Hannah is  22 years old and currently in the first year of her master’s degree in social work. She has always been passionate about helping others and wanted a career where she could make a real difference. As we’ve seen during her time with us, Hannah is enthusiastic when it comes to helping people overcome challenges and achieve the most they can out of life! 

What made you choose Savera UK for your placement?

“I wasn’t aware of what ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and harmful practices were before my placement, so I wanted to gain more experience working in this area and deepen my understanding. As a future social worker, it’s important to be informed about the different forms of abuse people might face, so I can respond appropriately and provide the right kind of support.”

What was the focus of your work during your time with Savera UK?

“The main focus of my work was to gain experience working with adults, alongside acquiring more knowledge of HBA and harmful practices.  I wanted to learn from other professionals to help build my confidence when communicating and engaging with clients.”

What’s something you learned at Savera UK that you don’t think you could’ve picked up in a classroom?

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned is a much deeper understanding of HBA and harmful practices, which is something that I don’t think I would’ve gained from University alone. At Savera UK, I was able to see how these issues affect people’s lives in real and complex ways, which goes beyond what you can learn from a textbook. I also had the opportunity to interact directly with clients, which taught me how to communicate sensitively, adapt my approach, and reflect on my practice in a way that classroom learning can’t replicate. It’s helped me grow and develop practical skills that I’ll carry with me into my future career.”

What did you find most unexpected about working in this area of social work?

“How often HBA and harmful practices happen in the community. I was aware that it happens, but not to this extent, and how it goes unnoticed. It also came as a shock how many professionals lacked the knowledge and understanding to recognise  HBA and harmful practices, and how to respond appropriately.” 

What challenged you personally or professionally during your time here, and how did you grow from it?

“Not being able to plan or anticipate what service users were going to say during our phone calls. I found this quite challenging, in case I didn’t know how to respond or if I unintentionally said something that would negatively impact the client’s experience. However, I quickly overcame this during my time here, having worked closely with the HBA specialist workers. I now feel comfortable having conversations with survivors of HBA, showing empathy, compassion, and a good level of understanding. These are invaluable skills that I will take with me in my social work practice. “

How do you think future social workers can be better prepared to engage with survivors of ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices?

“To help you gain a basic understanding of HBA and harmful practices, Savera UK has a lot of free resources in the learning hub on its website. On top of this, HBA and harmful practices cases in reality are nuanced, so it is important to be trained by experts in the field and if you do get this opportunity to upskill, to ask as many questions. 

“As a social worker, having a fundamental understanding of this is vital to your role. In this career, your chances of encountering someone experiencing or at risk of HBA and harmful practices are high, and you have a duty of care to respond appropriately. In many cases, you only have one chance to provide the most appropriate interventions. Without it, it could potentially cost a person their life. “

What’s next for you, and how do you think this experience will shape your path?

“I have to decide which organisation I want to work with on my next placement, and I have a lot of university work. The skills I’ve gained from my work experience with Savera UK will help me in my future case load and placement. Now that I have developed my knowledge around HBA and harmful practices, I feel confident that I can implement this into my practice as a Social Worker. “

What advice would you give to another student thinking about doing their social work placement?

“Make sure to take everything in. Soak up as much knowledge as you can. Say yes to as many opportunities and get involved. It’s important that you get outside of your comfort zone. Being in your placement enables you to experience what working in the industry is like, so make sure to make the most of it and develop relationships with professionals in the industry. You’ll find that you’ve made new friends along the way,  and they become people you can go to for advice when you enter the working world.” 

Thank you Hannah for all your hard work, and good luck with your studies and future placements!

Nia is currently approaching her fourth year, studying Psychology with Criminology at Nottingham Trent University. She has always been fascinated by criminal psychology, both understanding what makes someone engage in criminal behaviour and exploring the effects of being a victim of crime. Her placement at Savera UK was her first experience in working with survivors of abuse, and it has set her on a whole new career path!

Nia, can you tell us a little bit more about why you chose your degree? 

