Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided.
Attendance fee capped at £20 per person to cover costs.
Dear colleagues,
On behalf of RDA Causeway Coast & Glens and The Links Group, we would like to let you know about our upcoming event relevant to those working in the domestic and sexual abuse, children’s services, law enforcement and safeguarding professions across the island of Ireland. We are hosting a multi-agency event, exploring the links between coercive control, animal cruelty, domestic abuse, child abuse and wider community safeguarding.
Recent events and The Katie Simpson Review have reinforced the importance of recognising coercive control and adopting a co-ordinated, multi-agency approach to safeguarding, including those working in the equestrian, veterinary and animal welfare space. While legislation provides an essential framework for protection and accountability, effective implementation relies upon professionals and communities being equipped to recognise warning signs, share information appropriately and support those at risk.
It is acknowledged that those living with disabilities in our communities may experience higher levels of domestic abuse and may face increased barriers to accessing help. Evidence also demonstrates that the relationship between people and their animals can be used as a strategy of coercive control. What may be less well acknowledged is that those individuals and groups who rely on animals for improved quality and quantity of life, may be at a higher risk of this human-animal bond being manipulated and abused
The symposium will provide a forum for cross-sector learning and collaboration, helping to strengthen the partnerships needed to translate policy and legislation into meaningful outcomes for victims and survivors. The themes of this symposium align closely with the commitments of politicians and government bodies in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales and Jersey to tackling domestic and sexual abuse, improving outcomes for victims and survivors, and promoting safer communities.
Across these jurisdictions, legislation now includes measures to address coercive and controlling behaviour, and strengthen protections for victim-survivors, increasing awareness of the often-hidden nature of abuse. They are also recognising the role that the relationship between people and animals can play in this, involving both resilience and risk factors.
The symposium will build on these objectives by bringing together professionals and interested individuals from across the equestrian sector and those from the safeguarding, policing, domestic abuse services, child protection, veterinary, and animal welfare professions to explore how we can collectively identify harm earlier and respond more effectively. The event also reflects the current focus on prevention, public protection and victim-centred approaches. By encouraging participants to challenge bystander silence, recognise indicators of abuse and understand their role in safeguarding, the symposium aims to build greater awareness and capacity across organisations and communities.
To ensure these discussions will contribute to stronger collective preventative measures and response to abuse of animals and people, and to support the wider objectives, we need those in leadership roles in the safeguarding and supporting organisations on the frontline to be part of this conversation, championing partnership working across sectors and agencies. Your attendance would demonstrate a shared commitment to preventing abuse, supporting victims and strengthening the collaborative approaches that are essential to creating safer communities across the island of Ireland.
Invitations are being extended to Ministerial colleagues and politicians across Northern Ireland and Ireland. We will be inviting representatives from the equestrian, veterinary and animal welfare professions, businesses and associations from Northern Ireland, Ireland and GB. Safe Ireland, the NSPCA, Tusla and An Garda Síochána are invited, and we are pleased that the NSPCC, Women’s Aid, the PSNI, Dr. Jan Melia, author of The Katie Simpson Review, and The NI Executive Office have also confirmed attendance.
Thank you for considering this invitation.
Gail Downey, Chair, RDA Causeway Coast & Glens
Tel: 00 44 7810 137877 | Email gailwd67@gmail.com
Dr Andrea Lynch, BVSc PhD PGCertSAM (Dist) MRCVS FRSPH
Strategic Delivery Lead, The Links Group. Veterinary Council of Ireland number 204/23
Tel: 00 44 7545 256455 | Email andrea.lynch@thelinksgroup.org.uk