The CEDAR Network
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-08651, in the name of James Dornan, on the CEDAR—children experiencing domestic abuse recovery—network. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. Since James Dornan cannot be with us for the debate, for very understandable reasons, I call on Sandra White to open the debate.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament commends the work of the Cedar Network and other third sector organisations in assisting women and young people who are affected by domestic abuse; notes that a branch of the Cedar Network has been established in Glasgow, which adds to the rest of its network across Scotland; considers its work, which it carries out through group work and support, to be hugely important in aiding recovery from domestic abuse; notes what it sees as the Cedar Network’s close working relationship with a number of third sector and statutory organisations, such as the Castlemilk Domestic Abuse Project; considers that the inclusion of trained facilitators from a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies helps to foster a multiagency support network that is crucial to the success of the project; highlights research conducted by Nancy Lombard, who is a lecturer in social policy at Glasgow Caledonian University, on young people’s attitudes toward violence, which suggests that engaging them in discussions on the subject will help challenge gendered perceptions of this, and considers education on violence and support for women and children to be key in helping to break cycles of domestic abuse.
17:02
Thank you very much, Presiding Officer.
First, I commend my colleague James Dornan for securing this debate. Unfortunately, due to a family bereavement, he cannot be here this evening. Our sympathies are with him and his family.
I point out that the motion highlights the work of the Domestic Abuse Project and the CEDAR project in Castlemilk. Back in November I had the privilege of leading a members’ business debate to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Glasgow Women’s Aid and the work that it does in supporting those suffering from domestic abuse. In that debate we also had the opportunity to acknowledge the CEDAR programme, which many of us know is a therapeutic group-work programme that aims to help both women and children to come to terms with the domestic abuse that they have experienced or witnessed.
Typically, the group work for children and that for mothers takes place at the same time and, importantly, the groups mirror their aims, such as to express the emotions surrounding abuse. That allows the children and their mother together to continue to explore, understand and come to terms with what they have suffered and experienced. It is a powerful model that helps to promote empathy and empowerment among those attending. It may seem to many that such an approach is a commonsense one, but it is quite innovative in its delivery. It involves a multi-agency approach, bringing together professionals from a large range of agencies across the public and voluntary sectors.
That type of model is also important not only for the way that it can transform people’s lives but, sadly, for a more pragmatic reason: at a time when finances are being squeezed there is more need for that type of multi-agency approach. I believe that the CEDAR model offers a great opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives and to tackle the thorny issue of how we continue to support some of the most vulnerable people in our society in these times.
The CEDAR pilot’s evaluation report noted that CEDAR is contributing to a range of Scottish Government policies and that it represents an opportunity to focus resources in many services.
In the previous debate that I mentioned, I noted that CEDAR Glasgow had another two years of funding from the Big Lottery Fund and I said that I hoped that the Scottish Government would look to and learn from the CEDAR model in its approach to other forms of intervention. In response, the minister said that a strategy for Scotland to tackle violence against women was being taken forward, that it would be the first such document in Scotland and that it would shape the way in which we tackle violence against women in the future. I hope that debates such as this one will help to inform the strategy and that programmes such as CEDAR will be very much part of it. I understand that the Government will consult on the strategy in early 2014. Perhaps we could tease out some more details of it from the minister in her closing speech.
I will take a moment to commend those who make this work possible for their hard work and dedication. Some of them are in the public gallery and I met many of them earlier during a drop-in session in the Parliament. I was very impressed by the way in which all the groups work together, including Scottish Women’s Aid, from which I spoke to Janice, Catherine and Mariam; the CEDAR project, from which I spoke to Kirsty and Isla; and the WAVES group, and in particular Bessie Anderson, who chairs that group.
I know that James Dornan takes a keen interest in the WAVES group, which helps women to move on from violent environments at their own pace. It was explained to me that, rather than being told to go into certain areas, women take it at their own pace, which helps them to feel much more comfortable if they wish to move on. Women gain confidence from that and benefit from personal development, and they go on to voluntary work and some to colleges. I was very impressed by the contributions of the people at the drop-in session. I apologise to the people I met who I have not been able to name. I am sure that they know who they are. Once again, I thank them for all the hard work that they do on behalf of people.
