Testimonials
What people are saying about the RiVeR Project Programmes
"Having completed the Fundamentals of Understanding and Responding to Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence, it has made a massive impact on my work. The course allows for different services and service providers to share knowledge and creates professional relationships that can positively impact service users. I thoroughly enjoyed the course as it allowed me to expand my understanding of DSGBV and how it impacts on every aspect of a person's life and how it dictates how they engage with services. The course was very enjoyable, and all the lecturers were so helpful and insightful. I would highly recommend the course and look forward to more training that the RiVeR Project develops."
Dara Browne
Support Worker, Men’s Aid Ireland
"The Certificate in the Fundamentals of Understanding & Responding to Domestic Abuse is a course I thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from in terms of my professional life. The programme gave me the opportunity to refresh my learning, to update my thinking on domestic abuse and inform myself of new practices and good models of working.
My learning and understanding of brain development has influenced my thinking on the development of services for children in the context of domestic abuse and within the remit of the Domestic, Sexual & Gender Based Violence Programme. My key learning point from the Certificate in the Fundamentals of Understanding and Responding to Domestic Abuse programme is that young children can benefit enormously from interventions aimed at supporting their recovery from the trauma of domestic abuse and this can contribute to positive life outcomes for them and to breaking the cycle of domestic abuse. I would recommend this programme to everyone whatever your experience and it is relevant to professional practice and also to general everyday life."
Valerie Everard
Development Manager for Domestic Violence Accommodation, CUAN Domestic Sexual & Gender Based Violence Agency
"I would say that taking part in the Domestic Abuse programme at DkIT enabled me to view our clients and the work that we do with them, from a much wider perspective. The theories and academic content introduced were hugely enlightening, with lots of "aha" moments. But I also learned so much from sharing the experiences and different viewpoints of my classmates."
Irene Doyle
Bray women’s refuge
"I found I had a big gap in my knowledge regarding domestic abuse which became very obvious when I left the hospital to work in the community. I chose to complete the Fundamentals of understanding and responding to Domestic Abuse programme after I discovered I had an active case on my caseload. I felt out of my depth and wanted to be better prepared to offer help.
The programme gave me an insight into the context of domestic abuse and how it impacts the victim and the whole family. The complex way it presents and progressively seeps into all aspect of the victims life presents so many challenges for people trying to help. Sometimes just being there to listen helps victims to think things through and may prompt them to make changes.
Supporting victims in their journey, whatever stage they may be at, is very important to give them the confidence to move forward. The increased awareness around domestic abuse is long overdue and we all need to be educated to recognise and respond to it."
Deirdre Healy
Public Health Nurse, Dublin
"Completing the course on ‘Understanding and Responding to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence’ was truly eye-opening. It deepened my understanding of the complexities surrounding these issues and equipped me with practical skills to recognise, support and advocate for survivors. The course provided a safe and engaging space to reflect on real-world cases, challenge biases and learn trauma-informed approaches. I now feel more confident in my ability to respond with empathy and take meaningful action in my personal and professional life. I highly recommend this course to anyone committed to making a difference."
Janelle Mc Entegart
Support worker Seeking Safety Ireland & Prison Liaison Officer
"I really enjoyed doing the Certificate in the Fundamentals of Understanding and Responding to Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence programme. It has given me a great insight into DSGBV. Throughout the programme I could see how I could use the information and the knowledge that was being taught in my work. I found that with the wide range of lectures from different areas of work this showed me how complex and eye-opening DSGBV can be. As well as the lecturers I have met people in my course who have taught me so much. I loved attending DkIT and listening about what my lecturers and my classmate’s do for work and how knowledgeable they are about their fields of work. Overall, it’s been a brilliant course and great for any frontline worker to take part in as I feel like I can use the skills I’ve learned in my day-to-day duties"
Eimear Murphy
An Garda Síochána
"I completed the level 8 “Certificate in the Fundamentals of Understanding and Responding to Domestic Abuse” with the DKIT in 2021/2022. I found the course to be excellent, with a wide variety of lecturers covering the broad and complex issues relating to domestic abuse. The course schedule complimented my busy job as well which was very helpful and meant I rarely missed a lecture. From a networking point, I met fellow frontline professionals working in domestic abuse from many different working backgrounds and still keep in touch with in my day to day work today. As CEO of a domestic abuse NGO, we offer the course to all our team to undertake as part of our team training strategy.
An excellent course which I highly regard and am thankful it is available to frontline professionals as we all work towards tackling domestic abuse in Ireland."
Kathrina Bentley
CEO Men’s Aid
"As a man working in a service for women, I needed to know more about DSGBV. It was all around me in our service and while I ‘knew’ a lot about it, I wasn’t fully confident about what I thought I knew!
The course confirmed a lot; challenged a lot; and taught me a lot. At the end, I am a much better advocate for DSGBV services and more confident in demanding such services for women who use drugs.
It has been an impactful course for me and the service I lead. It is a course everyone working and advocating with victims of Domestic abuse should take."
Gary Broderick
CEO The SAOL Project
"The in-depth knowledge and hands on experience of the trainers gave a wide perspective and enriching experience to bring to anybody working in the area of domestic abuse and violence. I highly recommend the ‘Certificate in the Fundamentals of Understanding and Responding to Domestic Abuse’ programme to enhance and inform practice."
John Kilgarriff
Psychotherapist, Men’s Development Network
"This programme has really changed my perception of Domestic Abuse. It is only after completing the programme that I now understand that there are a multiplicity of complex reasons why a victim stays in an abusive relationship. The programme has provided me with many insights which I can now use in my role as a midwife to better support victims of Domestic Abuse."
Deirdre West
Registered Midwife
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