This research builds on long-standing streams of research at the Tavistock Institute into partnership issues at a number of different levels, including: interdisciplinary and inter-organisational working; developing partnership working; partnership delivery in local cross-sectoral settings; and the role of partnership coordinators in a range of initiatives.

Domestic violence accounts for one fifth of all recorded violent crime in the UK and half of all female murder victims are killed by a partner. The Local Government Association ran a three-year, Home Office funded, domestic violence project, to support the development of local partnerships. At the end of the first year of the LGA’s Programme of Engagement and Support with Local Partnerships, the Tavistock Institute researched the lessons learned at this stage in the Programme’s development.

The research was to support the implementation and delivery of the Programme as it planed the next stage of work with domestic violence partnerships. A set of case studies in local authorities was also undertaken to map the range and complexity of dimensions involved in local partnerships around domestic violence and the role of the Programme support.

A telephone survey of other local authority sites followed to establish the needs for support and how this Programme matched those needs.