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Welcome to the latest edition of the Public Protection Partnership newsletter. In this issue, we’re shining a light on the work happening across Dumfries and Galloway to support and protect vulnerable children and adults.
Thank you to all our partners for continuing to share your time, insight and commitment. This edition features updates and insights on how local Public Protection colleagues have influenced coercive control reform in France, along with resources, reflections, and highlights from recent activity across the region. As always, if there’s something you’d like to learn more about or contribute to a future edition, we’d love to hear from you—just get in touch using the contact details at the end of the newsletter.
From Dumfries to the French Senate: Coercive Control Reform
In October 2023, the Dumfries and Galloway Public Protection Partnership and the University of the West of Scotland co-hosted a landmark international visit with leading voices from France’s domestic abuse policy and research community.
Two representatives of the Comité National des Violences Intra-Familiales — Dr Isabelle Dréan-Rivette and Dr Andreea Gruev-Vintilla — spent several days in Dumfries and Galloway, exchanging insights with local professionals, visiting key services, and taking part in a conference focused on coercive control and domestic abuse.
Dr Dréan-Rivette is President of the French Research Group for Offenders and a member of multiple ministerial taskforces on violence against women. Dr Gruev-Vintilla, a researcher from Université Paris-Nanterre, had just published Le Contrôle Coercitif — the first book in French to explore coercive control in depth.
They were joined remotely by Elliot Louan, a probation officer and researcher on offender rehabilitation.
Impact Reaches French Parliament
The visit has had a powerful ripple effect in France.
Since returning home, Isabelle has published over 70 videos and articles on coercive control for her network of 5,000 followers. She has continued to engage with French MPs and senators working toward a national law.
Andreea has shared the Scottish model widely through TV, radio and press interviews, and on 29 January 2025, the Assemblée Nationale (French lower house) voted to support a draft law criminalising coercive control — influenced in part by Scottish legislation.
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Scottish Voice Heard in the Senate
On 20 March 2025, a representative from Dumfries and Galloway — John Sturgeon, social worker and member of the French committee — was invited to present at the French Senate committee of enquiry.
He spoke about the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, its origins, structure, and the principle that a law’s success lies not only in conviction rates but in the cultural message it sends: that abuse is abuse, even without physical violence.
Though the French Senate did not endorse the legislation in its initial form, a joint working group is now reviewing the draft — keeping the influence of Scottish policy firmly in play.
“What we can confidently say is that Dumfries and Galloway has helped shape the national conversation in France — at the heart of its political and civil institutions,” said John Sturgeon.
“Our thanks go to everyone across the region who made this exchange possible and contributed to its impact.”
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Drowning Prevention Week 2025: Partners Promote Summer Safety
 Dumfries and Galloway Council marked Drowning Prevention Week 2025 from 14–20 June by promoting water safety across the region.
As an active member of the local Water Safety Forum, the council worked alongside the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), RNLI, HM Coastguard, Police Scotland and other partners to highlight the dangers associated with lochs, rivers, and coastal areas — particularly during the warmer months.
Organised annually by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), the campaign encourages families and individuals to enjoy water safely and responsibly.
This year’s regionwide photo campaign was taken at Isle of Whithorn Harbour, reflecting a commitment to rotating locations and involving partners from all parts of Dumfries and Galloway. In previous years, the campaign had been based primarily in the east of the region.
Stranraer Academy Hosts Multi-Agency Water Safety Day
On Friday 20 June, more than 150 S1 pupils at Stranraer Academy took part in the Multi-Agency Water Safety Initiative — a dynamic learning session held in support of Drowning Prevention Week.
Now in its third year, the programme is coordinated by Police Scotland and SFRS and is designed to deliver life-saving water safety education ahead of the school summer holidays.
Each year, 30-minute sessions are delivered to all S1 pupils and adapted to reflect local water safety risks. This year’s contributors included:
- RNLI and HM Coastguard – on coastal hazards and safety gear.
- Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) – CPR awareness training.
- SFRS – a special “Tombstoning” awareness session, warning against the dangers of jumping into open water.
- Police Scotland – community safety messaging.
The day highlighted the value of coordinated prevention work and the role of young people in helping promote water safety at home, in school, and in their communities.
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Public Protection Website Relaunched with Accessibility Boost
In May, Dumfries and Galloway’s Public Protection Partnership launched its redesigned website, providing clearer, easier access to information for professionals and members of the public.
The relaunch is part of the wider Digital Experience Project, which aims to improve user journeys across the council’s online services.
A working group of volunteers from the Communication and Engagement Sub-Committee helped shape the update by reviewing site structure and content presentation. While the existing information was considered strong, the group noted that layout and accessibility could be significantly improved.
The new site now features:
- Clearly labelled sections for professionals, public users, and general partnership info.
- Fewer PDF downloads and more web-native content.
- Mobile-optimised design with improved compatibility for screen readers and other assistive technologies.
- Shorter, easier-to-navigate pages with better use of internal links.
- Reduced duplication, with shared content directly linked to the Council’s corporate site.
Users are encouraged to explore the updated website and complete a short feedback form to help inform future improvements.
Better Lives Partnership Launches Regionwide Transitions Programme
A Dumfries and Galloway charity is expanding its support for neurodivergent young people with a new transitions programme set to roll out in secondary schools across the region.
Better Lives Partnership, founded in Castle Douglas in 2016, supports autistic and otherwise neurodivergent school leavers to build confidence, develop life skills and move towards independence. From a small pilot group of five, the charity now works with more than 80 young people across its sites in Stranraer, Castle Douglas and Dumfries.
