Strength to Change — Hull's Self-Referral Programme for Men Who Use Domestic Violence (UCLan-Evaluated)

Strength to Change opened in Hull in April 2009, commissioned by NHS Hull and managed by Hull City Council's Domestic Abuse Partnership. It was inspired by the Freedom from Fear campaign and service in Perth, Australia, and was preceded by a social marketing campaign.
Men self-refer through a telephone helpline. After assessment they are offered at least 10 weekly individual sessions followed by 40 weeks of group work. A women's support service is offered to partners.
The University of Central Lancashire and Acton Shapiro evaluated the first 18 months (Stanley et al., 2011). Of 312 helpline callers, 210 were perpetrators. The evaluation drew on 47 interviews and police data for 72 men: domestic-violence incidents and other offences were lower during the programme than in the two years before, and over half of the women interviewed felt safer.
Caveats: the first full programme only completed in March 2011, so the evaluation could not measure hard outcomes. It had no comparison group, and the most serious, persistent offenders were less likely to proceed beyond assessment. In January 2021 the programme gained Respect accreditation at level 2.

Read the full analysis: https://news.hull.gov.uk/11/01/2021/hulls-strength-to-change-programme-wins-top-accreditation