Responding to older people affected by domestic abuse
Opva Specialist Course
Our research finds that on average, older people experience domestic abuse for twice as long before seeking help as those aged under 61, and nearly half have a disability.1 Yet, older victims are hugely underrepresented in domestic abuse services.
This training course will help you improve the response to older people in your area who are experiencing domestic abuse.
Our Spotlight on older people and domestic abuse highlighted that older people are often 'hidden' victims of domestic abuse.
As well as experiencing abuse for twice as long before seeking help, older victims are also less likely to attempt to leave in the year before accessing support and are more likely to continue to live with the perpetrator after getting support.
It's so important that support for older people is delivered in a way that is tailored to their needs. That's why we've developed this new Expert level course alongside specialist agencies including Age UK, Dewis Choice, Surviving Economic Abuse and East Lancashire CCG.
The course will increase your understanding of the dynamics of domestic abuse and how it may be different for older people. It will encourage you to consider how age-related factors may impact on a person's experience of abuse, the key risk factors for serious harm, and how to safety plan in a multi-agency context.
For those working in Wales: Group 4 of the National Training Framework includes any worker, currently working as an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor and this training is suitable for group 4 workers CPD programme.
Key course Features
Why chose SafeLives Opva Specialist course:
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SafeLives first pioneered the Idva qualification with the Home Office back in 2006. SafeLives further worked to create the Opva qualification to increase safety for older victims of domestic abuse, working with specialist agencies including Age UK, Dewis Choice, Surviving Economic Abuse and East Lancashire CCG.
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Our commitment to diversity and inclusion, including challenging unconscious bias with working with older victims.
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Practical content to enhance your advocacy and ability to support victims.
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Trainers with vast and current experience in providing frontline delivery to victims of domestic abuse and older people.
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Trainers and guest speakers who are quality assured to ensure we continue providing the highest quality.
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Course content is reviewed by SafeLives authentic voice to ensure the content is relevant to real life experiences, and reviewed to keep up to date with recent research and legislative changes.
Course Overview
SafeLives Opva Specialist 4 day course is made up of 4 days of specialist Opva content focusing on supporting older victims of domestic abuse. The course aims to enhance your practical knowledge to best support older people who are victims of domestic abuse.
The course is designed as further development following the Foundation Idva course, which covers the core domestic abuse knowledge you would want as an Opva.
4 days specialist Opva content
This ensures professionals are able to respond to young victims of domestic abuse, understanding the unique risks and reduced options available to safeguard young people and reduce risk.
Topics include:
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the family and community dynamics that may affect older people experiencing abuse
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effective risk management and safety planning with older people in a multi-agency context
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the unique forms of economic abuse that older people can experience
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identifying and responding to adult safeguarding concerns
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age-related health issues and their implications for practice
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how to address barriers to engagement, to build an age-inclusive service.
The Opva Specialist training is supported by relevant specialists from many different fields around adult safeguarding and domestic abuse.
The Opva Specialist 4 day course is aimed at Opvas, Idva practitioners, domestic abuse practitioners and service managers who currently carry an active caseload of domestic abuse victims or are about to start doing so; and have completed another SafeLives Foundation course to gain the Opva qualification.
The training can also be a great opportunity for non-DA professionals to gain CPD around the risks specifically around young people’s experiences of domestic abuse. SafeLives does however recommend you have a strong knowledge of domestic abuse case management.
Please note the course uses the term older people to describe those aged 60 plus.
Opva Specialist Course APPLICATION NOW OPEN UNTIL 27-May
CLICK HERE to submit your application
For future course dates please register your interest here
This course is for those who have completed either our Ypva, Idva or Outreach Foundation Course and looking to add the Opva qualification or work towards your Dipolma.
Course Dates
Course Code: OPV24A
Delivery: Online via Zoom
Time: 09:30 – 16:30 (Daily) *day 1 starts 9:15AM
Dates:
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Day 1: 01 October
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Day 2: 02 October
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Day 3: 03 October
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Day 4: 04 October
Learners must attend all 4 days of training.
Course Details
We are delighted to announce that, following an open competition, we have been awarded funding from the Ministry of Justice, under the Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVA) and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVA) Training and Infrastructure Fund.
With this provision, we are now able to offer the Autunm 2024 courses at a reduced cost - please see new costing below.
Price: £718.25*
*This was previously £845 prior to MoJ funding.
Subsidies: We are committed to supporting smaller and specialist services to access our courses. To help facilitate this, we offer a fixed number of subsidies (on two tiers) for services with an annual income of less than £1 million (was £600, now £60 per learner) and less than £500,000 (was £350, now £35 per learner). We use information on the application form to determine who to award the subsidised spaces to.
Eligibility:
Our Opva Specialist course is available to practitioners who meet the following eligibility criteria:
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Anyone with a current, active caseload supporting domestic abuse victims. This is to ensure that you have a variety of cases for practice reflection as part of your assessment.
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Has a line manager or equivalent supervisor within an appropriate organisation. They should confirm your application details and support you for the duration of the course and whilst you are completing the worksheets.
To promote diversity and widen our learners’ network, we generally limit the number of successful applicants from the same organisation admitted to one course to two spaces.
For professionals who have not completed the Idva Foundation course, they can complete this as CPD.
SafeLives highly recommends non-DA professionals have a strong knowledge of domestic abuse case management
Please consider this before you apply to avoid any disappointment.
Time Commitment -
The Opva Specialist course comprises 4 days online training, delivered in four consecutive days; e-learning modules which must be completed prior to attending each block of training; and the completion of one assessed worksheets that is submitted online.
You must attend all 4 days.
The list below provides guidance on recommended study time you should allow:
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Guided learning (training blocks, pre-course reading and e-learning modules) – 40 hours
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Worksheets – 15 hours
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Notional study – 40 hours
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Total course time requirement – 95 hours
Accessibility: We aim to provide inclusive training and will make reasonable adjustments to ensure that our training can be accessed by all. Please let us know whether you have any accessibility or diversity needs so we can out the right support in place. We are always seeking to improve our accessibility and work with learners to ensure we adapt our resources and training provision to be accommodating and provide the support needed. Reasonable adjustments can be made for both on-line and in person training. In the last year we have been working with Sign Health and Vision Foundation to successfully improve accessibility for learners with a hearing loss or visual impairment. We welcome all applicants to work with us to improve our services and increase our reach.
You can also contact us if you have any queries: training@safelives.org.uk
For professionals in Wales - please visit this page.
1 SafeLives Insights data, 2015-16