Covers Dorset Council and BCP Council area.

Conditional cautions with the condition for the offender to attend the CARA workshops enables the offender to be held accountable for their actions in a proportionate and meaningful way whilst respecting the views of the victim. The workshops allow the offender to reflect on their behaviour and access wider support services.

The aims of the course are to:

• reflect on offence and journey to CARA
• gain understanding of what domestic abuse is
• understand the effects of domestic abuse on themselves and victims
• recognise the damaging effects of domestic abuse on children
• establish personal risk factors, short term time out strategies and safe conflict within an intimate relationship
• identify future goals and strategies following CARA
• actively engage in discussions around accessing other services such as perpetrator programmes, mental health, substance use and counselling

Who it is for

CARA is for:

• adult males aged 18 and over with no previous convictions or cautions for domestic abuse in the previous two years
• present or past intimate partners only
• eligible offences: minor assaults categorised by law as common assault and battery, criminal damage, harassment, threatening behaviour, domestic theft related offences
• admission and (Crown Prosecution Service agree overwhelming evidence is present) no possibility of an offence
• past minor convictions permitted unless offender is currently serving a community-based sentence or order
• DASH risk assessment assesses risk to victim as standard or medium
• victim contacted and agrees for partner to attend workshops - no specific risk for the conditional caution to be issued. The final decision will always rest with the police supervisor or CP

How to refer

Referrals into Project CARA Cautioning And Relationship Abuse are internal Dorset Police only.