The DRIVE model is a national approach to tackling domestic abuse offending behaviour categorised as high-risk and high harm.

Avon and Somerset’s Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) wanted to gain a granular level understanding of how the different strategies deployed under DRIVE function to tackle complex offending behaviour, and to what degree each DRIVE strategy is successful in reducing reoffending in the region.

As the DRIVE programme operates with a multi-method approach to offender management, the OPCC needed an in-depth and critical assessment of the success of the components of the programme, as well as how different elements of the approach work together to affect desistance in the local context.

Therefore, an evaluation was sought of the DRIVE programme currently commissioned in South Gloucestershire, Bristol and North Somerset.

Activity and approach

Skills for Justice were awarded the contract to deliver an evaluation of the efficacy of the DRIVE domestic abuse perpetrator programme in reducing reoffending.

We have adopted a rigorous mixed-methods approach to the evaluation to investigate the effectiveness of work that seeks to reduce serious offending. This includes engaging stakeholders through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and workshops, as well as conducting a cost consequence analysis.

In addition, we combined our qualitative analysis with quantitative analysis of secondary data sources, to understand recidivism (through measuring instances of reoffending before and after the DRIVE intervention) and desistance (assessing this through DRIVE program pre and post-assessments, focusing on changes in attitudes, behaviours, and circumstances that indicate a move away from offending).

The key things that we set out to uncover in our research include:

  • Identifying which aspects of the programme makes a difference in the lives of offenders
  • What the challenges or barriers to the effectiveness of the programme are
  • What improvements need to be made to optimise the success of the strategies that aim to reduce serious offending
  • Understanding the economic benefits of the initiative in terms of achieving optimal value for money for vital public services.

Our research team took a collaborative approach to the project by working with partners from Economics by Design and Get the Data, ensuring we had the range of specialisms needed to meet the aims of the evaluation.

The evaluation, which commenced in 2023, was commissioned by the OPCC and will report back in March 2025.

Outcomes

To date we have conducted over 50 interviews and surveyed over 30 organisations to gain insights. We are currently running focus groups and analysing data from the police force and delivery agencies.

We will be delivering a workshop with key stakeholders in January 2025 to deepen our understanding of emerging findings

It is expected that the evaluation will enable those involved in the DRIVE programme to make informed decisions on the efficacy of DRIVE and its cost / benefits, based on our evidence-based recommendations.