About RDAC

The project

This project will build on the learning gained during the Domestic Abuse and Child Protection Change Project, involving over 30 local authorities from across England, which identified key areas for development. RDAC will involve case study sites in England and Scotland, and will include speaking to families, as well as policy makers, practitioners, and practice leaders. 

It has been estimated that more than 25% of children and young people live with an adult who has experienced domestic abuse and violence. It was a feature of 42.6% of incidents involving serious harm to children in 2020 and a key factor in why children came into care and/or involved with child protection systems. 

While there have been important developments in practice over the last decade, there continues to be a need to advance responses to those who are being harmed and those who harm in order to improve outcomes and promote sustainable change for children and their families. In particular, there is an urgent need to ensure such responses learn from the expertise of those impacted and to pay careful attention to how gender combines with socioeconomic circumstances, age, dis/ability, ethnicity and sexual orientation to shape their experiences. 

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Community of Practice

A key component of the mixed methodology employed in RDAC involves the Community of Practice (CoP), comprising 30 local authorities from England and Scotland. Led by Professor Brid Featherstone and Dr Jessica Wild, the CoP builds on learning from the earlier Domestic Abuse and Child Protection Change Project which was established some five years ago.

The CoP is a central element of the co-production approach underpinning RDAC, and serves as an integral platform for fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, ‘sense-checking’ of emerging data and offers a space for mutual learning among key stakeholders involved in addressing domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in child protection. More recently, the CoP has also provided a critical space for collaborative analysis as data from the three case study sites has emerged.

By leveraging the diverse expertise and perspectives of its members, the CoP plays a crucial role in informing and enriching both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of RDAC. Through participatory approaches and collaborative problem-solving, it enhances the validity and relevance of our findings and strengthens the impact and applicability of the study outcomes for both practice and policy contexts.

Family Forums

The Family Forums are another crucial element of the co-production approach embedded within RDAC, operating in parallel with the Community of Practice. The forums enable the research team to meaningfully engage citizens with lived experiences of domestic abuse and child protection in the project ethically and safely, while also providing a key platform for ‘sense-checking’ and impact.

Led by Professor Kate Morris and supported by project partner organisations SafeLives, Future Men and Circles Training and Consultancy, the forums have enabled the meaningful engagement of family members creating valuable ‘feedback loops’ at various stages of the project to ensure families’ voices are heard and included in analysis of the findings emerging from RDAC.