Virtual College | E-learning course raising awareness of domestic violence and abuse
E-learning course raising awareness of domestic violence and abuse
Domestic violence and abuse affect more than two million people in England and Wales each year, with the police contacted regarding spousal abuse every 30 seconds.
What's more, domestic violence and abuse is endured for an average of 2.6 years before people seek help or try to get themselves out of an abusive relationship; 23% of domestic abuse victims visit accident and emergency as a result of their injuries.
But this is too long and this figure is too high. More needs to be done, particularly by those in safeguarding positions, to improve awareness of domestic violence and abuse and provide appropriate support to victims. This is exactly what the Virtual College Awareness of Domestic Violence and Abuse e-learning course is designed to help with.
Awareness of Domestic Violence and Abuse course
Virtual College originally launched an online course raising awareness of domestic abuse back in 2007, which was completed by more than 7,000 safeguarding professionals from organisations such as the NHS, local authorities and the probation service.
In 2016, we launched our new Awareness of Domestic Violence and Abuse e-learning course. It is designed for anyone who may come into contact with at-risk children, young people and adults in their work, such as those working in domestic violence and abuse services, social care, healthcare and housing organisations, police and probation services, and educational establishments.
The digital course covers:
- What is domestic violence
- How to identify signs of domestic violence and abuse
- The barriers that may stop children from disclosing domestic abuse to a safeguarding professional
- The effects domestic abuse can have on vulnerable adults
- Faith-based domestic abuse
- Best practice for supporting victims of domestic abuse
- MARAC (multi-agency risk assessment conference)
- The coordinated community response model
- The DASH (domestic abuse, stalking and honour-based violence) risk identification checklist
- APVA (Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse)
- Stalking and harassment
- The Domestic Violence and Abuse Act 2017
Increasing awareness through e-learning
The Virtual College Awareness of Domestic Violence and Abuse e-learning course is tablet- and iPad-accessible and includes a variety of interactive scenarios, graphics and roleplays to make the subject matter as engaging and memorable as possible.
E-learning means people can take the course in their own time. This flexibility also meaning the study material is more likely to be remembered due to fewer distractions. If studying is interrupted, the Virtual College Learning Management System will keep progress tracked automatically.
Information on where to find further resources and a glossary is also provided within the module.
Judith Clarkson, health and social care director at Virtual College, has commented:
”On average, victims seek help five times from professionals before getting the support they need for the domestic violence and abuse to stop.
"We hope that this course will help to increase awareness about this serious issue.”
Find out more about our Awareness of Domestic Violence and Abuse here.
