A new partnership bringing together specialist charities is transforming the way Plymouth responds to domestic abuse, offering joined-up, trauma-informed support from crisis intervention to behaviour change.
Plymouth’s first integrated domestic abuse service officially launched on 1 April 2026, bringing together four specialist organisations to deliver seamless support for survivors, children and families across the city.
The Integrated Domestic Abuse Service Plymouth (IDASP) is a partnership between First Light, Ahimsa, Barnardo’s and Bridges Outcomes Partnerships. It is jointly commissioned by Plymouth City Council and the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner and represents a step-change in how domestic abuse services are delivered in Plymouth, replacing fragmented provision with a joined-up model designed around the needs of those affected.
At the heart of IDASP is a simple but powerful belief: that people affected by domestic abuse deserve support that meets them where they are, without barriers, delays or dead ends. Whether someone is living in fear, trying to make sense of what has happened to them, or simply not yet sure where to turn, IDASP is designed to be the place they can come.
Support for survivors:
Through First Light, the service offers free, confidential and trauma-informed support for any adult experiencing domestic abuse. Trained advisers take the time to listen, help people understand their situation and their options, and walk alongside them at every stage of their journey.
For some people that means immediate crisis support and personalised safety planning, speaking to someone who can help them recognise risk and take steps to protect themselves. For others, it means longer-term practical support: navigating housing, benefits, health services or the justice system, with an advocate who listens, who believes them, and who is in their corner. Every situation is different, and the service meets people where they are with compassion and without judgement, whether they are still in a relationship, thinking about leaving, or rebuilding their life after abuse.
Breaking the cycle: working with people who cause harm:
The service also addresses one of the most critical, and often overlooked, parts of breaking the cycle of domestic abuse: working with people who cause harm.
Through Ahimsa, a Plymouth charity founded in 1990 with more than 35 years of experience, IDASP delivers intensive, one-to-one behaviour change programmes with people posing the
highest risk and frequency of harm. Ahimsa’s Behaviour Change Practitioners work closely alongside Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) to continuously assess and manage risk and increase safety for those affected.
Holding people accountable and equipping them with the tools to change are not mutually exclusive. They are two sides of the same commitment to making Plymouth safer.
Support for children and young people:
IDASP recognises that the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people is profound and long-lasting. Barnardo’s provides specialist outreach and support to young people and schools across Plymouth as part of the service.
IDASP is open to everyone in Plymouth regardless of gender, background, ethnicity, faith or circumstance. You do not need to be in crisis to reach out. Wherever you are on your journey, there is support here for you.
Free, confidential support is available now.
Call: 01752 429 736
Visit: www.idasp.org
