The aim of the Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse (IPVA) Unit is to critically reflect on your practice and enhance knowledge of coercive control.

This Master's level unit is aimed at all professionals in professional roles who come across and support those who have experienced IPVA as victim/survivors.

Students will be able to gain a systematic understanding of relevant literature including a critical awareness of current issues and recent research related to coercive and controlling behaviours. 

This unit seeks to address the needs of those working in a wide variety of fields who come across victim/survivors of IPVA. It is intended for practitioners and leaders within Health and Social Care and the Criminal Justice settings who have responsibilities for supporting victims/survivors and/or signposting, and those in leadership roles who lead/manage people who support those experiencing IPVA. 

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 has a range of responsibilities for different professionals, including: 

• Local authorities who have a duty to provide support to victims of domestic abuse including: 
• assessing support need, delivering a domestic abuse strategy and providing support for children, counselling and therapy, housing-related advice and support, and specialist support for victims with complex needs. 
• General practitioners who should have a clear protocol in place for dealing with domestic abuse. 
• Social workers who should take into account and address the needs of children who live with domestic abuse, as well as the needs of the main victim. 
• Employers who should be aware of the impact of domestic abuse on employees at work.
• Police who have responsibility for responding to calls and investigating incident.

To undertake these activities, it is incumbent upon professionals to have clear understanding of IPVA and what constitutes coercive control. IPVA comes under the umbrella of domestic abuse and considers abuse between so-called romantic and/or sexual partners.

Students will critically reflect on their approach to working with victim/survivors and apply this understanding to their practice/professional role. Students will extend their knowledge of themselves when engaging with colleagues and other stakeholders, including reflecting on their leadership style and skills. They will also critically examine their own service/role related to professional, organisational, social and cultural contexts. 

Students will receive structured opportunities for critical reflection within a well-resourced and research-informed learning community.

Overview of course 

Key topics covered in this unit are: 

• Domestic Abuse Act 2021
• The social context - Age, Culture, Race and Religion, Gender and Sexuality, Disability and their intersectionality
• Application to theories and models - Including The Duluth model, The Homicide Timeline, Social Construction
• Exploration of coercive controlling behaviours 
• Short, medium and long-term effects of experiencing IPVA - Impact on Children
• Support and Safeguarding - Legislation, Managing risks, safety planning and sign posting

This unit can be undertaken as part of the MA Leading and Developing Services programme.

Normally students may enter Level 7 (Master's level) study if they have been awarded:

• Undergraduate degree (honours or non-honours)
• An equivalent qualification (the learning outcome of which are demonstrably appropriate in terms of knowledge, understanding and skills) equivalent to 120 credits at Level 6.

If you do not meet the criteria you are still able to apply for this unit but we may ask you to complete pre-admission work. Please contact the Course Leader for more information. 

Fees and funding:

You will need to pay or indicate employer support of payment for unit or course fees to the university.

Applicants should contact their employing organisation for further details.

Pre-purchased places

The Faculty of Health & Social Sciences has contractual arrangements with NHS organisations, Local Authorities and the Pan-Dorset & Wiltshire Teaching Partnership for pre-paid places on specified modules. If you work within Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset or Hampshire and Isle of Wight you may be able to access the pre-paid places. These arrangements allow organisations to nominate the staff they wish to send on each unit or course.

The pre-arranged agreements allow individuals, such as yourself, a route to access appropriate professional development opportunities that are seen as strategically important to your organisation (in consultation with your Line Manager/Education Co-ordinator). All requests for pre-paid places must first be agreed by your organisation prior to completing an application.

Your assignment will be in the form of a reflective essay and associated action plan. 

Having completed this unit, the student is expected to demonstrate:

1. A systematic understanding of relevant literature including a critical awareness of current issues and recent research aligned to IPVA.
2. An understanding of how to evaluate risk and undertake safety planning
3. The ability to critically evaluate and improve practice when supporting victim/survivors of IPVA, taking into account current legislation, professional and organisational benchmarks and standards
4. Critically reflect on professional practice through drawing on the evidence-based knowledge and critically explore what constitutes personal and organisational accountability applying this understanding to their practice/role.