Over the decades, I have been involved with a number of older adult projects and initiatives- good, bad and ugly. This blog is about none of these. It is about an outstanding one.
During my time as Director of the UK Better Government for Older Peoples'Programme, the nation of Wales pioneered the world's first Older Peoples' Strategy and in more recent times the Assembly has encouraged and promoted Co-operative approaches to social care provision. I was privileged a few years ago as co-director of the Change AGEnts Co-operative (now Collective) to begin my association with Aberyswyth University's " building justice options with older people examining a multi-agency perspective, justice and human rights for the victim-survivors of elder abuse". It has remained for me personally and professionally a project of inspiration. I have got to know the amazing Dewis/Choice team of individuals from the Department of Law and Criminology led by Sarah Wydall, Principal Investigator and Project Lead. This blog tells you why.
The Choice Initiative
The overall research aim of Dewis is 'to provide an insight into what influences decision-making in relation to justice provision for victim-survivors of abuse, aged 60+'. Its ethos is to focus on informed choice, medium-risk victim-survivors predicated on a community-designed response, incorporating civic and restorative options. Recovery processes that seek to integrate justice as well as wellbeing working within a statutory infrastructure, providing intensive long term support. This ethos is fundamental. It does not turn survivor victims into clients. It does not pathologise them. And it does not engage on the basis of elder abuse; but, rather finds solutions to the challenges of older adults within the context of domestic violence. It seeks to challenge the notion that older adults have to comply with the 'stereotyping expectations of families, agencies and even researchers in relations to age, gender and victimhood'.
By promoting exclusion and increasing understanding, 'it provides an insight into what influences decision-making in relation to social justice', given the individual older adult victim-survivors' special circumstances. Dewis uses Participatory Action Research (PAR) to engage with both professionals and the public to co-produce and design new approaches to justice based on restorative principles as a third option to civil (often health and social care dominated), and criminal options.
So, What is Restorative Justice?
The definition is best summarised as 'a non-adversarial, non-retributive approach to justice that emphasises healing in victims, meaningful accountability of offenders, and involvement of stakeholders, victims, offenders and communities in creating safer communities' (1). This definition is predicated on a process which leads to older adults moving together towards self and relational transformation, exploring how harm is perceived, needs identified, roles and responsibilities defined, and the interface between them. It seeks to 'involve everyone to the fullest possible extent; who has a stake in the situation and outcome; identify and address the harm that has occurred and identify the obligations that people have to each other' (2).
A critical point that cannot be emphasised enough is that the community takes overall ownership of its own restorative processes (3). The Dewis Project evidences that by bringing stakeholders together, obtaining honest and transparent dialogue, and reaching an agreement over a restorative plan, apologises, living arrangements, monitoring relations, etc., victims of domestic violence can take control, are empowered, and the perpetrator(s) can take responsibility for their actions. The process is intended 'to deal less with direct conflict and harm and more with community building and prevention' (4). This point cannot be stressed enough.
What struck me about Dewis is that it attempts to use restorative justice processes rather than health and social care systems of safeguarding, which can often feed into negative assumptions of age and ageing - namely, sickness, deficit and dependency. It seeks to ensure that those who have or are experiencing domestic violence have power and control. Agencies of health and social care are of course important; but they are placed within the context of criminal justice support, and enable, rather than coerce older adults into service responses or outcomes that are convenient for agency disposal rather than providing sustainable infrastructures for empowerment and long term support.
My reading of the literature around restorative justice has highlighted that, whilst it has been a positive intervention within an individual context, it has been far less successful in addressing the wider challenges in creating healthier communities and, indeed, confronting ageism within this particular demographic. Dewis fully recognises these challenges. It has established across Wales and now hopefully beyond, an approach which transcends dated assumptions about how we think of ageing. Hence my belief that the Project's aims and research findings have the potential to be indeed both transformative for individuals and build healthier communities.
The Dewis/Choice Services
This is best summed up by Sarah Wydall (5).
- Integrate wellbeing, support and justice
- Discuss and agree on all available options (including criminal, civil and welfare)
- Offer family wellbeing support and meetings to promote positive family relationships
- Ensure people are involved and have a voice in the process
- Promote equal opportunity
Referrals to the Project are via statutory agencies and are allocated to a Support Worker, who explores with the individual a series of options, which include one or more of support, justice, individual and family wellbeing work, or referral to a welfare support agency. Options are chosen by the older adult and the team provide up to twelve months' support; and, if that is what the family requires, they are invited to work with the Choice Practitioner. The research team evaluate the decision-making and the support provided, irrespective of the options chose. This is supported by a training package produced for the community and the practitioners.
The Priorities and Learning Thus Far
Clearly, empowering older adults is paramount by ensuring their voices are heard - really heard! It is also crucial that they are able to speak freely in a safe space and without coercion. Information is provided in an appropriate form to enable informed decision-making and awareness of their human rights. The key issue here is the older adult must feel that they have obtained justice.
It is interesting that the notion of individuals over 60 years of age do not want to pursue the criminalisation of a relative. Dewis' evidence is to the contrary.
