Exploring training and supervision experiences of facilitators of men's behaviour change programmes: A qualitative study

Abstract

Within Australia, domestic and family violence has both been recognised as exceedingly pervasive and researched widely from a range of perspectives (Mackay et al., 2015). In recent years, with the intention of reducing the risk of reoffending, the focus has moved from prevention strategies to an emphasis on developing and implementing violence intervention strategies that specifically target known violent offenders. Most historical research has focussed heavily on pathologising perpetrators of violence and on the successful participation of perpetrators in men's behaviour change programmes. Little research attention though has been paid to the training and supervision experiences of facilitators of men's behaviour change. The research reported in this paper explored facilitators' experiences of supervision and training in men's behaviour change programmes (MBCPs) through a qualitative approach, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The study was designed to identify how facilitators of MBCPs are supported through ongoing training and clinical supervision to provide best practice while retaining staff, guarding their well-being, and reducing experiences of stress in the workplace. Ten participants from non-government organisations across Western Australia (WA) participated in semi-structured interviews. A six-step qualitative data analysis was utilised to extract findings. These show that, despite the Practice Standards for Perpetrator Intervention (2015), participants consistently noted a substantial lack of clinical supervision and little to no specialised training for facilitators of MBCPs. Further, the findings suggest participants were unaware of well-being strategies for stress prevention in their workplaces.