The High Sheriff of Wiltshire has visited Swindon’s custody suite to learn more about pioneering work being done to break the cycle of domestic abuse offending.
Since January, Behaviour Change Workers from Society Without Abuse’s Open-2-Change programme have been based at Gablecross Police Station, offering individuals in custody a route to change their behaviour. So far, 40 suspects have been triaged through the initiative.
The project was developed as part of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) partnership, which brings together charities and organisations with a shared goal of tackling domestic abuse. Its delivery at Gablecross is funded by the National Lottery and involves specially trained Behaviour Change Workers who work directly with detainees, while also supporting officers and wider recovery services for families affected by abuse.
On Monday, 22nd September, the High Sheriff, Martin Nye, met with Open-2-Change workers, Detective Inspector Lou Morley—Wiltshire Police’s lead on domestic abuse—and members of the Offender Management team. He heard how the scheme engages with perpetrators at the point of arrest, supporting them to create safety plans for their release and signposting them to help with issues such as housing, substance misuse, and anger management.
Detective Inspector Lou Morley said: “No one wants to be a perpetrator. We all imagine being in a loving relationship, and those who cause harm are often overlooked as partner agencies and police focus on supporting the victim. By placing Behaviour Change Workers in custody, we can reach perpetrators at the earliest opportunity and offer them the tools to change their behaviour.
“Many DA perpetrators grew up in homes where violence was present and may be suffering from trauma. This may be the first time they’ve been asked how they are—and truly listened to.”
Louisa Wrighton, Open-2-Change Manager, added: “If we are to break the cycle of domestic abuse we need to get to the root cause of the issue and that’s the people who are carrying out these harmful behaviours.
“Our one-to-one programme has been working across Swindon since 2019 and to now be able to work with Wiltshire Police inside the custody suite at Gablecross means we can directly reach the people who would benefit most from our support at the earlier opportunity. We can then work with them to identify the reasons why they behaved as they did, and then help them to learn from and adapt their behaviours. This then has a positive impact on future relationships as well as the potential to reduce reoffending.”
The Open-2-Change programme, created by Swindon-based charity Society Without Abuse, also runs in Bath and North East Somerset. In Wiltshire, a separate behaviour change service is provided by the charity FearFree.
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