Charity aims to change father's abusive behaviour

Adam said he wanted to understand the root cause of his behaviour

A father whose newborn baby was taken into care because of a history of domestic abuse says he sought help because he wanted to "break the cycle".

The man, who we are calling Adam to protect his family's identity, is being supported alongside his partner by the new north-east of England branch of the charity For Baby's Sake.

It aims to help pregnant women and new mothers experiencing domestic violence by working intensively with both parents for a two year period.

Adam says he and his partner took drugs and had serious arguments and he "wanted to get to the root of what was causing the way we were".

For Baby's Sake was set up in the south-east of England by businessman Stelio Stefanou with the aim of tackling the causes of disadvantage and focusing on very young babies.

It has expanded over the past decade, with branches in Blackpool, London and the east of England.

This summer the charity opened its first branch in the North East - in Darlington - and is supporting 20 families in Sunderland, Durham, Northumberland and elsewhere in the region.

'Just violence'

Adam says he and his partner were smoking cannabis and this was "making the paranoia and the mental health worse".

Their arguments would "get bad" sometimes and the police would be called.

"I got arrested and it went from there really," he says.

"We thought domestic abuse was just violence.

"Until we learnt about it a bit more. It's all about breaking the cycle."

Adam says he and his partner were referred to the charity and, after several months of intensive support, are "in a better place".

"You could always say no, but then what are you achieving?" he says.

"You're not going to be a better person, you're not going to be better for your kids."

For Baby's Sake chief operating officer Judith Rees says it aims to transform the life-chances of whole families

The charity works with families who are referred to them during pregnancy and offers therapeutic support until the baby's second birthday.

It supports the partner that is causing harm as well as the one experiencing abuse.

The goal is to create safe, nurturing, family environments, it says.

"We know that 30% of domestic abuse starts in pregnancy," chief operating officer Judith Rees says.

"If the baby is born into that household where there is domestic abuse, that impacts their social and emotional development, their physical development."

Without support, domestic abuse would have an affect on a baby's relationships "throughout their life course", she adds.

In light of the government's commitment to half rates of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) within a decade, For Baby's Sake says its work has never been more necessary.

It has supported more than 2,000 families since it launched a decade ago and, in the last financial year, worked with 215 families.

During that period, 95% of babies reaching the age of one achieved or exceeded their six-month milestones for communication, emotional and social development, it says.

In almost all cases - 96% - they had received support from children's social care pre-birth or in their first year, but that reduced to 38% by the end of June, the charity says.

Adam believes the support he and his partner have received has made a difference.

"People say you can't break the cycle," he says.

"But you can break it if you want. Just smash through it.

"It's hard work but it's easy, if that's what you really want."