Implementing Safe & Together in Scotland: Creating Domestic Abuse–Informed Systems, Services & Workforces Year Two Learning Report 2022/2023

The Improvement Service’s Year Two Learning Report is the second in a series tracking progress across the 12 Scottish local authorities and partnerships funded by the Scottish Government’s Delivering Equally Safe Fund to embed the Safe & Together™ Model, covering the first 24 months of the fund from October 2021. The report draws on a survey and focus groups with the 12 funded organisations, learning generated through the National Safe & Together Implementation Forum, and evaluation feedback from trained professionals. The funded areas span Aberdeen City, Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Midlothian, the Barnardo’s Equally Safe Partnership (with Aberlour and Falkirk Council), Highland, Moray, North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross, and South Lanarkshire.

Of the 12 funded local authorities and partnerships, all reported that practitioners who undertook Safe & Together training gained an increased understanding of domestic abuse’s impact on children and families. 67% reported practitioners more skilled in partnering with adult survivors and identifying their strengths and protective efforts, and 64% reported local systems and services more likely to support actions that keep children safe and together with the non-offending parent. These figures became the baseline against which the Year Three report, published the following year, measured further progress.

Local areas identified support from strategic leaders, a joined-up approach across key agendas and services, and continued implementation support for practitioners as key enablers. Barriers included competing demands on practitioners and managers, capacity challenges engaging with training and implementation, short-term funding timescales, and the cost and copyright terms of Safe & Together materials affecting sustainable rollout.