The 2025 Chrysalis Centre Conference, hosted by Reflective Practice and held at Rothamsted Enterprises, brought together more than 100 professionals from across justice, health, housing, and safeguarding to explore how we can create systemic change in responding to domestic abuse.
The theme of the day focused on developing The Chrysalis Centre into a centre of excellence for perpetrator interventions, a goal clearly realised through the expertise, compassion, and commitment of its delivery partners. The event showcased the remarkable progress being made across programmes working with those who cause harm, and the growing evidence of their impact in reducing domestic abuse and improving outcomes for families.
The conference opened with a keynote address from Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards, who emphasised the importance of perpetrator interventions within Hertfordshire’s wider strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
Delegates then heard from a range of speakers and practitioners who shared the latest research, innovation, and good practice in the field, including Jake Neller, who delivered an insightful overview of the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme (DAPP), and Natalia Sokolova and Alasdair Robertson, who presented evaluation findings from The Chrysalis Centre demonstrating a measurable reduction in domestic abuse incidents and clear value for money.
Further contributions from One YMCA, RISE Mutual CIC, Sarah Griffin (The Change Project), Amanda McIntyre (The For Baby’s Sake Trust), Dr Jenny Mackay, and Professor Nicola Graham-Kevan offered an inspiring and deeply informed look at the complexity of behaviour change, trauma-informed approaches, and what effective intervention truly looks like in practice.
The day was expertly chaired by Dr Sarah Lewis, whose thoughtful questions and reflective facilitation ensured each session added value and encouraged meaningful discussion.
A special highlight was the presentation of the Chrysalis Centre Domestic Abuse Practitioner of the Year Award, which was awarded to Hardeep Roud in recognition of his outstanding dedication and impact.
The 2025 conference reinforced the importance of cross-sector collaboration, trauma-informed practice, and culturally responsive approaches in tackling domestic abuse. As we look ahead, the insights shared will continue to shape the evolution of The Chrysalis Centre and the wider work of Reflective Practice and RSMS in building safer communities and better outcomes for families.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such an inspiring event.