“My interest in criminal and forensic psychology began before college, when I would watch a great deal of interrogation videos and analysis of behavioural and body language. I became fascinated by how people reveal their true emotions through body language, even when they’re trying to conceal them.”

What was the focus of your work while on placement with Savera UK? 

“Before starting at Savera UK, I had never worked with survivors of abuse, especially ‘honour’-based abuse. I was concerned about my ability to provide adequate emotional support to survivors of HBA and harmful practices. My main focus was to make my clients feel as comfortable and supported as possible.” 

What surprised you about the role? 

“I had little knowledge about what the job entails, such as the amount of work that goes into each case and how many different services are involved. I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed this role. I was blessed with the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and take on a caseload. Where I learnt more about my clients and built up rapport with them.” 

What did you enjoy most about the role? 

“I enjoyed having the opportunity to completely dive into this role. As my placement duration was lengthy, I was given the chance to build my caseload to 10+ clients, embrace different job roles, experience working with professionals on various cases and get to know my clients and the ones who regularly attend our social and wellbeing sessions  ’. These are weekly client sessions that the charity hosts to create a comfortable and supportive space where they can connect with others or develop new skills.” 

Did the placement meet your expectations prior to starting the role? 

“This placement completely exceeded my expectations! I have learnt an invaluable amount and had to confront my own anxieties. I feel like a completely different person after this amazing opportunity, and there’s no doubt that I couldn’t have made this professional progress without the support of the team here at Savera UK.”  

What did you learn while working with Savera UK? What was the most important thing you’ll take away from your experience? 

“I have learnt so much during this placement, about ‘honour’-based abuse and about myself.  

I was able to develop my skills by liaising with professionals and clients, although this was uncomfortable to start with. As I gained more clients, I was encouraged to use my initiative, and more recently, I found myself gaining more confidence to push for professional meetings in order to safeguard my clients. 

“Although I did build up a caseload, I still managed to spend time building up rapport with my clients through welfare calls. Prior to starting my placement, even the thought of picking up a phone and calling someone to do something as simple as booking an appointment was daunting. However, I now find myself starting conversations!

“Upon reflection, this role has forced me out of my comfort zone, yet it’s been the most enjoyable aspect. I will take away a newfound confidence and passion for supporting survivors.”

What was the most challenging thing that you did during your placement? 

“I would say that the most challenging part was listening to survivors’ experiences and knowing it was my responsibility to advocate for them, whether it was to safeguard or support them in their new beginning. I found comfort in confiding in the team about my choice of actions. However, I would definitely say that the most challenging part of the role was whether I was making the best decision for my client. It’s a crucial part of the role, and you don’t want to disappoint them.” 

Based on your experience working with Savera UK, what do you think are the biggest challenges facing organisations supporting survivors and those at risk of HBA and harmful practices? 

“I think an obstacle I often overheard and witnessed first-hand was the lack of understanding of HBA and the distinction between domestic abuse and HBA. A lot of professionals who come into contact with Savera UK, whether that’s through referrals, training or meetings, are new  to the concept of what HBA is. They often refer to this type of abuse as a ‘cultural’ practice. ‘Culture’ has been used as an excuse for HBA when abuse is not a part of any culture. 

“I have witnessed the amazing job both the Direct Intervention Team and Training Managers do to spread awareness and educate professionals on the indications and distinctions of ‘honour’-based abuse.  Not only does this lack of awareness affect Savera UK, but also survivors and those at risk of ‘honour’-based abuse. If professionals are unaware of the indicators, they may miss out on the ‘one chance rule’, and the survivors’ experience could potentially escalate and expose them to more risks.” 

What do you think needs to be done to tackle that? 

“Savera UK is doing its  part to minimise this issue by providing training to a variety of professionals (e.g., IDVAs, social workers, healthcare workers, etc.). However, I do believe it is a wider issue where individuals need to confront their biases around who they believe can be a survivor or someone at risk of HBA.”  

What was the happiest moment of your placement? 

“I have genuinely enjoyed every moment of my placement; however, my happiest moments were with my clients, particularly when we hosted social and wellbeing sessions  and various celebrations. Witnessing the clients’ enjoyment during these activities and festivities was memorable.” 