When I spoke to my colleague James Dornan, he particularly praised the Domestic Abuse Project in Castlemilk, through which he learned more about the CEDAR project in his constituency. In the past three years alone, it has helped about 100 people each year and, incredibly, 90 per cent of its clients have gained volunteering positions and employment, which I mentioned earlier. That helps them to regain control of their lives. Special thanks must go to all those who help with that.
James Dornan also learned of the work of Dr Lombard in his research for a debate on the origins of addiction that was brought to the chamber by Kenneth Gibson, who I believe will speak in tonight’s debate. As a result of Dr Lombard’s work on how children perceive violence, she noted the need for discussions with schoolchildren to help them to understand what is meant by a healthy, respectful relationship in order to break down gender stereotypes that may, unfortunately, lead to violence in future. Her work is a fantastic read. I am not sure whether the publication is available in the Parliament, but I certainly have a copy of it and I am happy to pass it on to others.
In our debate on the anniversary of Glasgow Women’s Aid, I mentioned the outreach programme in schools that aims to tackle the issues that Dr Lombard identified in her publication. I hope that her valuable work, alongside the outreach work that is being done in schools, will also inform the Scottish Government’s future approach to domestic violence. As the minister said in her concluding remarks in that debate, the issue is not only about ending domestic abuse and violence against women. It is also about achieving equality, not just for women but between men and women in our society.
I look forward to hearing the other speeches and the minister’s summing-up speech. Thank you.
We turn to the open debate. I ask for speeches of four minutes.
17:09
I, too, congratulate James Dornan on securing the debate and I join Sandra White in expressing our sympathies to him and his family on their bereavement. I am sure that he is grateful to Sandra White, as we all are, for leading the debate in his absence. It is good that the debate can continue in the circumstances.
I, too, pay tribute to the CEDAR network for its work. It works in partnership with children and their mothers and helps mothers to support their children through the issues of domestic abuse, using peer support as well. We do not always understand the damage that domestic abuse can cause not only to the relationships between the abuser and their children but to the relationships among those who are abused, who may try to protect one another, which prevents them from working with one another as they could. The CEDAR network seeks to redress that and empower the people in those families to support one another and work their way through the issues.
In the debate, we recognise the often overlooked impact of domestic abuse on children and young people. We very often see that women are abused—in some cases men are abused, but in the majority of cases it is women who are abused—and we understand how that happens, but we seldom see the impact on young people, such as isolation, anger and fear, and the effect on their self-esteem and resilience. Domestic abuse influences their educational opportunities and life chances and impacts on their future relationships. The damage that domestic abuse does to children cannot be overestimated, and the CEDAR network and others recognise that.
A violent partner can also threaten children and young people, who can feel that they might face violence too—if they do not face it already. People who are violent to a partner can also be violent to children. That can take place in a bullying relationship: violence can be used against people who are seen to be less able to stand up to it.
Glasgow Women’s Aid has been instrumental in setting up the Glasgow branch of the CEDAR network with the advice, support, safety and information services together—ASSIST—project and Children 1st. Scottish Women’s Aid has long recognised the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people. For a long time it has employed children’s workers, who work with young people of all different ages. They use play, social occasions and counselling to help young people, and they provide a service that children can access in their own right. There is no need for parental permission; young people can contact Scottish Women’s Aid and get support and help for themselves. Sometimes their mothers are still in denial about the abuse in the relationship. As we all know, those who suffer domestic abuse can be the main people who cover up that abuse. Often, children see that and have to live with it, so the ability of children and young people to access support in their own right is hugely important. Scottish Women’s Aid offers that service and we need to keep supporting it.
We cannot prevent the impact on children and young people of domestic abuse, but we can try to deal with the consequences. We can combat the negative implications for young people by giving them coping techniques, helping them maintain their education by representing them to teachers and the like, and supporting them through their experience.
The bottom line is empowerment. If we empower mothers to support their children, and indeed empower children and young people to find a way through the issues themselves, children and young people will have a much better outlook on life. I commend the work of the organisations that assist with that. [Applause.]
17:13
I join others in congratulating James on securing the debate and Sandra for stepping in to ensure that it got off to a good start.
