Welcome to our brand new website, providing you with easier access to our training, research and resources!
We want you to feel proud and confident in your role as a highly qualified professional, which is why all our courses continue to be accredited by OCN London.
Sharing what works to end domestic abuse so that more families are safe is what we do best. Our training helps professionals recognise the signs of domestic abuse, understand the issues and respond quickly and effectively when a victim needs help.
Our trainers are passionate experts. Every year they train hundreds of people to offer better support to victims. We run the flagship Idva qualification created in 2006 with the Home Office and have trained over 3000 Idvas since. And we also offer highly regarded continuing professional development courses, helping everyone who works to stop domestic abuse.
At SafeLives we understand the importance of Idvas and other frontline professionals in helping to make victims of domestic abuse and their families safe. We have trained over 3000 of you and we want to keep training you, helping you to do the best job you can.
By attaining a diploma, you prove yourself as knowledgeable and capable in three of the areas we have identified as key to helping victims and survivors of domestic abuse – Idva, Outreach, responding to sexual violence, responding to older people, engaging with those who harm and working with young people.
As more and more practitioners take up this qualification, we hope more victims and survivors will receive the kind of tailored support that meets their needs, when they need it.
We offer training at both foundation and specialist level in four key areas. Each foundation course is based on what we consider essential domestic abuse training, with an additional unit in a specialist field. The specialist units assume you already have this core knowledge and offer you the opportunity to learn a different field.
One foundation course will gain you a Certificate in Domestic Abuse. Complete an additional two specialist level courses to attain a Diploma in Domestic Abuse.
Learn more about getting a Diploma in Domestic Abuse
The first eight days of all our foundation courses cover what we consider the core essentials for anyone working with victims of domestic abuse, with the final four days focussing on a specialist subject.
Choose a specialist course if you’ve completed a 12-day course with us before
Our specialist courses are designed for learners who have already attended foundation training in one subject and want to top up their knowledge by attending a shorter (four-day) course in a new field.
You will need to have completed SafeLives foundation training to be offered a place on a specialist course unless you are completing the course as standalone career development (CPD). We will also accept learners who have completed Women’s Aid’s Certificate in Tackling and Preventing Domestic Abuse.
If you’re still unsure which course to choose you can use this useful diagram to check. If you’re unsure whether you’re eligible for a specialist course, please contact our training team who will be happy to help: training@safelives.org.uk
Our Accredited training team are able to offer all of the accredited training courses as in-house.
We are able to deliver the courses online via Zoom, face to face or hybrid to meet your needs. Our trainers, guest speakers, training content and accreditation process remain equivalent to the open courses. Accreditation is via OCN (Open College Network) and is achieved by completion of worksheets. When these worksheets are assessed and passed, the learner receives their certification.
We offer this training to groups, minimum of 16 learners and a maximum of 24 learners. We may be able to accommodate additional learners, but beyond the 24 we would also need to add on individual learner costs (OCN and assessing fees).
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