Community Safety Partnership

Domestic Abuse - Change Programme

This programme is currently operational within South Ayrshire :-

Change’s central aim is to provide a criminal-justice based re-education programme for men convicted of offences involving violence towards their wives or female partners. The programme is aimed at complementing the work done with the survivors of domestic abuse, by challenging men to take responsibility for their violence and offering them an opportunity to change their violent and abusive ways.

The Change Programme is an option for Sheriffs within the Sheriff Court as a form of sentencing. The sheriff can choose to have male domestic abuse offenders considered for the change programme as part of their probation. The offender must also agree to take part in the change programme – as the change programme will only be beneficial if the offender genuinely wants to change. If the offender begins the programme and fails to complete it, this will be a breach of his probation and will likely result in imprisonment.