Esker House vision for change: Embedding ‘Safe & Together’ in local domestic abuse response
More than 70 professionals from across the midlands gathered at the Sheraton Hotel Athlone for a ‘Safe & Together’ Model overview training, delivered by Safe Ireland in partnership with Esker House Domestic Abuse Support Service and the Longford Westmeath Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC).
The ‘Safe & Together’ Model has improved domestic abuse responses worldwide by keeping children at the centre, partnering with survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable as parents.
The ‘Safe & Together’ Model centres on a core principle: keeping the attention on the perpetrator’s behavioural choices, rather than placing responsibility on the survivor. This “pivot to the perpetrator” was a central theme throughout the day.
Bringing this framework to Ireland will strengthen practice across services and support safer, more consistent outcomes for families.
Attendees represented frontline and statutory sectors, including domestic abuse services, An Garda Síochána, Westmeath County Council, the HSE, and Tusla. The training, led by Claire Kearney, education and training manager, and Jenny Horsfield, education and training officer with Safe Ireland, emphasised a unified approach to responding to domestic, sexual and gender based violence (DSGBV).
Safe Ireland are the first partner organisation on Ireland who are accredited to provide training on the ‘Safe & Together’ Model. “Accountability must sit with the person choosing to be abusive,” said Claire Kearney, addressing the room. “When professionals are aligned in how we assess risk, document behaviour, and support families, we build responses that keep survivors safe and keep children together whenever possible.”
The training also highlighted how effective DSGBV response requires cohesion across sectors. Participants examined how fragmented approaches can inadvertently increase risk, while consistent, collaborative practice strengthens victim safety and ensures perpetrators are held accountable.
Esker House head of services, Deirdre Berry, underscored the significance of the event for the region. “Seeing so many services in one room demonstrates commitment to survivors and to ending DSGBV,” she said. “This model gives us a shared language and a shared responsibility.”
She noted that for Esker House, this is a key strategic goal as they work to grow their community and cross sectoral response to domestic abuse. They do that by delivering targeted training and creating spaces for vital conversations, building professional capacity to forge a stronger, more aligned system of support for families.
The overview day illustrated the breadth of local services engaged in tackling DSGBV, ranging from accommodation support and community based services to child protection, policing, and health and reinforced the value of strong interagency cooperation.
Attendees described the training as both practical and transformative: “It really clarified how shifting focus to the perpetrator’s actions can change the whole trajectory of a case,” said one participant from Tusla.
“The emphasis on documentation and collaboration is something I’ll be taking straight back to my team,” added another attendee working in frontline support.
Safe Ireland, along with Esker House and Longford Westmeath CYPSC, plan continued partnership efforts to strengthen consistent, survivor centred, perpetrator accountable practice across the midlands.
Esker House contact details
Esker House Domestic Abuse Support Service
24Hour Crisis Helpline: 1800 662 288
Office Phone: 090 647 4122