Cara West Yorkshire

CARA (Cautions and Relationship Abuse) is a proven and recognised model of interventions with offenders of domestic abuse who are subject to conditional cautions. CARA is evidenced based, and has been evaluated by Cambridge University.

The recently published Domestic Abuse Act 2021 supports extended trials of conditional cautions (CC) for domestic abuse using ‘CARA principles’. The aim of CARA is to reduce the number of domestic abuse incidents and to support victims of domestic abuse.

CARA is an awareness raising intervention - participants engage on a pair of workshops and reflect on their behaviour that is causing risk to their families. The sessions are carefully constructed to enable participants to identify as being abusive and to explore what constitutes healthy, positive relationships. These workshops provide participants with strategies and skills to build respectful relationships. This includes focusing on different aspects of violence and control, and on skills for better relationships and parenting.

Restorative Solutions have been delivering CARA in West Yorkshire since 2020.

Service Manager Sophie Turner Email: SophieTurner@restorativesolutions.org.uk

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Restorative Justice offers a unique opportunity for victims and survivors to move on from and overcome the trauma that can be left with them after experiencing crime. I am exceedingly proud of the work that the team at Restorative Solutions do in supporting our community. We should always consider the needs of victims of crime and this service exemplifies that sentiment and allows so many to put behind them what can be the worst experience of their lives.

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