Merseyside CAPVA Project
Supporting families in Merseyside experiencing Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (CAPVA)
In 2023 the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership and Liverpool John Moore's University published their research study shining a spotlight on the issue and extent of Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse (CAPVA), helping professionals understand the triggers and causes, and the impact on children, families and the wider community, and to review the existing response to this type of family violence.
The report highlighted some key findings:
- 65% of parents and 85% of professionals agree that CAPVA is a problem in Merseyside, with a significant proportion of practitioners (65%) believing the issue has increased in the past year
- CAPVA is rarely confined to a single form of abuse, with most parents and caregivers experiencing multiple types.
- Behaviour peaks when a young person is in their early to mid-teens and abuse often escalates in severity over time
- Only 3% of professionals believed there is currently enough support for young people or their parents or carers
In response to the research and with special thanks to The Peter and Dorothy Robinson Charitable Trust, and the Respect Young People’s Service (RYPS) a new role was created - the Merseyside Regional CAPVA Lead, to support the recommendations in the report, specifically so that:
- Practitioners working with young people and their families in the Merseyside area have a central point of contact for support and advice.
- Professionals can better recognise and respond to CAPVA.
- Universal services, such as Health and Education, have access to CAPVA general awareness training and specialist skills training, including our Respect young People’s Programme (RYPP).
- Services are carefully designed by the people that they impact, are relevant and meet their needs.
Introducing Amanda Flanagan- Merseyside Regional CAPVA Lead
Amanda has 30 years- experience of working in children’s services in Local Authority and the voluntary and community sector.
Her background is youth and community work, strategic commissioning, public health and domestic abuse. Amanda joined Respect in 2019 in the role of Young People’s Service Development Manager after supporting a team delivering the Respect Young People’s Programme supporting families experiencing CAPVA.
“The role will enable us create and build strong working relationships with a variety of professionals across dedicated services such as Health, Education, Early Help, Youth Justice Service and Children’s Services and the voluntary and community sector and develop clear and concise referral pathways across Merseyside and enable us to work in partnership to reduce the stigma and shame often associated with CAPVA, empowering parents and caregivers to know that they can reach out in confidence, be listened to, and feel fully supported”.
