Why Lawyers Must Demand Real Evidence in Court

What Lawyers Should Actually Be Asking Before Recommending a Perpetrator Programme

When a family court directs a client to complete a domestic abuse perpetrator programme, the instruction can feel straightforward. Find a programme, refer the client, wait for a report. But the quality of that report, and what it actually tells you, varies enormously. Not all programmes are built the same way, and not all final reports give you what you need to advise your client or present a credible picture to the court.

At Independent DAPP Services we often work directly with family law professionals and deliver a structured, evidence-based programme, we see this gap regularly. Solicitors are often working with limited information about what a programme actually involves, and what a useful report should contain.

What a Report Needs to Do

A final report from a domestic abuse perpetrator programme is not simply confirmation of attendance. Attendance tells the court very little. What the court and your client's case actually need is a clear account of whether behaviour change has taken place, to what degree, and what the evidence for that is.

In our view, a report that is fit for purpose should address several things directly. It should describe how the participant engaged with the programme, not just whether they turned up. It should document specific areas of progress, and where progress was limited or absent, that needs to be stated honestly too. A report that only ever confirms positive outcomes is not evidence-based. It is a certificate dressed up as a report.

If a client completes our Pathway to Change programme and has not genuinely engaged with the process of behaviour change, that will be in the report. Equally, where real progress has been made, that will be documented clearly and in a way that is useful to you.

What to Look for When Selecting a Programme

If you are advising a client to undertake a domestic abuse perpetrator programme, there are some practical questions worth putting to the provider before making that referral.

First, ask about the assessment process. A reputable programme should conduct an initial suitability assessment before the client begins. This should not be just an administrative step. It determines whether the programme is the right fit, whether the individual is at a stage where they are ready to engage, and whether there are any safeguarding factors that need to be considered. Without an assessment, you have no baseline, and without a baseline, a final report has no framework to measure progress against.

Second, ask what the report actually contains. You want to see that it addresses engagement, behaviour change, specific programme content the participant has worked through, and an honest professional view. If the provider cannot tell you clearly what the report covers, that is a concern.

Third, ask whether the programme can accommodate a client who is currently in active family court proceedings. Many Respect-accredited programmes cannot accept self-referrals during live proceedings. This is a practical and often urgent problem for clients and their legal representatives. At Independent DAPP Services we will accept self-referrals during live proceedings and numerous solicitors and barristers have successfully had the court agree for their client to join our programme. Our programme is structured, evidence-based, and delivered by a suitably qualified practitioner.

How We Report to Solicitors and Courts

Every participant who completes the Pathway to Change programme receives a comprehensive final report, and that report is included within the programme fee. It covers attendance, engagement, the themes and content addressed across the 16 sessions, and my professional assessment of the behaviour change demonstrated. Where progress has been made, we document it clearly and in practical terms. Where it has not, we say so.

Interim reports are also available during the programme if the court requires an update at a specific point in proceedings. These are available at an additional fee of £300 and can be arranged to meet court timelines where possible.

If you are a solicitor with a specific question about a client, or you want to understand how the programme works before making a referral, we are happy to speak with you directly. All professional enquiries are treated confidentially and we respond within 24 hours, Monday to Friday.

A Note on What Clients Think They Need Versus What They Actually Need

Many clients arrive believing the programme will be straightforward. They have been told by the court to complete it, they expect to attend, receive a certificate, and move on. That is not how meaningful behaviour change works, and it is not how this programme works.

What the Pathway to Change programme asks of participants is something more uncomfortable: to sit with the reality of how their behaviour has affected their partner and their children, to understand the patterns behind that behaviour, and to take genuine responsibility for it. That process is not easy. Clients often say at the end that it was harder than they expected, but that they are glad they did it. That shift is exactly what a useful report can document and what a court and a legal professional can actually work with.

Our view, and one that we are aware is not universally shared, is that perpetrators can change. Not all of them, and not without genuine commitment. But the assumption that change is impossible does not serve victims, it does not serve children, and it does not serve the purpose of the family court. By working with individuals who are ready to engage honestly with this process, the reach of this work extends far beyond the person sitting in the session. That is why evidence-based practice matters, and why the report at the end of a programme should reflect it accurately.

If you have a client who has been directed to complete a domestic abuse perpetrator programme, or you want to understand more about how we work with legal professionals, we encourage you to get in touch. You can book a free discovery call via the website, or contact us directly to discuss a referral. Email; info@independentdappservices.com Tel; 0161 567 6007