Domestic abuse can take many different forms and is not always easy to spot – in fact, even the person on the receiving end may not recognise it for what it is. There can be many reasons why people experiencing domestic abuse are reluctant to speak up or seek help, from fears around their personal safety to concerns about being judged by their friends and family, employer or colleagues.

With many people working from home for a protracted period during the Covid pandemic, instances of domestic abuse have increased dramatically and had a devastating impact both on employees’ physical and mental health and on their performance at work. Being able to spot where domestic abuse may be occurring and taking appropriate action to protect and support their staff is therefore a crucial aspect of employers’ duty of care. 

This new course from Skill Boosters looks at the different forms that domestic abuse can take, its prevalence and its impact and sets out how to spot the warning signs that someone may be experiencing abuse and what organisations can do to ensure they are providing appropriate help and support for survivors among their employees.

Try now

Course features

• Video-based course
• 40-minute modular all-in-one introductory course with lessons for all staff plus training for leaders and managers

Learning outcome—by the end of the course all learners will be able to:

• Summarise the different forms and types of domestic abuse.
• Describe the different types of perpetrator behaviour.
• Describe the depth and prevalence of domestic abuse in the UK, US, Australia and Europe
• Recognise common myths and misconceptions about domestic abuse. 
• Understand why people experiencing domestic abuse may be unwilling or find it difficult to seek help. 
• Appreciate the impact of domestic abuse on victim-survivors and those close to them. 
• Understand specific issues facing people from minority and marginalised groups who experience domestic abuse. 
• Understand how experiencing domestic abuse may affect someone’s performance and well-being at work. 
• Recognise common signs of domestic abuse and appreciate why it may be hard or impossible to detect. 
• Appreciate that helping abusers to seek help to change their behaviour is a key part of addressing the problem of domestic abuse 
• Find more information and support. 

In addition, leaders and managers will be able to: 

• Take effective action if they suspect that someone is experiencing domestic abuse. 
• Respond appropriately if an employee discloses that they are experiencing domestic abuse. 
• Create a domestic abuse policy and procedure, in line with existing policies, processes and support structures, to include responses to both victims and those using abusive behaviour. 
• Handle issues around privacy and confidentiality when it comes to dealing with domestic abuse and supporting survivors. 
• Demonstrate the key concepts of ‘safe questioning’. 
• Direct people to further advice and support both within the organisation and outside.

For more information, please fill in the short form below.