Another finding relates to help-seeking, which Dewis rightly states is a 'non-linear and continuous journey'. Namely, the older adults' priorities change over time and they become the driver for change. Frequently, too frequently, staff/officers within the criminal justice system hold stereotypical and ageist assumptions, and as the lead investigator Sarah Wydall has written, there is a degree of conforming and performing identities to those workers and organisations. Needs, wishes and support can so often fall outside set models, and it is important to recognise perceptions of justice and health-seeking. In terms of justice, there are some crucial lessons:
- The courage required to seek help
- That justice practitioners demonstrate empathy
- The experience of criminal justice systems is often negative and mixed when exposed to specialist domestic violence services and responses
- Communication and coordination are key
- Expectations of the criminal justice system
- The myth that older adults do not want to criminalise an abusive relative
The Project thus far has concluded a number of elements. Firstly, that positive working relationships within safeguarding and an Adult Social Care Team is essential. Secondly, the role of the family in collecting evidence, and, in some cases, families providing strong support to the older relative. Thirdly, community engagement is absolutely critical. There is a need to be open about mental health issues. And, penultimately, identifying and recording coercive or controlling behaviours and the complexity of family dynamics. Finally, the use of safeguarding procedures, mental capacity assessments and advanced decisions as methods of abusing the older adult has to be confronted.
Coercive Control in Later Life
Owing to the Dewis Project, I became aware of the importance coercive control has within the context of domestic violence (6). Here again, I am indebted to Sarah and her presentations, explaining the significance of space in cases where this is a major factor. The home and role of perpetrators evidence the impact of coercive control on decision making and the decision to disclose. There are issues of symbolic and physical separation; and the overwhelming evidence of the risk that abusive behaviour can escalate.
It is important to explore through the restorative process a negotiation of space and time, and the expectation of liberty and family. The Project explores agency responses which are affected by limited available services. But, in addition, the limited sense of agency; non-faience and constrained space, seeking personal tragedy, and the lack of power of the victim. In providing space Dewis notes the numerous sites of conflict and anxiety, trauma, stress and rumination, the economic and social restrictions, and the sense of injustice within the home, the family, and the service providers. Sensing injustice, Dewis rightly notes is dynamic, partial and ongoing beyond public responses. The construction of gender, age and victimhood into sex, concluding that 'neither social policy nor legal mechanisms are presently equipped to deal with new independence at this point' (7).
Coercive control is a significant aspect of the so-called elder abuse spectrum; and undermines, invades and destroys a person's sense of identity, self and agency. In addressing this fragmentation, Dewis refers to the importance of home space; the inertia; the internal space within - a meaningful vision of embodied space; restoring the individual to claim their full rights; to occupy space-free from harassment and abuse; and, finally, the 'quality of life and movement does not diminish in a healthy maturity' - states Sarah Wydall.
Joan's Story
I met Joan at a recent steering group meeting at Aberyswyth. Joan's story is one of extreme marital violence and coercive control over many years. She has written and spoken openly of her experience and the importance of the Dewis Project. This is also a story of courage, determination, agency and freedom.
This blog celebrates Dewis, and I conclude it with Joan. I was fortunate enough to interview Joan in my regular Age Speaks show on East London Radio, and I recommend, for those who are interested, to hear directly Joan speaking for herself:
https://www.mixcloud.com/EastLondonRadio/age-speaks-meets-joan-meredith-7.11.19
Significant Acknowledgements
I know it is tempting to skim over the acknowledgements. However, I urge the reader to bear with me until the end.
I am especially indebted to the presentations and supporting documentation provided over recent years by Sarah. Much of what is written here is either direct quotes or references she has provided. This is also important for me to acknowledge the Dewis team who it has been a privilege to know. I need to also thank Professors John Williams and Alan Clark, both of whom gave me a great deal of support. I also wish to thank all those older adults engaged in this initiative.
The Team
Sarah Wydall, Principal Investigator and Project Lead
Rebecca Zerk, Research Project Manager
Elize Freeman, Service Development Lead and Choice Wellbeing Practitioner
Lucy Birch, Research, Impact and Communications Manager
David Cowsill, Choice Support Worker and Research Assistant
Jose Owen, Cara Fisher and Chris Neville, Choice Support Workers
Tom Chapman, Research Support
The Project presently is funded by the Community Fund UK (Accelerating Ideas) and in addition, Comic Relief funding has enabled the Project to expand, providing a coordinated community response to domestic violence which is coexisting with people living with dementia.
References
1) Friezen, J, and Meek, W, Restorative Justice for Older Adults, Good Books (New York, 2017), p.14
2) Zehr, H, The Little Book of Restorative Justice, Good Books (New York, 2014), p.15. Quoted in Friezen J and Meek W
3) Ibid, p.17
4) Ibid p.22
5) Wydall, S, presented to the Steering Group, 2018
6) For a detailed explanation of coercive control, please refer to my blog 'Here Kitty Kitty: from Coverture to Coercive Control; The Abuse of Catherine Dickens'. Cooperativemervunleashed.blogspot.com (30.06.19). In addition, I was greatly aided by the publication of Lundy Bancroft 'Why Does He Do That: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men', Barklay Books, New York (2003)
7) Wydall, S, Williams J, Zerk, R, Presentation on the Significance of Space in Cases of Coercive Control in Later Life (2018)
8) Ibid
