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Course duration: 6 hours

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Course objectives:

- Understand the main cultural differences and explain how they may affect the behaviour of the Polish people living in the UK

- List the main barriers to accessing support and building engagement with agencies

- Name risk factors for victims and children in Polish families affected by domestic abuse

- Understand mental health problems in the Polish community

- Explore effective ways of reaching out to Polish families and engaging with them

- Understand how children learn languages and the importance of using their native language

- Understand the role of interpreters and best practices in working with them

 

About the trainer

The session will be delivered by Ewa Wilcock, the Managing Director of Vesta - Specialist Family Support CIC. She founded the first UK-wide Polish Domestic Violence Helpline in 2014. It was a shortlisted finalist for the prestigious Diversity Award in the gender category in 2017 as a recognition for the work supporting Polish women who experienced domestic abuse. She set up the first website for Polish victims of domestic violence in the UK with information about support options available to them here. She is a qualified IDVA and worked as a specialist domestic abuse worker for Cheshire Without Abuse. She is an accredited facilitator of the Gateway Programme (domestic abuse) and the Nurturing Programme (parenting). She adapted both programmes to Polish and successfully delivered them to groups and individuals.

 

She led the delivery of various projects specifically for Polish families across England and Wales. She supported Polish families in the UK for over ten years, promoted their rights, and raised awareness about domestic violence in Polish families living in the UK through conferences, blogs and expert advice at domestic homicide review panels and consultations. Ewa is a sociologist by profession (MA) and a qualified interpreter (DPSI, Law).

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The project is financed by Gwent VAWDASV.

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