CODA Booklet

Children Overcoming Domestic Abuse (CODA)

Programme booklet

The CODA programme originated from the Canada Justice system and is an evidenced based programme for children who have witnessed domestic abuse against their female primary carer. The groups are to help the children heal after witnessing violence in the home.

*This is not a clinical intervention*

Children who witnessed violence against their mothers are at a higher risk of issues with emotional and behavioural adjustment even when they have not been directly abused themselves.

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The Programme Themes

Aims

Validate their experiences.

Develop plans for their safety in the event of further exposure to abuse.

Identify and express their feelings about the abuse, separation and loss. Enhance mother-child relationship.

Enable both mother and child to heal together.

How are the Groups structured?

The CODA programme runs for 11 weeks with the women and children's group running concurrently and each week focusing on a specific theme

The children's sessions are divided into age specific groups and both the women's sessions and the children's sessions follow the same structure every week in order to provide a sense of continuity

This includes the following:

To help the child to... Check-in Discussion

Activity

Check-out

"Iknowit's notmy fault"

"It's good to know it can happen in all families"

"Love the snacks"

Criteria for joining the programme

For ages 4yrs to 16yrs

The child must have: The child must not:

Permission from their school to attend

Been impacted by exposure to the violence

Been away from the violence for at least 6 months

Be living with the perpetrator of the violence

Be currently exposed to violence in the home

Currently be at risk

This is evidence based and successful but not a Clinical intervention

The referral process

Completing the referral form

Once the referral form is received, we will write to the referrer and the mother to confirm they are on the waitlist.

When a course place becomes available, we will write to the mother to confirm the joining details.

We will complete a risk assessment with the mother and children before the group begins to ensure they are placed in the correct group.

During the programme, the child’s school will be informed if they do not attend any of the sessions so that school attendance records can be updated

For the duration of the course, we will keep in contact with the mother should they not attend the weekly sessions to ensure everything is fine

Any questions?

020 8461 7259

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