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Opening Closed Doors Programme Evaluation

Report | February 2020

The report of our independent evaluation of Opening Closed Doors, a Barnardo's programme in South East Wales to support children and families who have experienced domestic abuse.

A key feature of the programme is that it takes a holistic approach by offering a whole family intervention that includes: Integrated Women's Support (IWS), the Safety, Trust and Respect (STAR) Programme for children and young people, and the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP).

Evaluators found evidence that Opening Closed Doors has already had a very promising positive impact on children and families with regard to the core outcomes for this programme, in particular by generating a safer and more stable home environment and an improvement in child emotional health and wellbeing. The programme has enabled many families to progress in their journey of recovery from domestic abuse and in making sustainable change in their behaviours.