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A national evaluation of Project Cautioning And Relationship Abuse (‘CARA’) awareness raising workshops for first time offenders of domestic violence and abuse: protocol for a concurrent mixed-methods evaluation design

A national evaluation of Project Cautioning And Relationship Abuse (‘CARA’) awareness raising workshops for first time offenders of domestic violence and abuse: protocol for a concurrent mixed-methods evaluation design
A national evaluation of Project Cautioning And Relationship Abuse (‘CARA’) awareness raising workshops for first time offenders of domestic violence and abuse: protocol for a concurrent mixed-methods evaluation design
Introduction: interventions related to the perpetration of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) have gained traction over the past several years, in response to dissatisfaction by victims, an inadequate response from the criminal justice system, increased demand on police time and a lack of rehabilitative responses to the perpetration of domestic abuse. The CARA model is a conditional diversionary caution, offered by police for first time offenders of ‘standard’ or ‘medium risk’ domestic abuse, that engages perpetrators in awareness raising workshops and signposts them onto further services. Although quasi-experimental studies have indicated that CARA showed promise at reducing reoffending, the CARA model has yet to be evaluated nationally and there is no qualitative evidence related to understanding or learning about the lived experience of perpetrators and victims as they engage with the intervention.

Methods: using a concurrent pragmatic mixed methods design model we will undertake a national evaluation of CARA by triangulating quantitative data from up to nine police forces, and routine data from service providers, with qualitative data from workshop participants, victims and professional stakeholders to: (1) understand the long-term impact of CARA implementation on DVA reoffending and engagement with services and (2) explore perceptions and experiences of both delivery and receipt of CARA. We will use qualitative methodologies that draw on interpretivist and phenomenological perspectives, as well as quantitative methodologies using interrupted time series models, Poisson regression models, Geo mapping and a cost benefits analysis.

Ethics and dissemination: where currently the CARA model is being introduced as a national option for standard risk first-time offending, we will engage with policymakers and academics nationally in the live debate on its effectiveness and suitability during its roll-out. Ethical approval was approved by the University of Southampton on the 1st June 2022 (Ref: ERGO ID: 71818.A1).
Domestic violence and abuse, diversionary cautions, perpetrator workshops, prevention
Morgan, Sara
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Scott, Steph
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Chandan, Joht
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Armitage, Rachel
d24cd336-fdc3-44a3-9a62-d89101d48653
Culliford, David
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Jolly, Kate
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McGovern, Ruth
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McGovern, William
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Roy, Jessica
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Thayakaran, Rasiah
aa19a401-3b16-4d95-8f12-69135c43302d
Young, Tracey A.
feca5c34-c051-414f-91e3-15bd05644b95
Parkes, Julie
078ab4d5-9be1-4e8c-b435-5550df4c3bfa
Morgan, Sara
8ad10b7e-2005-4e93-9948-164a69489350
Scott, Steph
1b829f77-d685-4364-954c-2cc8e7b93627
Chandan, Joht
74a00809-ed7f-4bc8-a82c-7c98a04435e5
Armitage, Rachel
d24cd336-fdc3-44a3-9a62-d89101d48653
Culliford, David
6375bf41-c822-480b-9222-a02fab4c9c5f
Jolly, Kate
02a28871-9a30-48e7-800a-803854a0ed86
McGovern, Ruth
e07d27b8-2b9d-4615-b7fe-14314fc7a8a2
McGovern, William
de5fe2f3-be31-442d-8115-aa2c229d5453
Roy, Jessica
6b544f68-e56d-4139-961c-c9b626095a0e
Thayakaran, Rasiah
aa19a401-3b16-4d95-8f12-69135c43302d
Young, Tracey A.
feca5c34-c051-414f-91e3-15bd05644b95
Parkes, Julie
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Morgan, Sara, Scott, Steph, Chandan, Joht, Armitage, Rachel, Culliford, David, Jolly, Kate, McGovern, Ruth, McGovern, William, Roy, Jessica, Thayakaran, Rasiah, Young, Tracey A. and Parkes, Julie (2024) A national evaluation of Project Cautioning And Relationship Abuse (‘CARA’) awareness raising workshops for first time offenders of domestic violence and abuse: protocol for a concurrent mixed-methods evaluation design. NIHR Open Research, 4, [43]. (doi:10.3310/nihropenres.13609.1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Introduction: interventions related to the perpetration of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) have gained traction over the past several years, in response to dissatisfaction by victims, an inadequate response from the criminal justice system, increased demand on police time and a lack of rehabilitative responses to the perpetration of domestic abuse. The CARA model is a conditional diversionary caution, offered by police for first time offenders of ‘standard’ or ‘medium risk’ domestic abuse, that engages perpetrators in awareness raising workshops and signposts them onto further services. Although quasi-experimental studies have indicated that CARA showed promise at reducing reoffending, the CARA model has yet to be evaluated nationally and there is no qualitative evidence related to understanding or learning about the lived experience of perpetrators and victims as they engage with the intervention.

Methods: using a concurrent pragmatic mixed methods design model we will undertake a national evaluation of CARA by triangulating quantitative data from up to nine police forces, and routine data from service providers, with qualitative data from workshop participants, victims and professional stakeholders to: (1) understand the long-term impact of CARA implementation on DVA reoffending and engagement with services and (2) explore perceptions and experiences of both delivery and receipt of CARA. We will use qualitative methodologies that draw on interpretivist and phenomenological perspectives, as well as quantitative methodologies using interrupted time series models, Poisson regression models, Geo mapping and a cost benefits analysis.

Ethics and dissemination: where currently the CARA model is being introduced as a national option for standard risk first-time offending, we will engage with policymakers and academics nationally in the live debate on its effectiveness and suitability during its roll-out. Ethical approval was approved by the University of Southampton on the 1st June 2022 (Ref: ERGO ID: 71818.A1).

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Published date: 1 August 2024
Keywords: Domestic violence and abuse, diversionary cautions, perpetrator workshops, prevention

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Local EPrints ID: 494303
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/494303
PURE UUID: 066e909a-8135-4fca-be28-65d294e86a14

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Date deposited: 03 Oct 2024 16:42
Last modified: 21 Aug 2025 02:03

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Contributors

Author: Sara Morgan
Author: Steph Scott
Author: Joht Chandan
Author: Rachel Armitage
Author: David Culliford
Author: Kate Jolly
Author: Ruth McGovern
Author: William McGovern
Author: Jessica Roy
Author: Rasiah Thayakaran
Author: Tracey A. Young
Author: Julie Parkes

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