TLC: Talk, Listen, Change bring their expertise to Hertfordshire at the Chrysalis Centre

TLC: Talk, Listen, Change, the Manchester based relationships charity with more than 40 years’ experience in helping people build safe, happy and healthy relationships announces that it is expanding beyond the North West and will be offering services at the Chrysalis Centre based in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

The Chrysalis Centre is a ground-breaking programme of interventions to break the cycle of domestic abuse, making victims, families and communities safer. This is achieved by challenging underlying abusive behaviours and providing education and support to enable healthy, safe and positive relationships. It provides ‘one front door’, making it simple for professionals and service users to refer into or seek help. It encompasses services provided by Red Snapper (offering programmes for standard/medium risk and high risk/high harm perpetrators), Rise Mutual (providing a programme for older children aged 16 and above causing harm to their parents) For Baby’s Sake (a whole family domestic abuse programme starting in pregnancy and working with both parents) as well as the two services offered by TLC: Talk, Listen, Change.

TLC: Talk, Listen, Change have worked extensively throughout the North West for almost 40 years’ delivering counselling and support to vulnerable young people and their families and have 15 years’ experience delivering domestic abuse perpetrator behaviour change programmes.

Holding Respect accreditation for their work since 2014 and accredited by the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy) for their therapeutic services, TLC: Talk, Listen, Change will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the area.

At the Chrysalis Centre TLC: Talk, Listen Change will provide two services taking learnings from their work in the North West which has resulted in meaningful and measurable positive improvements.

The first is The Adult Psychoeducation Programme. This programme is an early intervention for first time/low risk perpetrators of domestic abuse. Its aim is to support individuals in recognising harmful behaviours and encouraging them to make changes that will sustain healthy relationships going forward. The programme consists of six sessions following one or two pre-course assessments. The six sessions will support those accessing the programme to gain an understanding of unhealthy behaviours in relationships, such as isolation and coercion, aggression and assertiveness, emotional abuse, and jealousy. They will also cover important discussion points like parenting and sexual respect.

Outcomes from a similar programme which this course is based on have led to very strong results for participants:

• 67% reduction in psychological abuse

• 83% reduction in emotional abuse

• 83% reduction in physical abuse

“The team have a wealth of knowledge and experience and they are able to challenge and work with some really challenging topics with service users. This is with males who have potentially had well established, embedded and learnt behaviours. They address and challenge when needed but also highlight progress when appropriate and show a great level of empathy for the service users who use their service, which again supports them to build on good working relationships.” (Service commissioner)

The second service offered is the The Respect Young People's Programme. This programme is designed to work with 10-16 year olds who are displaying harmful behaviours towards their parent or care-giver and supports both the young person and adults. The programme consists of 12 sessions during which a trained professional guides the young person and their parents or carers through a number of discussion points including what triggers anger or harmful behaviour, how to deescalate, safety planning, effective communication, and how to recognise what constitutes abuse.

TLC: Talk, Listen Change has been delivering this programme in the North West for almost three years. Last year TLC: Talk, Listen, Change worked with 1,800 children and young people with the following outcomes:

• 73% increase in the wellbeing of children and young people

• 67% reduction in conduct problems of children and young people

• 65% positive change in communication

• 60% reduction in the hyperactivity of children and young people

Michelle Hill, CEO of TLC: Talk, Listen, Change commented: “We are thrilled to extend our successful services from the North West to Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Working with all our partners at the Chrysalis Centre, we’re excited to provide a variety of services through one unified entry point, simplifying referrals for everyone”.

Bianca Moreira, Director of Operations at the Chrysalis Centre “The Chrysalis Centre are excited to be working with TLC as part of this innovative approach to helping families and individuals in our communities. These along with our other programmes of support are going to have a positive effect in reducing these harmful behaviours”.

Case Study from Mike, a TLC: Talk, Listen, Change worker on the Respect Young People's Programme.

“Through the group sessions, the young person learnt how to recognise when he was getting angry and reflect on ways he could calm down before he used harmful behaviour. The young person contributed to discussions and was good at identifying when he needed to put into place de-escalation techniques.

In the parent’s group, the young person’s mum struggled at times with being triggered by her past but was supported by facilitators and returned week after week as she said she really enjoyed the sessions. The young person’s mum said that she learnt how to not get sucked into arguments with her child and instead put boundaries in place to re-establish the hierarchy in the house with her as parent.

When the group sessions ended, the young person’s mum said that she was sad as she had really valued the time every week and had appreciated the input of the practitioner who had run the group. Mum also said that the violence towards her has stopped and the family home is a much calmer environment. The young person said that he had found the group sessions fun and would encourage other young people to join them as they weren’t as scary as they might seem. “

Referrals to the Chrysalis Centre are via the website at chrysaliscentre.net/make-a-referral