Domestic violence - children

What is the domestic violence children’s service?

The domestic violence children’s service offers one to one support to children and young people between the ages of 6 to 16 who have experienced domestic abuse and live within the East Riding. It may be that you have overheard, witnessed or been involved in incidents of domestic abuse. You may be upset by the effect that the abuse has had upon your family, or it may be that you are a young person who is in an abusive relationship who requires help and support.

The following poster provides information on the DVAP Children's service:

Children's Service poster (pdf 316kb)

What is domestic violence and abuse?

Domestic violence and abuse happens when one person hurts or bullies another person who is or was their partner or who is in the same family. It can happen between people who are going out together, living together, have children together or are married to each other. It can happen when people live together or separately. People use domestic abuse to control other people. 

Domestic abuse can also happen after a relationship has finished. Although domestic abuse happens mostly between adults, children and young people can be affected by the abuse that they see and hear, and they can be hurt or bullied as part of abuse between adults. Young people may also experience abuse from their own boy/girlfriends. We offer a group work programme for teenage abuse called Escape The Trap.

Domestic abuse can take place in different forms:

• Emotional - this can include constantly putting a person down. Constantly checking where someone is or stopping someone from seeing friends or family
• Physical - this can include hitting, pushing, kicking, pinching, throwing, smashing things or making threats to hurt someone
• Sexual - this can include rape or making someone do sexual things that they don’t want to
• Financial - this can include not giving someone any money, taking all their money from them or checking what someone spends their money on. It may also include stopping or not allowing someone to work.

If someone in your family is abusive or you are in an abusive relationship, remember it is not your fault. Remember that you are not alone and that there are people that can help you and your family. Everyone has the right to feel safe. 

The Women's Aid website provides further guidance and help for people suffering domestic violence.

Womens Aid - Domestic abuse (external website)

You can read further information about how domestic violence and abuse can affect children and young people on the Hideout website:

Hideout - Children home - Domestic violence (external website) 

What kind of help do you offer?

Once a referral has been received a letter will be sent to the parent/carer passing on contact details of the children’s service. Once a case is allocated the child or young person will have their own children’s worker who will complete an initial assessment with a parent or carer of the young person who has been referred. This will be completed with the parent whom is the victim of abuse. This helps us to gain further details about your circumstances other than what is on the referral form. We will then complete an initial assessment and support plan with the referred child or young person to assess what support needs are required.

We then offer eight one to one support sessions with the child or young person. Each one to one session is specifically designed to meet your individual needs. It may be that we discuss specific incidents that have affected you. We may discuss your personal safety, your thoughts and feelings, family relationships or any other changes that you have faced. We will help you to cope and deal with your situation. You will not be asked to talk about anything that you do not wish to do so.

For more information about examples of support that we offer and what other children and young people we have worked with have said about the service, please see the following leaflets:

Younger child's leaflet (pdf 377kb)

Older child's leaflet (pdf 897kb)

Is the service confidential?

The service is confidential and information will only be shared with other agencies with your agreement. 

When the initial assessment is completed with the parent or carer you will be asked to sign a consent to share form. This allows you to say which agencies we can share, store, receive or request information from. There are, however, two exceptions to this. If we feel that a child or young person is at significant risk of harm we have a duty to report our concerns to social services, following child protection procedures. Also, in certain circumstances, if we think there is a risk of a crime being committed against you we will share information in order to offer further protection.

Information that is shared between the domestic violence children’s worker and the young person during support sessions also remains confidential with the same two exceptions as described above applying. 

Who can you ask for help?

If you are a young person who would like support you can ask a parent/carer or any professional such as a teacher, social worker or GP to contact us on your behalf to make a referral.

If you are a parent/carer who would like support for your child you can contact us direct to make a referral or you can also ask a professional to make the referral on your behalf, such as your social worker or GP. If you are a parent/carer who would like support for your child we would advise that you discuss the referral with the child or young person that you are referring.

How do I get help from the service?

You can get help from domestic violence children’s service. You can contact us on (01482) 396368 to gain further information or advice about the service that we offer or to request support from the service.

Parents of the child or a professional (with a parent's consent) can refer the child/children by completing the following form:

DVAP Children's Referral Form (word 122kb)

Download, complete, save and email back to:

Email: dvap.childrens.service@eastriding.gov.uk 

Where can I read the East Riding Domestic Violence and Abuse Strategy?

East Riding Domestic Violence and Abuse Strategy 2020-2023

How can I provide feedback to the service?

Your opinion of DVAP’s Children and Young Person’s service is very important to us because it will help us to improve our service to help other families, children and young people, so please be as honest as you like.

Parent Feedback Form (word 46kb)

Young Person's Feedback Form (word 42kb)