In 2006/07 Tayside Police recorded 3709 incidents of domestic abuse (Scottish Government, 2007). However, it is widely acknowledged that this figure represents the tip of the iceberg in terms of the number of women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse across Tayside.
In 2006 the Tayside Domestic Abuse and Substance Misuse Project was established in order to examine the links between domestic abuse and substance misuse locally, and to support existing services to develop appropriate response to women who have experience of domestic abuse and who also have a substance misuse issue.
This toolkit represents a key element of the work of the project, and has been an essential first step in developing good practice within substance misuse and domestic abuse services currently operating across Tayside. It is envisaged that the implementation of this toolkit within these services will lead to improvements in the way women, and their children, experience service provision across the area, and will improve co-operation between the two sectors.