Longford Women's Link in bid to enhance domestic violence support base

The initiative is designed to instil good practice in the area of frontline responses to domestic violence.

The model, which is loosely based on its UK equivalent, is aimed at bringing current knowledge as well as industry backed up evidence into an interagency forum of front-line practitioners.

The Working Group, led by LWL includes An Garda Síochána, Longford Community Safety Partnership, Tusla, Children and Young People's Services Committees (CYPSC) and other practitioners in the criminal justice system including the Courts Service.

Members of the newly formed Dometic Violence Interagency Working Group held their first meeting last week at Longford Women's Link's headquarters in Longford town.

A series of further workshops and training events are likewise being lined up to develop strong interagency links aimed at mitigating the risk of domestic violence homicide in rural Ireland.

Senior officials from the dynamic social enterprise believe the interagency model, led by an experienced domestic violence service, can be replicated widely across rural areas in Ireland, resulting in increased safety and reduced risk for women and children.

Chief executive officer Tara Farrell (pictured) expressed her confidence in how the initiative will impact on service users going forwards.

“Longford Women's Link is looking forward to leading out on this very timely and necessary project and we are delighted with the response from all of the agencies so far,” she said.

“We have a long tradition of positive interagency collaboration here in Longford and this project will greatly improve outcomes for women and children as well as supporting increased understanding and collaboration for front line responders to domestic violence.”

Natalie O’Reilly, Longford Women's Link domestic violence service, coordinator was just as bullish over the new model's potential.

“This is an opportunity for all agencies who are first responders to domestic violence, to gain a more in-depth understanding of coercive control, as it is still a relatively new law in Ireland,” she said.

“It will also enable frontline services to gain a greater understanding of perpetrator expertise in tactics, as well as useful tools on how to respond from an experienced domestic violence service.”