A CALL has been made for the Government to roll out a programme aimed at tackling domestic abuse by engaging with perpetrators.

The Drive project, which was piloted from 2016 until 2019, was successfully piloted in Colchester and Tendring and focused on “high risk, high harm” offenders.

The scheme worked with 506 prolific domestic violence perpetrators, aged 17 to 81.

Offenders were given guidance and help on building relationships, controlling their impulses and developing an understanding of the impact of abuse.

Analysts from The University of Bristol called the project the “largest evaluation” of perpetrator intervention carried out in the UK.

It found Drive had led to a drop in incidents of abuse in the areas it was piloted.

Police data for one sample of perpetrators showed domestic abuse offending had fallen by 30 per cent in the six months after the scheme compared to the six months before.

The Change Project, covering Essex, was one of the pilot sites for Drive.

A spokesman for the organisation said: “The biggest issue is breaking the stigma of coming forward, to acknowledge use of abuse behaviour and that they need to change.

“We have been working with families throughout Colchester and Tendring since we started our project in 2009.

“Raising awareness that domestic abuse is much more than physical abuse has certainly impacted on perpetrators’ understanding and empathy, and has encouraged positive changes in a large percentage of our service users.”

The university’s report said: “Case managers threaded a delicate balance between building trust, setting boundaries and critically challenging service users.”

Kyla Kirkpatrick, director of Drive, said: “Research released today from the University of Bristol has demonstrated that Drive is effective.

“Drive is an intervention piloted in Essex that aims to make victims and survivors safer by holding high-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse to account and preventing abuse.”

Drive, alongside a group of 70 organisations, is now calling on the government to produce a perpetrator strategy to continue this work.

Ms Kirkpatrick added: “Previous governments have focussed on addressing the devastating impact of domestic abuse rather than stopping it.

"It’s crucial we ensure the support of those affected by domestic abuse remains a priority, but if we are to end domestic abuse, we must tackle it at source.”

The Home Office said future legislation will promote perpetrator programmes.