A new multi-agency way of helping people suffering domestic abuse in Cumbria has been officially launched with an event near Penrith.
High-risk offenders are being targeted – and their victims protected – through the Drive Project in Cumbria.
This sees police, Victim Support and other agencies implement new processes providing greater focus on those persistently carrying out abuse and those behind the most harmful cases.
The process has been in place for a number of months in Cumbria but was marked with an event at Rheged, which also focussed on domestic abuse in general.
The conference, held on 13 July, heard from experts working in this field and people who had lived through domestic abuse.
It was opened by Assistant Chief Constable Dave Stalker.
Detective Sergeant Cheryl Skelton said: "The Drive Project in Cumbria is a police led, multi-agency process tackling Cumbria's highest risk, repeat domestic abuse perpetrators.
"It is a national way of working aiming to end domestic abuse and protect victim-survivors.
"It does this by disrupting, challenging and, importantly, changing the behaviour of perpetrators who cause so much harm to their victims and the wider community.
"The event at Rheged was a good opportunity for everybody to hear about the process and the work in general to stop domestic abuse and help those affected by it."
Drive is being expanded across the whole of England and Wales, forming an integral part of the Government's strategy to reduce violence against women and girls by 50 per cent in 10 years.
The key features of the Drive Project model include the combination of intensive one-to-one case management to challenge and change perpetrator behaviour - and a coordinated multi-agency response that can include approaches that seek to disrupt opportunities for abuse to occur.
All work with perpetrators is underpinned by the main aim of increasing both the immediate and long-term safety of adult and child victim-survivors.
The Drive Project is funded by the Home Office through the Cumbria Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, with £188,980 and £525,771 being invested in 2025/2026 and 2026/27 respectively - £714,751 overall.
Cumbria was one of 15 new areas across the UK to launch the programme in 2026.
Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: "Victims are at the heart of everything we do so we must continue to protect those who have experienced domestic abuse. We also need to work with high-risk, regular offenders to end the behaviour to reduce future abuse.
"Short-term results will not keep our communities safe long-term, so we need to work together for to make sure we can change behaviours and views to ensure current and future generations are safe from harm.
"I would urge anyone experiencing abuse to contact the police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. However, I understand that this isn't the best option for everyone which is why I commission Victim Support Cumbria.
"Victim Support Cumbria provide tailored support to victims of crime to help them cope and recover from trauma. If you need help but do not wish to report it to the Police, you can contact Victim Support on 0808 16 89 111 or on their website www.victimsupport.org.uk/cumbria."
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