england/the-high/”>england/the-high/”>The High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Martin Nye, has paid a visit to Swindon custody to spotlight a groundbreaking domestic abuse intervention programme that targets offenders at their lowest Pointpoint.

Snapping the Cycle: Open-2-Change Programme in Action

Since January, Behaviour Change Workers from Society Without Abuse’s Open-2-Change scheme have been working inside Swindon’s Gablecross custody unit, offering offenders a chance to break the cycle of abuse. The results so far? Forty suspects triaged and actively engaged.

This initiative, developed under the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) partnership, brings together charities and police teams united against domestic abuse. Open-2-Change operates not only in Swindon but also Bath and North East Somerset, with funding from the National Lottery supporting on-site specialist workers tasked with tackling offender behaviour and offering support to officers and affected families.

Meeting the Men Behind the Change

On Monday, 22 September, the High Sheriff sat down with Open-2-Change workers, Detective Inspector Lou Morley — Wiltshire Police’s domestic abuse lead — and the Offender Management team. He heard how the programme intervenes right after arrest, crafting safety plans for release and helping offenders address substance misuse, housing, and anger management.

Detective Inspector Lou Morley said: “No one wants to be a perpetrator. We all imagine being in a loving relationship, and those who cause harm are often overlooked as partner agencies and police focus on supporting the victim. By placing Behaviour Change Workers in custody, we can reach perpetrators at the earliest opportunity and offer them the tools to change their behaviour. Many DA perpetrators grew up in homes where violence was present and may be suffering from trauma. This may be the first time they’ve been asked how they are—and truly listened to.”

Louisa Wrighton, Open-2-Change Manager, added: “If we are to break the cycle of domestic abuse we need to get to the root cause of the issue and that’s the people who are carrying out these harmful behaviours. Our one-to-one programme has been working across Swindon since 2019 and to now be able to work with Wiltshire Police inside the custody suite at Gablecross means we can directly reach the people who would benefit most from our support at the earlier opportunity. We can then work with them to identify the reasons why they behaved as they did, and then help them to learn from and adapt their behaviours. This then has a positive impact on future relationships as well as the potential to reduce reoffending.”

More Help on the Way

Alongside Open-2-Change, another charity, Fear Free, runs a separate scheme in Wiltshire to support domestic abuse victims and perpetrators alike, reinforcing the multi-pronged approach needed to tackle this urgent issue head-on.

This is one of the first schemes of its kind, putting rehabilitation and prevention right where offenders are first held — in custody. The hope? To turn the tide on domestic abuse, one offender at a time.