CARA: Empowering change through awareness

Information about your CARA course

In your area, the CARA course is provided by Hampton Trust.

What is CARA?

CARA is an intervention designed to increase awareness and understanding of the impact of harmful behaviour in relationships. As part of your caution, you are required to complete two CARA workshops within a specific time period. CARA is part educational and part designed to help you reflect on your choices. Partners and family members are not permitted to attend.

Why do I have to attend?

A Caution is an alternative to the formal Criminal Justice/Court System. Your attendance at the CARA workshops is a requirement of your Caution. CARA is not designed to be a punishment, but an opportunity to reflect on what happened and to raise awareness and understanding of the impact of harmful behaviour within relationships.

How long is the course?

You will be required to complete two workshops, four to five weeks apart. Each workshop will be on a Saturday from 10am to 3pm and you must attend both workshop A and workshop B. If you are late to a workshop you may be refused entry.

What happens if I do not attend?

By accepting the Caution, you have committed to attending the CARA workshops. If you do not attend, you are not complying with your Caution and will be referred back to the police, which may result in consideration of prosecution in court. If you miss a workshop then you will have to repeat both workshops.

• You will receive confirmation of your courses by letter within seven working days of being cautioned.
• You will receive text message reminders of your course dates if you have provided your mobile number.
• You will require either a photo ID or two other forms of ID when you attend the course.

Police may contact the victim/person harmed between workshop A and workshop B. Any information obtained may be fed back to the course provider.

Do you provide lunch?

We advise you to bring your own lunch and refreshments. All venues are located in central areas where food can be purchased during lunch breaks.

Important points to remember

• You must attend both workshops unless told otherwise by a police officer. Failure to attend will result in the consideration of prosecution.
• You must attend the course on time and in a fit state, able to engage in the session, otherwise you will be refused entry. Depending on the type of Caution issued, you may be in breach of your Conditional Caution, which can lead to the consideration of prosecution.
• You must contact the police Out of Court Resolutions Team within seven working days from the date of the caution if you need to amend the course dates. Changes are considered in exceptional circumstances only and may not be possible after this time.
• You must contact the police Out of Court Resolutions Team if you have not received your joining instructions within seven working days of the date you were cautioned. It is your responsibility to do this.
• You must contact the police Out of Court Resolutions Team if you change any of your contact details.
• You must disclose this police record under certain circumstances as it will appear as part of a DBS check.
• You must not bring partners, children or pets to the course as they will not be permitted.