Training that moves beyond awareness
AbuseFreeLife training is designed for professionals working in complex safeguarding environments where decisions matter. Courses focus on pattern recognition, coercive control, escalation, professional judgement, defensible decision-making, multi-agency risk and safer outcomes.
Training is grounded in operational experience across safeguarding, domestic abuse, stalking, MARAC, homicide investigation, crisis negotiation and independent review work.
Pattern Recognition
Understanding behaviour across incidents, escalation and context.
Professional Judgement
Supporting defensible, proportionate and accountable decisions.
Multi-Agency Practice
Improving information sharing, analysis and coordinated action.
Operational Reality
Built around real-world safeguarding and investigative practice.
Course Areas
Courses can be delivered as single-agency training, multi-agency sessions, conference inputs, half-day briefings, full-day courses or tailored programmes.
Beyond the Incident: Domestic Abuse, Coercive Control and Risk
Training focused on recognising patterns of abuse, understanding coercive control, improving risk assessment and supporting safer professional responses.
Beyond the Incident: Domestic Abuse, Coercive Control and Risk
Helps practitioners recognise domestic abuse as a pattern of coercion, control and risk, not just isolated incidents.
Best for: frontline practitioners, safeguarding teams, housing, health, social care, police, probation and voluntary sector staff.
DASH in Real Practice: Risk, Judgement and Defensible Decisions
Helps practitioners use DASH properly while applying professional judgement to risk, escalation, repeat abuse and coercive control.
Best for: MARAC referrers, police, housing, IDVAs, health, social care and local authority DA teams.
Safety Planning That Holds: Housing, Legal Options and Survivor-Led Support
Builds practitioner confidence in practical safety planning, housing options, legal protections and survivor-led support.
Best for: housing teams, homelessness services, IDVAs, local authority DA teams and victim services.
Stalking and Investigative Practice
Specialist stalking training focused on fixation, escalation, course-of-conduct thinking, digital behaviours and early intervention.
Stalking: Fixation, Fear and Early Intervention
Builds confidence to identify stalking early, understand fixation and escalation, and respond before risk becomes entrenched.Best for: police, IDVAs, housing, universities, safeguarding teams, community safety and victim services.
Pattern, Persistence and Proof: Stalking Investigations That Hold
Strengthens stalking investigations by focusing on course of conduct, suspect behaviour, evidence capture and victim safety.
Best for: police investigators, DA/stalking teams, PVP units, detective training and specialist victim services
From Incident to Pattern: Domestic Abuse Investigations That Hold
Supports investigators to move beyond single-incident thinking and build safer, evidence-led domestic abuse responses.
Best for: police officers, investigators, PVP teams, DA specialist officers, probation and criminal justice partners.
MARAC and Multi-Agency Safeguarding
Training designed to strengthen information sharing, professional challenge, risk analysis and coordinated safeguarding responses.
MARAC That Works: Information, Risk and Action
Improves MARAC practice by clarifying referral routes, lawful information sharing, agency roles and accountable action planning.
Best for: MARAC representatives, chairs, IDVAs, police, housing, health, social care, probation, children’s services and community safety teams.
Adult Safeguarding Level 3: Capacity, Concern, Risk and Response
Develops practitioner confidence to recognise adult safeguarding concerns, apply legal duties and contribute effectively to risk management.
Best for: adult social care, housing, NHS, care providers, SAB training programmes, police safeguarding staff and local authority teams.
Advanced Safeguarding Leadership: Complex Risk, Thresholds and Defensible Decisions
Develops safeguarding leads’ ability to oversee complex risk, thresholds, professional challenge and defensible multi-agency decision-making.
Best for: safeguarding leads, named professionals, team managers, senior practitioners and SAB/LSCP partners.
Older Survivors and Adult Safeguarding
Training focused on hidden harm, coercive control, safeguarding complexity, autonomy, capacity and later-life risk.
Older Survivors: Hidden Harm, Coercion and Safeguarding in Later Life
Helps practitioners recognise domestic abuse affecting older people, including coercion, dependency, isolation, financial abuse and safeguarding complexity.
Best for: adult social care, SABs, health, housing, police, care providers, older people’s services and voluntary sector teams.
Domestic Abuse Disclosures at Work: Safe, Boundaried and Trauma-Informed Responses
Equips managers and staff to respond safely to domestic abuse disclosures without drifting beyond their role.
Best for: employers, HR teams, managers, NHS trusts, councils, housing providers, universities and staff wellbeing teams.
Working with Trauma: Boundaries, Resilience and Professional Sustainability
Supports staff and managers to understand trauma-exposed work and maintain safe, ethical and sustainable practice.
Best for: IDVA teams, safeguarding teams, social care, housing, NHS, police staff, voluntary sector, managers and supervisors.
Flexible Delivery Options
Courses can be delivered online, in person, as single-agency training, multi-agency training, conference inputs, half-day briefings, full-day courses or tailored programmes.
Training can be adapted for:
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local procedures
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recent review learning
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inspection themes
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workforce role
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safeguarding priorities
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case type and complexity
Common audiences include:
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police and criminal justice partners
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local authorities
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safeguarding boards and partnerships
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health and social care
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housing providers
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education settings
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employers and HR teams
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specialist domestic abuse services
Training Grounded in Operational Practice
John Trott is the Founder of AbuseFreeLife and an independent safeguarding specialist with extensive experience across policing, safeguarding, independent review, training and consultancy.
A former Detective Chief Inspector and Head of Public Protection, John has worked nationally with Community Safety Partnerships, police forces, health services, local authorities and specialist services in relation to domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, MARAC, safeguarding and multi-agency risk management.
Training is informed by operational experience, independent Domestic Homicide Review and Domestic Abuse Related Death Review work, safeguarding practice and real-world multi-agency learning.
What organisations get
Greater confidence and consistency in decision making.
Earlier identification of escalation and cumulative harm.
Stronger professional challenge and clearer thresholds.
More defensible decisions and better supervision oversight.
Review learning that translates into changes in everyday practice.