The Juniper programme is a 10-week concurrent group work programme for mums and pre-school children under 5 who have experienced domestic abuse.
The groups are a psycho educational, trauma-informed journey of recovery and hope based in attachment, matrescence, neuroscience and play therapy techniques using a feminist understanding of domestic abuse.
Juniper is underpinned by a feminist understanding of violence against women and the impacts on children and mothers. The programme’s progression through safety, emotional regulation, attachment, and play creates a thorough developmental foundation for recovery.
An estimated 1 in 5 children in the UK experience domestic abuse (SafeLives, 2022)
Around 30% of domestic abuse begins during pregnancy, putting the very youngest children at immediate risk (Royal College of Midwives, 2020)
Approximately 700,000 children under 5 in the UK live in households where domestic abuse occurs (NSPCC, 2022)
Children under 5 are the largest age group of children living in domestic abuse refuge services – over 35% of children in refuges are under 5 (Women’s Aid, 2023)
While numerous evidence-based programs exist for school aged children, the UK Home Office review (2023) found a “critical shortage” of evaluated programs for the under-5s. Less than 20% of Local Authorities commission specific therapeutic services for pre-school children experiencing domestic abuse (Children’s Commissioner report, 2022).
Juniper fills this gap and aligns with the 1001 critical days agenda, the Baby Manifesto, the Domestic Abuse Act and the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Programme Structure – Bringing Families Together to Heal
10 weeks | 1.5-2 hours a week | 6-8 families per group | 2 facilitators per group
For the first four sessions, the mothers and children meet in their own groups, this is to allow the mums time to talk about difficult issues in their own protected safe space, and to give the children time to get to know the facilitators in a supportive, nurturing and fun environment. From week five onwards, the two groups have their own sessions, then meet together for a joint session. This deliberate linkage between mother-only sessions and joint sessions creates a coherent therapeutic journey that allows for appropriate adult-focused processing followed by guided application with children. Mums and their children are distinct but entwined survivors.
Session Topics Include:
Matrescence
Brain Development and Neuroscience
Anger and Stress
Play
Safety and Support
Impacts of Trauma
Therapeutic Parenting
Attachment and Love
Self-Esteem and Empowerment
Content and delivery for the children’s sessions will depend on age. Most activities are for the older children, but all children will benefit from the nurturing environment, trauma sensitive care-giving and enjoy meaningful developmental experiences in a fun and safe space.
Outcomes
The groups have been piloted by the Early Years Alliance, with more groups running and being evaluated.
Their independent evaluation found that 100% of mothers felt they had learnt new skills to interact with and support their child, felt able to understand their child more, felt more hopeful about the future with their child and would recommend the programme to other mums.
Outcomes for Mothers
- Enhanced understanding of trauma and impacts
- Strengthened reflective capacity
- Increased attunement
- Developed support network
- Renewed sense of agency
Outcomes for Children
- Increased emotional security
- Improved emotional expression
- Enhanced self-regulation
- Reduced trauma symptoms
- Increased social engagement
- Developmental progress
- Fun!
Outcomes for Joint Sessions
- More positive, attuned, and responsive interactions
- Improved communication patterns
- Strengthened connection
- Developed repair capacity
- Established safe routines
- Created positive narratives
Bringing Juniper to Your Area
Facilitators must attend the 3-day training course. Additional days can be added to cover groupwork skills, assessment or specific domestic abuse knowledge.
Training includes a manual and access to the online Juniper Hub full of resources, tools, an evaluation framework and a national community of practice network.
Please contact me if you have any questions about the programme, training to be a facilitator or commissioning the programme. I am currently offering an introductory reduced fee for training, and I am happy to negotiate discounts for group bookings. Training can be delivered in person or online.
Ideal for:
- Domestic abuse services
- Family hubs & children’s centres
- Early years settings
- Social care
- Health visitors