Sameem Ali,  a survivor of forced marriage and the author of Belonging; which is her own true story of how she escaped a forced marriag.  Is a national and international speaker on the issues of forced marriage and honour based violence and lives in Manchester.  Sameem is arranging a survivor's conference early 2013 and  wanted to know if there's anyone who would like to take part, either as a survivor or a group in the community who would talk about forced marriage and how it affects them. Please contact Sameem for more details Email: Sameem@sameemali.com   Telephone: 07733096448

The Impact of Violence on Mental Health Presented by Dr Roxane Agnew Davies  Date: Saturday 19 May, Manchester  Click here for booking information

Women’s Aid Annual National Conference 2012  5th and 6th July The University of Warwick, Coventry

Overview of conference: The current environment for providing protection and support to survivors and their children is significantly changing. Government reforms to health and welfare, the election of Police and Crime Commissioners and the localism agenda, combined with cuts to public spending, provide new challenges and opportunities. With over 20 themed sessions including plenaries, roundtables and a variety of discussion and training workshops, Women’s Aid National Conference brings together experts, activists and practitioners to:

• hear about and review new and emerging policy and legislation, including the latest on government proposals and changes to policy and practice;
• debate the problems faced by survivors and service providers and help find solutions;
• share experience and ideas on how to improve responses to survivors and their children within the current policy context.                                  For further information please contact  k.ross@womensaid.org.uk or by telephone on 0117 983 712

1. 2.    Working with men using intimate partner violence, 1-day course Cost: £100 Respect members, £130 non-members http://www.respect.uk.net/pages/training.html#1dayperpetrators
2. 3.    REDAMOS advanced: using the Respect client information database for producing reports, case and risk management, monitoring staff workload, 1-day course Cost: £100 Respect members, £130 non-members http://www.respect.uk.net/pages/training.html#redamosadv
3. 4.    The Fundamentals of Expert Domestic Violence Risk Assessment, 1-day course  Cost: £100 Respect members, £130 non-members http://www.respect.uk.net/pages/training.html#fundamentals_risk_assessment

Teenage domestic abuse: hard facts, hard lives, time to change   10th May 2012 Notingham. This seminar will focus principally on the impact of domestic abuse on girls, looking at recognising risk factors for teenage domestic abuse, how patterns of abuse develop particularly for today’s disadvantaged young women, and at examples of interventions to prevent teenage domestic abuse, support young victims, and address the behaviour of young men. Click here for details

Free new Helping Hands programme for children and young people: Women’s Aid, in partnership with Women’s Aid Northern Ireland, is rolling out the Helping Hands facilitator’s training across England. Helping Hands is a fun packed programme for children and young people. It addresses the challenging issues of personal space, awareness of acceptable and unacceptable behaviours, and safety planning.    Three themes are reinforced throughout the programme:

1. We all have the right to feel safe all the time.
2. There is nothing so small or so awful we can’t talk about it with someone.
3. Others have the right to feel safe with us

All who attend the two-day training will learn the skills to deliver the Helping Hands programme and receive a facilitator’s training pack, which includes a facilitator handbook, children’s work books, and a box of materials for service delivery.  The first round of training is free but participants will need to cover their own travel and accommodation, and will also need to bring a picnic lunch. The training is taking place in the following areas on the following dates and attendance is required for both days: Bristol 14th & 15th March, London 24th & 25th April, Manchester 22nd & 23rd May Newcastle 19th & 20th June, Cambridge 17th & 18th July . This training is open to two people from each organisation who work with children and young people. Consideration will also be given to organisations that do not have two people carrying out this work. To apply for the training please email  a.lecomber@womensaid.org.uk  for more details.

Click here For Respect’s Training Calandar 2012 including courses in Manchester and York

Women’s Aid National Training Centre are running accredited training  in ‘Effective responses to domestic and sexual violence/abuse’ – this training course is for people whose work brings them into contact with domestic abuse and  will help equip you to work more effectively and carry out your varied roles to  the highest standard.  For more information about the course please go to Women’s Aid website here  for more details

The Greater Manchester Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Forum Calendar for 2012 is now available FGM Forum calendar 2012

AVA training course Working with domestic violence perpetrators within mental health settings click here for more details

Rights of Women  in- house training offers a cost-effective way to ensure your staff have the knowledge and skills to support women. We have over 30 years’ experience of providing training on women and the law, and our specialist team of solicitors and barristers will use their expertise and experience to make complex areas of the law clear, accessible and “user-friendly”. We will come and deliver training to you, at a time and venue of your choice, from just £42 per participant.  We can tailor our courses to meet your specific needs. Our “off the shelf” courses include: Domestic violence and DIY injunctions: the complete guide. Getting the basics: an introduction to family law. Stop the traffic: protecting and supporting trafficked women in the UK.  No recourse? EEA national? Supporting migrant women experiencing domestic violence. To find out more click here

Shelter offer in-house training on a range of subjects including Domestic Violence and Homelessness Law and DV and welfare rights. For more information  click here

Domestic Violence Protection Orders - For agency workers in Salford  – Dawn Redshaw, Project Manager – Salford Women’s Aid will provide training sessions on the DVPO/Ns, to Salford agencies. The sessions will last for approximately 2 hours and can be delivered at agencies own premises. For more information contact Dawn on 0161 793 2136 or email dawn.a.redshaw@salford.gov.uk

CAADA training programme 2011-12  click here

Why not have a look at the latest newsletter – where you may find information about training.