The High Sheriff of Wiltshire has this week visited Swindon custody to learn more about the work being done to break the cycle of domestic abuse (DA) offending.

Since January, Behaviour Change Workers from Society Without Abuse’s Open-2-Change programme have been offering individuals in custody a route to change their behaviour. So far, they have triaged 40 suspects.

This new initiative was developed and agreed upon as part of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) partnership, which brings together charities and organisations with a shared interest in tackling domestic abuse.

The Open-2-Change programme, created by Swindon-based domestic abuse charity Society Without Abuse, is delivered across Swindon, Bath, and North East Somerset. Its delivery at Gablecross custody unit is funded by the National Lottery and involves dedicated Behaviour Change Workers based on-site. These specially trained professionals have completed vetting procedures and work directly with detainees, while also offering support to officers and wider recovery services for families affected by domestic abuse.

On Monday, 22 September, the High Sheriff, Martin Nye, met with Open-2-Change workers, Detective Inspector Lou Morley—Wiltshire Police’s lead on domestic abuse—and members of the Offender Management team. He heard how the scheme engages with domestic abuse perpetrators at the point of arrest, helping to develop safety plans for their release and offering referrals for support with issues such as substance misuse, housing, and anger management.

Detective Inspector Lou Morley said: “No one wants to be a perpetrator. We all imagine being in a loving relationship, and those who cause harm are often overlooked as partner agencies and police focus on supporting the victim. By placing Behaviour Change Workers in custody, we can reach perpetrators at the earliest opportunity and offer them the tools to change their behaviour.

“Many DA perpetrators grew up in homes where violence was present and may be suffering from trauma. This may be the first time they’ve been asked how they are—and truly listened to.”

Louisa Wrighton, Open-2-Change Manager, added: “If we are to break the cycle of domestic abuse we need to get to the root cause of the issue and that’s the people who are carrying out these harmful behaviours.

“Our one-to-one programme has been working across Swindon since 2019 and to now be able to work with Wiltshire Police inside the custody suite at Gablecross means we can directly reach the people who would benefit most from our support at the earlier opportunity.  We can then work with them to identify the reasons why they behaved as they did, and then help them to learn from and adapt their behaviours.  This then has a positive impact on future relationships as well as the potential to reduce reoffending.”

A separate scheme is run in Wiltshire by the charity Fear free.