Covers Dorset Council and BCP Council areas.

Project CARA applies a conditional caution to an offender to attend CARA workshops. The workshops allow the offender to reflect on their behaviour and access wider support services.

The aims of the course are to:

• reflect on the offense and path to CARA
• learn what domestic abuse is
• understand the effects on victims and offenders
• recognise how domestic abuse harms children
• identify personal risk factors and ways to manage conflicts safely
• set goals and strategies for the future after CARA
• discuss accessing other services like mental health or substance use support

CARA is for:

• adult males aged 18 and over
• those with no convictions or cautions for domestic abuse in the last two years
• those with current or past intimate partners only
• those who have committed the following offences: minor assaults categorised by law as common assault and battery, criminal damage, harassment, threatening behaviour, domestic theft related offences
• those who admit to the offence and (Crown Prosecution Service agree overwhelming evidence is present) no possibility of an offence
• offenders with past minor convictions, unless offender is currently serving a community-based sentence or order
• offenders where DASH risk assessment assesses the risk to the victim as standard or medium
• offenders where the victim has been contacted and agrees for partner to attend workshops - no specific risk for the conditional caution to be issued. The final decision will always rest with the police supervisor or CP