MISSION STATEMENT FOR
THE FREEDOM PROGRAMME.
Any
woman should be able to phone the contact numbers on my web site and be told
where and when the next session is taking place and whether crèche facilities
are available. I do not endorse intrusive questions, referrals or risk
assessments.
Women
must be actively welcomed to the programme.
We
never give advice or tell any woman that she should leave. If it were so easy
we would have all left.
Judgemental
statements such as ‘I would never let anyone do that to me’ or ‘this has never
happened to me’ are not acceptable.
Facilitators
refer to all women as ‘us’ and never use the dreaded words ‘These Women’.
These
programmes are only for the women who attend them. I do not endorse the
presence of observers.
Ideally
every woman who attends should be given a copy of the book, ‘Living with the
Dominator’ and the supplement ‘The Freedom Programme Home Study Course’ as soon
as she arrives. This will enhance her learning. Clearly she will know if it is safe to take these publications home or to
leave them in a folder with the facilitator.
This
programme lasts for 12 x 90 minute sessions. It is a rolling programme so women
who attend can miss a session and do it later
when they are ready. Some women can take years to complete it. Session 4 is about the ‘Effects of Domestic
Abuse on Children. It is repeated in session 8. Facilitators who only want to
run this once can shorten the programme to 11 weeks.
