Cornwall Project Aids Over 1,000 Families Affected by Domestic Abuse

Cornwall Council has announced that a program designed to safeguard children from domestic abuse has provided assistance to over 1,000 families throughout the region since 2022. These family domestic abuse support advisors collaborate with children’s social workers to offer support, advice, and guidance to households impacted by domestic abuse. An advisor is stationed within each of Cornwall Council’s family assessment teams, located in Launceston, Liskeard, Bodmin, St Austell, Newquay, Truro, Camborne, Redruth, and Penzance. The employment of these advisors is managed by First Light, a charity dedicated to addressing domestic abuse and sexual violence. Rebecca Sargent, who leads the project at the council, stated: “The family advisors are able to work together with social workers and other social care staff to enable children and their families to access support which means they quickly get the right help they need.” Sargent further noted that the advisors have collaborated with midwives, health visitors, school nurses, and other education personnel to guarantee that children and their families receive “a joined-up response.”