our support service was intensive, trauma-informed and led by the experiences and insights of our clients. We worked in partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies across both boroughs to improve services for people with multiple needs and drive systemic change, influencing how services are designed and delivered. If you have any questions, please email Lucy Campbell ([email protected]), SHP's head of Multiple Disadvantage Transformation. Home Our action plan Our work with clients Voices Learning and resources News Training for Practitioners Working with Survivors and Perpetrators in Homelessness Settings (PraxisCollab Evaluation Report) Through strategic and front-line cross-sector working, FLIC observed that homelessness practitioners have frequent contact with victims/survivors and perpetrators of DVA in homelessness settings. The challenging circumstances within which homelessness practitioners operate were noted, as well as some gaps in knowledge, skills, and confidence of practitioners to effectively identify DVA and respond appropriately. Consequently, FLIC collaborated with cross sector partners to develop guidance and a training package to improve identification, responses and referrals for victim/survivors and perpetrators into appropriate services and interventions. In 2021/22 FLIC produced a guidance document and provided free training sessions to Camden Housing First, St Mungo’s, The Street Engagement Team at St Martins, and Westminster Housing First. Three online sessions were conducted with a total of 28 homelessness practitioners. FLIC commissioned PraxisCollab to evaluate the training and create a list of recommendations. Learning outcomes from the training The training was very well-received by delegates who reported that the material was tailored to their roles and the challenges they face in their work. All 17 post-survey respondents reported that they would recommend the training to others. The evaluation was conducted before delegates had a chance to put the learning into practice, but all survey respondents said it would influence their practice in the future. Evidence of positive change in survey scores was demonstrated across all the learning outcomes. Examples of outcomes achieved included practitioners reporting being able to identify perpetrators’ attempts to collude with staff, how to provide space and opportunity for victim/survivors to disclose DVA, how to carry out routine enquiry about DVA, the role and purpose of MARACs and how to navigate the parameters to their role or when to work in partnership with other services. Some feedback indicated that the learning points about the gendered nature of DVA and the need to prioritise safeguarding and prevent harm to victim/survivors at all times, over everything else when working on any aspect of DVA, may not have been achieved for all delegates. Training participants valued the opportunity to increase their knowledge, skills, and confidence to respond to DVA, and all delegates reported that the training would enable them to change their future practice. Assessing the impact on future practice and implications for victim/survivors and perpetrators requires more longitudinal evaluation. Summary recommendations Consider using the material for this training as a bolt on to an introduction to DVA to build participant knowledge over time and ensure that the learning outcomes are relevant for particular roles. Consider strengthening the messages around the gendered nature of DVA and the implications and risks facing specific groups, particularly women. Explore the feasibility of providing additional advanced sessions on DVA and additional training on specific topics included in DVA such as coercive control. Future evaluations should incorporate post-training assessment, such as training or surveys 6-12 months post-intervention to measure change over time in practice and difference made to individuals. Download the report to find more learnings and recommendations.