The focus of tonight’s debate is the CEDAR network’s branch in Glasgow, but the motion refers to the fact that we are talking about a branch of a wider network. I have met some of the partners of the CEDAR network in Glasgow, such as Glasgow Women’s Aid and Children 1st, which works right across Scotland. It is important that the CEDAR network and others have the opportunity to create links with other organisations that can help.
I represent a part of the Moray region, in which the CEDAR network has been active for some time, and there are important parallels between what is happening in Glasgow and what is happening across the rest of Scotland, particularly in Moray. I will start with some general remarks.
We need to think about the sources of violence that affect children, and there are a few that we might focus on in particular. Mental ill-health in adults who are close to children can be a source of violence, as can addictions, particularly to drink and severe, mind-distorting drugs such as crack cocaine. Relationships can come under stress, particularly through what I might describe as gratuitous promiscuity on the part of one partner, which can lead to violence that involves the children. Some sociopathic conditions mean that some parents are not naturally fitted to the role in which they find themselves, and those parents need support as much as their children do.
I am one of the fortunate majority who has not been exposed to such things. That said, I remember at some indeterminate point listening from some distance to the only argument that I remember between my parents. I have no idea what it was about. There were no raised voices; it was quite quiet, but it was sufficiently impressive that I remember it to this day. When we are talking about parents and adults making much more severe interventions on children, I can see through that very tiny example in my own life that the effects on youngsters might last a lifetime.
The work of the CEDAR network is very important in tackling the effects of domestic abuse on children. In Moray, the CEDAR network has funding from the Big Lottery to work with Children 1st, and is a partner agency of the Moray domestic abuse partnership. It also does excellent work through a 12-week therapeutic group work programme for children and young people who have been exposed to domestic abuse. Mothers also have the opportunity to attend a group to support their children. Whatever we might think generally, the remedy often lies at the mother’s door. I hope that more men will step up to the mark in relation to their parental responsibilities, but the reality is that we deliver a lot if we support the mothers.
The group work model is adapted from work that came from Canada. I hope that, in her summing up, the minister will acknowledge that it is well worth pursuing. We think that perhaps as many as 100,000 children in Scotland live under the shadow of domestic abuse. That tells us how important tonight’s debate is and, more fundamentally, how significantly the Parliament should take tent of the issue and the work of the CEDAR network in Glasgow and elsewhere in Scotland. [Applause.]
Before we move on, I remind members to use full names. I also point out that parliamentary rules do not allow gallery guests to applaud, so I must ask our visitors not to do so.
17:17
I commend James Dornan, who lodged the motion for debate, and Sandra White, who, in his absence, opened the debate by explaining what the CEDAR network does and highlighting its excellent work.
As Stewart Stevenson said, it is indeed a sobering thought that no fewer than 100,000 children in Scotland are living with domestic abuse. The negative impact of that on young people’s attitudes towards violence and on their own safety and self-esteem must not be underestimated.
Research carried out by Dr Nancy Lombard confirms that those attitudes exist and goes on to challenge the distorted and grotesque view that somehow male violence towards women is acceptable. Dr Lombard also advocates early intervention for children as young as pre-five to prevent those attitudes from being perpetuated.
What is not in doubt is that children are the innocent victims who are caught up in and have to live with domestic abuse, and we all seek to eradicate that situation. Currently, the concentration on outcomes for offenders tends to overshadow efforts to provide help for those who are directly and indirectly affected by domestic abuse. In carrying out essential work to support those victims in an informal and safe setting, the CEDAR network addresses that imbalance.
The project began in Fife, Edinburgh and Forth Valley and now extends into South Lanarkshire and other parts of Scotland. In South Lanarkshire, the CEDAR project—or, to give it its full title, the children experiencing domestic abuse recovery project—is run by Women’s Aid and builds on existing CEDAR work in the area. This involves mothers and children assessing pre, parallel and post-support programmes. It will benefit 216 children and young people and 120 mothers in South Lanarkshire over a three-year period.
Violence generally, and this kind in particular, can and does ruin lives, which is why tackling it must be made a priority. That makes sense on a number of levels. As well as there being an obvious emotional impact of violence in the home, a study conducted by the United Kingdom Government shows that there is a financial cost, which is estimated to be a staggering £4 billion a year. In addition, Police Scotland is estimated to spend an average of six hours on a domestic abuse incident. For a number of reasons, Police Scotland has focused on domestic violence and has identified tackling it as a priority. That is certainly to be welcomed, not least because domestic abuse cannot be dismissed as merely a row but must be treated as the serious crime that it is known to be.
