Funded by: The National Lottery
Programme duration: March 2025 – March 2026
Delivery locations: Bedford, Luton, Central Bedfordshire

 

What is the Programme?

A fully funded, accredited education and empowerment programme for women aged 19+ impacted by domestic abuse and intersectional backgrounds. 
Rooted in trauma-informed practice and shaped by lived experience, the programme offers safe, supportive learning spaces that help women rebuild confidence, gain qualifications, and move forward with purpose.

 

What Support Do We Provide?

• Accredited Employability Skills qualifications (Entry Level 1 to Level 1 Award)

• Confidence-building, wellbeing, and digital skills

• Group or 1:1 tutor support from trauma-informed educators

• Peer mentoring and volunteer involvement

• Accessible community venues tailored to women’s needs

 

Who’s Involved?

• Women across Bedfordshire whose voices shaped the programme

• IWP staff and volunteers with lived and professional experience

• Local venues, community organisations, and outreach partners

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What Have We Achieved So Far?

• 18 hours of accredited learning delivered in a safe, supportive environment

• Learners are progressing toward the City & Guilds Entry Level Award in Employability Skills (Entry 2), which requires 39–60 guided learning hours

• Early outcomes show growing confidence, improved punctuality, stronger communication, and peer-to-peer support

• Learners have developed key skills including:

  • Public speaking

  • Attention to detail

  • Problem-solving

  • Writing for learning and employment

  • Teamwork and inclusive thinking​​​​​

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What Learners Have Shared:

• “I’m now thinking ahead about jobs I never imagined I could apply for.”

• “I have slept so much better since starting the course.

• "This course gave me peace I didn’t know I needed.”

• “I now feel more confident using my lived experience to help others in future roles.”

• “I didn’t know anything like this existed. I’m so grateful for IWP.”

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Breakthrough Moments:

• Group discussions in Session 2 opened up emotional and educational breakthroughs, with learners sharing barriers to education and employment building a bond of trust and hope

• A personality and strengths quiz helped learners match their strengths to new roles, sparking interest in careers they hadn’t considered before, such as:

  • Homeless Housing Officer

  • SEND Teaching Assistant

  • Entrepreneur

  • Police Officer

 

Measuring Impact:

We are committed to reflecting on our practice as we grow. Learner feedback is captured through verbal check-ins, reflection journals, tutor observations, and creative exercises that allow participants to express change in their own way.

This insight helps us adapt session content in real time and ensures the programme stays relevant, trauma-informed, and community-led.
A full end-of-year learning report will be published in March 2026 to share key findings and inform future delivery.

 

Underpinned by the Domestic Abuse Learner Framework: 

This programme is guided by IWP’s unique Domestic Abuse Learner Framework, a six-phase model designed to support women through recovery and personal development. From the Crisis & Awareness Phase to Leadership & Giving Back, this framework ensures every learner is met where they are, supported holistically, and seen as a future leader, not a label.

 

What’s Next:

We are actively listening, learning, and adapting as the programme grows. Each session teaches us more about what women need to thrive not just in education, but in life. 

 

Our goal is to expand this model across more trusted, community-based venues in Bedfordshire, including Luton, Bedford, and Central Bedfordshire. We will continue to develop peer-led pathways, where women with lived experience can support others, lead sessions, and take on new roles as mentors and volunteers.

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With continued support, we aim to reach at least 45–60 women by March 2026, delivering accredited qualifications, life skills, and pathways into further training, employment, or entrepreneurship.

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This is more than a course, it’s a blueprint for rebuilding. We are committed to building a sustainable model of inclusive, trauma-informed education that can be replicated in other towns, cities, and regions across the UK.

We believe every woman deserves the chance to learn, grow, and lead, in her own time, and in her own way.

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