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Cornwall & The Isles of Scilly Family Domestic Abuse Support Advisors (Family DASAs)

Professional referral service supporting families where domestic abuse is impacting children’s safety and wellbeing.

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We’re here to support you in creating a future free from abuse and fear.

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Family Domestic Abuse Support Advisors (Family DASAs) are specialist domestic abuse practitioners embedded within Family Help teams across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, working in close partnership with Children’s Social Care.

The service provides expert support to families where domestic abuse is affecting a child’s welfare, safety, or development. Family DASAs bring together specialist domestic abuse knowledge and practical advocacy to improve outcomes for children and support safe, sustainable change within families.

This is a professional referral service only.

  • Referrals are accepted from Children’s Social Care only.
  • Families cannot self-refer directly.
  • Individuals seeking support should speak to their allocated  support worker, who can explore referral options where appropriate.

What We Provide

Family DASAs are a team of highly trained domestic abuse specialists and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs).

We offer:

  • Child-focused domestic abuse expertise within Children’s Social Care
  • Risk assessment and safety planning for families experiencing domestic abuse
  • Direct advocacy and support for non-abusive parents or caregivers
  • Advice and guidance for professionals working with affected families
  • Multi-agency coordination, ensuring joined-up support across services
  • Contribution to assessments, child protection planning, and care plans
  • Court-related support and attendance at key meetings, including MARAC
  • Onward referrals to recovery and longer-term support services

Much of the work is delivered face-to-face, often through joint visits with social workers, ensuring coordinated, timely intervention.

Learn More About

Supporting Children Affected by Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse can have a profound impact on children, even when they are not directly physically harmed.

Children living with domestic abuse may experience:

  • Fear, anxiety, and trauma
  • Emotional distress and behavioural changes
  • Disrupted attachment and relationships
  • Sleep difficulties and reduced wellbeing
  • Poor school attendance or engagement
  • Exposure to coercive control, conflict, and instability

Family DASAs ensure that the child’s lived experience remains central to all assessment, planning, and intervention, helping professionals and families understand and respond to these impacts.

Working with Professionals

Family DASAs act as a single point of contact for practitioners across Children’s Social Care, and work in a wide range of settings alongside:

  • Social workers
  • Schools and education
  • Family support workers
  • Youth services
  • Health professionals
  • Other professionals

They hold their own caseloads and work within multi-agency settings to identify risk, strengthen safeguarding, and coordinate effective support.

The team also contributes to statutory processes, including:

  • Child protection and child in need planning
  • MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences)
  • Clare’s Law disclosures
  • Court processes and evidence

 

Building Professional Knowledge

Family DASAs support workforce development across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by delivering specialist domestic abuse training, including:

  • Post-separation abuse
  • Coercive and controlling behaviour
  • Counter-parenting and family dynamics
  • Misuse of the legal system
  • Professional manipulation
  • Recognising hidden and less visible forms of abuse

Our Aim

Our aim is to improve safety, reduce risk, and support recovery for families, while ensuring children can grow up in environments where they feel safe, supported, and able to thrive.

“Thank you to the whole organisation. It’s really making a difference in my life.”

– Survivor

What Domestic Abuse Covers

Domestic abuse is any behaviour used to control, intimidate, or harm someone in a personal relationship.

It can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background, and often involves multiple forms of abuse, including:

  • Physical abuse – hitting, slapping, pushing, or physical intimidation.
  • Emotional abuse – manipulation, humiliation, gaslighting, and isolation.
  • Psychological abuse – threats, fear tactics, stalking, and undermining mental wellbeing.
  • Sexual abuse – non-consensual acts, coercion, or sexual exploitation.
  • Financial abuse – controlling money, employment, or access to resources.
  • Coercive and controlling behaviour – monitoring, restricting freedom, and instilling fear.
  • Digital abuse – stalking, harassment, or control via phones, social media, or tracking apps.
  • Verbal abuse – shouting, name-calling, threats, and degrading language.
  • Faith or cultural abuse – using beliefs or traditions to justify control or violence.
  • Post-separation abuse – continued harassment, stalking, or manipulation after a relationship ends.

Learn More About Our Domestic Abuse Services across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

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