This is a short debate, but important issues have been raised. The last issue that I want to raise is the necessity to ensure that, when effective interventions are identified, funding is available for them in the longer term. Ideally, a three-year funding period should become the norm, to make sure that interventions are available.
17:21
I thank James Dornan for securing this valuable debating time and Sandra White for stepping up to the plate following his understandable absence.
I am pleased to discuss this important topic of domestic abuse and the vital work carried out by the CEDAR network in helping those affected to rebuild their lives.
While domestic abuse is without doubt perpetrated on some men by some women, there is no ignoring the fact that the vast majority of cases involve men abusing their female partners. This violence in the home—the place where they expect to feel safe and secure—can have a hugely traumatic effect on children and lead to a host of problems for them in later life. As Stewart Stevenson and Margaret Mitchell have already said, it is estimated that 100,000 children in Scotland live with domestic abuse. Sadly, there will be many who we do not yet know about who live with the trauma of such experiences past and present.
While the Scottish Government continues to tackle violence against women and assist survivors who are recovering from the experience, the work of the CEDAR project and others is invaluable in developing best practice and support and care for those in need. The CEDAR evaluation report and the feedback received from those involved in CEDAR projects certainly show that the approach that has been taken has been highly effective, delivering impressive outcomes and engaging with children and mothers in a way that puts them in control and helps them to gain a greater understanding of the domestic abuse that they have suffered.
Indeed, previously many children and mothers felt that domestic abuse was somehow their fault and often children blamed themselves for not doing something to stop it. The CEDAR network, through discussions with peers and group activities, allows both children and mothers to realise that they are not the ones in the wrong and helps to rebuild their self-esteem.
The evaluation report also makes the financial case for CEDAR’s approach. Its approach to multi-agency working, which draws on the expertise and resources of both the public sector and the third sector, has proven to be highly effective.
CEDAR’s focus on early intervention also ensures that the impact on services, including the education system, the criminal justice system, social work departments, the police and the national health service, is reduced as children affected by domestic abuse are less likely to place pressure on them in the long run.
I was pleased to note that the CEDAR project is now active in my constituency, following its launch in North Ayrshire Council’s headquarters in May last year. The launch was attended by representatives from a raft of organisations involved with children and families in the area. They attended the event to find out more about the project and were given information on how to refer families to it. Attendees were also shown a film presentation, in which they heard directly from children who have already taken part in the project talking about how important and helpful it has been to them. I have no doubt that such a presentation would have proven more effective than a briefing or a pamphlet.
Locally, the CEDAR project is being driven by North Ayrshire’s violence against women partnership and delivered by North Ayrshire Women’s Aid, with the project being funded by the Big Lottery Fund for three years. From discussions with my local authority colleagues, it is clear that the CEDAR project is now integral to North Ayrshire Council’s early intervention and prevention strategy, which aims to improve the life chances of children and young people in North Ayrshire. The council is delighted to be working alongside those local organisations towards a common goal.
I understand that rural areas—North Ayrshire has a number of those—have experienced unique challenges, including lack of childcare provision, transport issues and low referrals, to name but a few. However, I am aware that CEDAR, in partnership with Dr Sarah Skerratt, director of the rural policy unit at Scotland’s Rural College, recently hosted an event to discuss those challenges with representatives from all the CEDAR projects that operate in areas defined as rural, in order to explore what needs to change to make the project more effective in a rural context. I also understand that CEDAR has been invited to attend the cross-party group on rural policy to discuss those matters further.
It is clear from members’ contributions this evening that the innovative approach that CEDAR is taking and the support that it offers to mothers and children recovering from their experience of domestic abuse are invaluable. I am sure that all members and the Scottish Government will continue to offer CEDAR the support that it needs to continue providing its vital services.
17:26
I thank James Dornan for securing this afternoon’s debate, and Sandra White for taking the debate forward. It is an important topic, because it allows us to reflect on some of the wider issues surrounding domestic abuse.
