CHILDREN and young people in Trafford will be taught the importance of healthy relationships as part of a strategy to stamp out domestic abuse and sexual violence.

The blueprint has been drafted under the umbrella of Trafford Partnership, whose members include the borough council and Greater Manchester Police.

A key aim of the strategy is giving children the skills to recognise domestic abuse and reduce the risk of them becoming a victim or perpetrator.

“To reduce the prevalence of domestic abuse, children and young people need to understand what a healthy relationship is,” read the report.

“Therefore, the partnership is committed to delivering a schools based healthy relationship programme.

“The scheme will also be extended to places where vulnerable young people access to ensure that those who do not engage in school receive intervention.”

The report sets out various priorities aimed at preventing violence, as well as protecting victims and supporting those who have already suffered abuse.

They include increasing awareness among young people of the importance of safe, equal and healthy relationships and that abusive behaviour is always wrong.

The report continued: “Trafford will aim to become a borough with a zero tolerance approach to domestic abuse.

“Front line staff and services will be trained to appropriately ask people about their experience of domestic abuse, whether current or historic.”

The partnership said its ‘ambition’ is to employ four trained ‘independent domestic violence advisors’ to deal with the complexities that ‘high level’ domestic abuse presents.

However, each advisor will have their own specialism, including mental illness, substance misuse and honour-based violence.

“The core service will also employ two ‘domestic abuse support workers,” stated the report.

“One post will be generic while the other will support children and young people affected by domestic abuse.”

Other priorities include increasing awareness among public sector services.

The strategy, which is due to be discussed by the council’s health and wellbeing board on Friday, stated: “Supporting families to recognise domestic abuse and reduce the harm from this will positively impact on current and future generations.

“Enabling residents to access early help including parenting support is key.

“To be able to do this, we need to make every contact count by helping people who work with families to understand the impact of domestic abuse, how to ask the question and respond appropriately.”