‘Turning that ship around’: National CARA conference

Last week, Hampton Trust’s CARA lead Emma Hazan attended the national CARA conference hosted by Northumbria University. The conference, titled ‘Turning that ship around’, brought together practitioners, academics and policy-makers to examine interim findings of a multi-site study into the effectiveness of CARA.

Since 2021, researchers from the University of Birmingham, University of Bristol, University of Southampton, Northumbria University, Newcastle University, Leeds Beckett University, and University of Sheffield have been working on NIHR-funded research on the impact of Project CARA together with Hampton Trust, Restorative Solutions and partnering police forces.

The findings presented were both encouraging and provided food for thought. The research revealed just how complicated it is to measure impact when data collection across police forces remains inconsistent, with only one police force being able to provide complete, statistically significant data.

The research also included interviews with professionals, victims and offenders. Police officers praised the availability of a proactive intervention for low-level incidents, a sign that frontline professionals see value in having tools beyond prosecution alone. Victim interviews offered a nuanced picture, with those still in relationships tending to report more positive changes in both the short and long term. For those no longer with their partners, the results were mixed, underscoring the complex and individual nature of recovery. Across the board, victims voiced a clear desire for consistent communication and a strong role in decision-making about the interventions affecting them.

For Hampton Trust, these interim findings and the subsequent discussions at the conference reinforced the importance of evidence-based approaches and honest reflection on the challenges we face as a sector. We are grateful to the researchers, participants and all those working to understand what really works to break cycles of abuse. Addressing domestic abuse is not about quick wins or easy answers; it’s about persistence, collaboration and a commitment to learning. We look forward to reading the full research report and the researchers’ recommendations.

The above illustration, capturing the discussion on the day, was created by artists from More Than Minutes.