A PROJECT aimed at offering support and protection for the victims of domestic violence is being set up in St Helens.

Ann Clarke has recently been appointed as the Education and training Officer for the Domestic Violence Preventative Project.

Violence in the home and the traumas surrounding it are usually kept behind closed doors. But domestic violence can have a profound effect on all those involved, including children who witness the constant physical harrassment of one or other of their parents.

The project is designed to help those youngsters whose lives are affected by domestic violence by focusing on the short and long-terms effects that it can have.

Other main aims of the project include:

Striving for a violence-free environment for children of all ages.

Preventing today's children from becoming the victims, or perpetrators, of tomorrow by providing education awareness programmes.

Promoting the services already available for victims and perpetrators and to identify any shortfalls in the current system.

Encouraging agencies to develop or revise policies and codes of working practice to improve delivery of services.

The raising of public and professional awareness of the needs of women and children experiencing domestic violence, including the specific needs of women with disabilities, black and ethnic minority women and those who are temporarily in this country. Encouraging initiatives aimed at preventing domestic violence.

Encouraging the greater use of local statistics on domestic violence to monitor the extent of the problem locally and to record changing patterns of violence so that it can be responded to quickly and efficiently.

Establishing an effective multi-agency approach by running training and awareness programmes for agencies both in the voluntary and statutory sector and through sharing information at domestic violence forums.

Meanwhile, Ann would like to recruit a small team of volunteers to help her with a variety of tasks for the project and anyone interested in volunteering can call her on 01744 738328 for an informal chat.

The next domestic violence forum will be held on Friday, April 30, at St Helens Town Hall between 11am and 1pm and will include a speaker from the Merseyside and Cheshire Alcohol Services. All residents, organisations and agencies in the borough who have an interest in the issues of domestic violence and the impact and effects on children are welcome.

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