HRH The Princess Royal presented representatives of the Making Safe team, Paul Weatherstone, Practice Manager (Interventions Risk Programmes) and Sandra Rees, Local Domestic Abuse Co-ordinator for Scarborough Council, with The Butler Trust Public Protection Award at Buckingham Palace on Monday, 3 March. The award is in recognition of the team’s work in supporting families involved with domestic violence.

The award to the Making Safe team is one of several to be presented by The Princess Royal on behalf of The Butler Trust. The Trust is an independent charity whose Annual Award Scheme seeks to identify and promote excellence and innovation by staff working with offenders throughout the UK.

Making Safe is an exciting, multi-agency project involving the Police, Probation service, housing and domestic Abuse services. It supports victims of domestic abuse to remain safe in their homes whilst challenging the perpetrators’ abusive behaviour and encouraging them to seek alternative ways of resolving conflict. All contributing agencies have the overarching aim of public protection. Family life is not disrupted, children can remain at their schools and the offender can remain in employment where appropriate. Initial evaluation shows a remarkably low 10.8% re-offending rate by domestically violent offenders compared with the national figure of 47%.

A member of the Making Safe team said; “It is hard to describe the elation and pride the team felt at getting such public recognition for both their efforts, and the outstanding results the scheme had achieved. Although the scheme can be evaluated in terms of statistics and re-offending rates, the real proof of its success comes from the self-reported accounts of offenders' and victims' experiences who have been involved in the scheme, and who can see a measurable improvement in their lives, and in the lives of their children.”

The award will be one of 42 being presented this year to prison staff throughout the UK, probation staff in England and Wales and Criminal Justice Social Work staff in Scotland.

Commenting on the awards, Sir Trevor Brooking, Chairman of The Butler Trust said: “The Butler Trust is delighted to be able to draw attention to and reward some of the wonderful and innovative ways in which prison and probation staff help offenders. Much of what these talented people do is challenging and often goes unseen by the general public. However, they play a crucial role in reducing re-offending rates across the UK. I would like to extend my personal thanks to each and every one of them.”

For details of all the 2008 Butler Trust Award winners please visit www.thebutlertrust.org.uk