We know of the damaging effects on women who experience domestic abuse. Today, we recognise that children and young people in families where there is domestic abuse are victims too. That is the case whether those children hear the loudest of fights or the quietest of threats, whether they see physical violence inflicted upon their mothers or the aftermath of violence in the form of bruises and broken bones. Indeed, they may not witness physical violence at all, but psychological abuse of women can be just as damaging for children and can leave scars just as deep. Even when concerted efforts are made to shield children from witnessing or being aware of abuse, it must be incredibly difficult to protect them from the emotional consequences of abuse taking place within their home and being perpetrated and experienced by the most significant adults in their lives.
That is why I am particularly pleased to have an opportunity to commend the work of the CEDAR network, and I add my own thanks to those already expressed in the chamber this afternoon to all of those involved in the network. I would also like to recognise the role of Scottish Women’s Aid, who brought the CEDAR model from Canada to Scotland and who managed the three pilot projects in Edinburgh, Falkirk and Fife.
Of particular merit is the way in which CEDAR ensures that its programmes of recovery for mothers and children are complementary and work in parallel. That very much reflects CEDAR’s belief that mothers themselves are the best people to support children to come to terms with their experiences and to help them move forward into what we hope will be a life free from domestic abuse. Another commendable aspect of the CEDAR model is the way in which it embraces partnership working, which is true of the violence against women sector in Scotland across the board.
I am also pleased that we have had an opportunity this afternoon to explore young people’s attitudes towards violence, particularly the way in which violence is seen by young people through the lens of gender. We know that violence against women is rooted in gender inequality and in the imbalance of power between men and women in our society. Dr Nancy Lombard, who has written extensively on men’s violence against women and on young people’s attitudes to violence, was mentioned earlier, particularly by Sandra White.
Dr Lombard’s study examining the views of Scottish 11 and 12-year-olds documents some truly worrying views that demonstrate how perceptions about gender and violence remain deeply entrenched in our society—perceptions that being a man legitimises the use of violence, that women and girls are the possessions of men, and that it is a man’s right and entitlement to control and regulate his partner’s behaviour. Of course, that is not how the children themselves expressed the issues, but comments such as, “Because they’re a couple, she should do what he says,” or, “Well, she’s been cheating on him so she deserves it,” highlight that those perceptions are very much alive in our society and begin at a very young age.
We must help young people growing up in Scotland today to challenge those perceptions and play their part in changing attitudes. However, let us not be under any illusions—that is not easy for a young person, or for an adult either. Any action that a person takes that defies and distances them from their peers and perhaps even their friends takes tremendous courage.
That is why I am pleased that the Scottish Government is supporting the violence reduction unit to deliver the mentors in violence prevention—MVP—programme in a number of Scottish high schools. MVP Scotland focuses on empowering young people to identify, safely challenge and speak out against unacceptable behaviour. I and other members have spoken about MVP previously, so I will not go into the detail, but suffice it to say that I think that it is a fantastic programme, and I am delighted that the Scottish Government is funding and supporting the roll-out of MVP Scotland to all state schools in Edinburgh and Inverclyde.
Sandra White asked what progress is being made on the strategy to tackle violence against women. I reassure her that it is of course progressing well and that the consultation is progressing. It is important to reassure members that many of the wider issues that have been raised in the debate, such as those of gender inequality and the imbalance of power that underlies domestic abuse, are part of the work that will be taken forward through the strategy. It is important that we do that.
The Scottish Government is doing a lot of work to tackle domestic abuse. Police Scotland has made tackling domestic abuse one of its top three priorities, which sends out a strong signal. In recent years, the criminal law has been strengthened in a number of ways. The Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Bill will improve the support that is available to victims and witnesses throughout the justice system and will put victims’ interests at the heart of on-going improvements, which in itself is important. Of course, there is the proposal in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill to remove the requirement for corroboration, which has had the support of Scottish Women’s Aid and a number of other organisations that support women.
A lot of work is being done although, obviously, a lot more is still to be done. The strategy to tackle violence against women gives us the opportunity to step up all of that work so that we can try to eradicate the scourge of domestic abuse from our society.
I absolutely believe that, across Scotland, we all have a part to play in making our country one that is viewed around the world as an exemplar because of not only our determination to tackle violence against women but what a nation can achieve by putting the pursuit of equality at its heart. I join my fellow members in congratulating the CEDAR project on its wonderful work, which I believe plays a valuable part in helping us towards that goal.
Meeting closed at 17:33.