At the heart of its work is the Bridge to Employment Programme, which prepares participants for college, employment or volunteering. The course is structured around four strands:
- Employability skills.
- Enterprise and community engagement.
- Independent living.
- Social, emotional and mental wellbeing.
The programme also offers a wide range of creative, active and social opportunities designed to support each young person’s goals and aspirations.
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New Transitions Programme for Senior Pupils
Thanks to support from the National Lottery Community Fund, Kilgallioch Community Fund, and The Holywood Trust, Better Lives is now expanding its outreach by launching a new Transitions Programme in partnership with secondary schools across Dumfries and Galloway.
Following successful pilots in Sanquhar, Dalbeattie, Castle Douglas and Annan, the charity will deliver a mix of in-school sessions and site-based activities aimed at S4–S6 pupils who are autistic or face barriers to positive post-school destinations.
The programme helps pupils make informed choices about their future and, where appropriate, transition smoothly into Better Lives Partnership services after school.
The charity continues to work closely with schools, families, and local organisations to ensure support is person-centred, inclusive, and empowering.
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National Hoarding Awareness Week 2025
National Hoarding Awareness Week took place from 12–16 May 2025, with this year’s theme focusing on hoarding disorder and executive functioning — the mental processes that help people plan, focus attention, remember instructions and manage multiple tasks.
Hoarding disorder affects an estimated 2–5% of the population and is recognised as a form of self-neglect. It is characterised by the excessive accumulation of items and difficulty discarding them, which can lead to serious health and safety risks including:
- Fire hazards.
- Unsanitary living conditions.
- Injuries from falls or collapsing piles.
- Eviction and homelessness.
SFRS Supports Hoarding Awareness at DGRI
On Friday 16 May, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Community Action Team in Dumfries and Galloway hosted a public awareness event at DGRI to support the week-long campaign.
Fire officers were on hand to raise awareness of the dangers of hoarding and to offer information about their Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs) — free checks that include:
- Fire safety advice.
- Smoke and heat alarm testing or installation.
- Escape planning.
- Referrals to other support services.
Hoarding can significantly restrict escape routes during a fire, increasing the risk of injury or death. Responding firefighters also face heightened dangers due to obstructed exits, falling items, and “fire loading” (where flammable clutter causes fires to burn hotter and faster).
The DGRI event allowed SFRS to reach not only patients but also visiting family members and carers, raising awareness of available support.
SFRS works closely with partners across Dumfries and Galloway to identify individuals at risk and, where appropriate, refer them through a secure, multi-agency pathway for further help.
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Scottish Ambulance Service Champions Public Protection
 Over the past 18 months, the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) Public Protection Team has led an ambitious programme to improve awareness, referral rates, and safeguarding responses across Scotland — with Dumfries and Galloway playing a key role.
Highlights include:
Training and Roadshows
In 2024 alone, the team delivered 27 in-person training sessions to 565 learners, including university students and ambulance crews. Roadshows have also visited local ambulance stations, sharing regional safeguarding data and feedback.
Dumfries and Galloway was the first locality in Scotland to partner with SAS on a multi-agency referral audit, which has since been replicated in three other regions. These audits have helped highlight gaps in safeguarding referrals — particularly for adults at risk — and shape future awareness campaigns.
Improving Referral Quality
To ensure high standards, SAS developed a Public Protection Referral Quality Audit Tool, which is now used monthly to track improvement and provide reassurance to partner agencies.
They also created an internal Public Protection Data Dashboard, offering national and regional views of:
- Referral volumes.
- Completion rates for mandatory training.
- Results from quality audits.
This internal data is especially valuable, as SAS is not currently required to report to national adult or child protection datasets.
Building Networks and Access
SAS has launched a Public Protection Champions Network, offering:
- Weekly updates from Clinical Effectiveness Leads.
- Monthly live drop-in sessions.
- Open MS Teams chat support.
Additionally, a dedicated phone line was piloted with Dumfries and Galloway to allow Out-of-Hours SAS teams to speak directly with local authority partners — helping meet their legal duty to cooperate and respond in real time.
Finally, SAS has completed a self-assessment using the NHS Public Protection Assurance Framework, supported by an external audit. The findings are now being used to shape a service-wide improvement plan.
Collaborative Out-of-Hours Pilot Enhances Care for Vulnerable People
Dumfries and Galloway’s Out-of-Hours (OOH) Social Work Team and the Scottish Ambulance Service have completed a successful pilot to improve care for vulnerable individuals — particularly those who need social support but do not require hospital admission.
Two-Part Pilot Model
Phase 1: Direct Communication Line
A dedicated telephone number was created to enable OOH social work teams to speak directly with SAS during emergencies.
Phase 2: Coordinated Care Pathway
A new structured pathway was introduced to help individuals access social work support in the community, preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.
Positive Outcomes
- Improved Crisis Support: Timely referrals and joined-up responses for individuals needing urgent care or support.
- Fewer Emergency Admissions: Many cases were safely managed at home, reducing pressure on hospitals and ambulances.
- Stronger Partnership Working: The pathway strengthens the link between SAS, social work, and the Single Access Point (SAP) daytime team — ensuring 24/7 continuity.
- Safe Discharges: Ambulance crews can now relay access information and restart home care packages where needed.
- Trusted Care in Rural Areas: The approach helps build confidence among people in isolated or hard-to-reach areas.
This pilot supports the SAS strategy of “Taking Care to the Patient” and reflects the shared commitment to community-based, person-centred care.
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