The Drive Project – an innovative intervention to hold perpetrators of domestic abuse to account – officially launches across the Thames Valley

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has secured funding for the implementation of the Drive Project – the Drive Partnership’s flagship perpetrator intervention for high-harm, high-risk, and serial perpetrators of domestic abuse - which is now live across the Thames Valley; with partner launch events taking place this week in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire.

The Drive Project aims to reduce abuse and increase the long-term safety of adult and child victim-survivors by disrupting, challenging, and changing the behaviour of those who are causing harm. It has an intensive case management approach that challenges service users to change and works with partner agencies to disrupt abuse, while always ensuring ongoing risk and safety assessment for victim-survivors by working closely with Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) and victim-survivor services throughout the intervention.

The Drive Project is a multi-agency intervention delivered in partnership with the Drive Partnership (Respect, SafeLives, Social Finance), local service delivery providers, and partner agencies including the police, local authorities, and social care – in the Thames Valley, the Drive Project’s service delivery provider is Cranstoun. ​Referrals to the Drive Project are sought through operational policing methods and from partner agencies, such as local authority social care services.

Funding for the launch of the Drive Project across the Thames Valley was secured by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner with support from the Drive Partnership through the Home Office Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Intervention Fund.

Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, said: “I am pleased to see the Drive Project operating across the Thames Valley and the positive engagement from partners in its delivery.

“Prevention plays an important part in tackling crime, including domestic abuse.

“The Drive Project is centred on increasing the safety and freedom of victim-survivors by targeting the underlying causes of domestic abuse to reduce the number of new and repeat victims. By addressing the behaviour of those who cause harm, we can break the cycle of domestic abuse and improve outcomes for child and adult victim-survivors of abuse across the Thames Valley.

“The Drive Project has proven to be successful across its service delivery areas, and I look forward to seeing its impact here over the coming year.”

Maria Cripps, Assistant Director of Domestic Abuse Services at Cranstoun, said: "Cranstoun is excited to be delivering the Thames Valley Drive Project programme, and we look forward to evidencing its success alongside our other Drive Project sites across the country.

"The Drive Project ensures increased safety for victim-survivors and children through innovative practices in holding perpetrators to account, and we are pleased to be expanding this service to the Thames Valley."

Detective Inspector David Woodhouse of Thames Valley Police said: “As part of our ongoing commitment to tackling domestic abuse across the Thames Valley we are delighted to be delivering the Drive intervention with the support of key partners. 

"This programme will support our robust approach to the investigation of Domestic Abuse; working with those causing harm and challenging them to change, disrupting abusive behaviour and enhancing protection for victims and survivors.”