What are your future plans? 

“Before starting my placement, I always believed that I wanted to go down the criminal psychology route, working with offenders with a focus on restorative justice. However, working at Savera UK has made me acknowledge my passion for working with survivors and supporting them with life after the abuse. This has made me reconsider my career path, and I am now looking into becoming an IDVA after my studies are complete.”  

How will you use your practical experience with Savera UK going forward? 

“My placement allowed me to discover my professional persona. My background is in hospitality and retail, so I had never been exposed to this kind of professional environment. I was initially fearful of how I would be perceived and whether I could carry out such intense work. However, I was treated no differently from my colleagues, and with exposure to more complex cases, I began participating in more professional meetings. I have had the full experience of being a frontline professional, and it has been amazing. This is an experience that I will be able to proudly look back on when I start my career.

“Savera UK has been a massive part of my life for the past nine months, and I am so grateful to have had this experience.  I would like to say a massive thank you to the whole  team. Everyone has been very welcoming and supportive throughout my journey, providing a helping hand whenever necessary. I entered this journey lacking confidence and knowledge, but thanks to everyone at Savera UK, I am leaving as a completely different person. I would like to especially thank my line manager, Merfat, who has been so supportive and empathetic throughout, Cleo, who has dedicated her time to supporting me in a completely new job role and Ayesha, who has provided me with support and resources beneficial for my future journey.” 

Thank you Nia for all your help and hard work, we wish you all the best for your studies and future career!

Our event, Uncovering Perpetrators & Atypical Patterns in ‘Honour’-Based Abuse (HBA), brought academics, frontline professionals and students together to challenge the stereotypes surrounding HBA, explore the psychology of “honour” and examine under-researched perpetrator profiles.

The session began with an introduction from Afrah Qassim, founder and CEO of Savera UK, providing background on the reason that the charity was established 15 years ago and how its work has changed and developed over the years.

The partnership with the University of Liverpool was established in 2021, and intended to build on data and develop research. Its intention was to  help improve understanding and responses to HBA and harmful practices, and improve interventions and dispel myths and stereotypes. Two papers have been published already, with two currently undergoing review ahead of publication.

Thanking event chair, Professor Louise Almond, for the university’s continuing support, Afrah said: “Our partnership with the University of Liverpool is a powerful one, and it is vitally important that we come together across sectors and locally, nationally and internationally to drive meaningful and impactful change.”

HBA training turns knowledge into action

Savera UK’s Training and Development Manager, Ayesha Alam, began by highlighting the lack of reliable data on the prevalence of HBA and harmful practices as a result of underreporting due to fear of repercussions, mislabelling of HBA incidents that are reported as domestic violence or child abuse, and a lack of statutory definition, meaning that professionals don’t have consistent guidance, causing gaps in protection.

She also addressed stereotypes, such as the misconception that HBA only happens in ‘certain communities’, that perpetrators are always older males and that only women and girls are affected.

Ayesha said: “HBA is much more complex than that. These stereotypes and assumptions are dangerous. The data we have does show that there is higher prevalence in some communities, but anyone can be affected, including men and boys and LGBTQ+ communities, and anyone can be a perpetrator, including women and children.”

Key to addressing stereotypes is research and training, Ayesha continued: “Research helps to challenge assumptions about who commits HBA and harmful practices, where and how it happens, and why it happens. Training is the tool that turns knowledge into action, empowers professionals to recognise non-typical signs of abuse, provide trauma-informed and culturally sensitive support and avoid re-traumatisation of survivors.”

Understanding the parameters of HBA

Addressing ‘atypical’ cases of HBA, defined as cases where the survivor is not from a community where HBA is wrongly attributed as a cultural stereotype, or is not female, PhD student at the University of the West of Scotland, Beth Roper, shared that research and campaign work has highlighted abuse in atypical communities including Travellers, Jewish, African, and British communities, and that it also affects men and boys.

She also shared evidence of female perpetration, and how there is a misconception that female perpetrators are always coerced, when most act jointly with men and in a quarter of cases female perpetrators take the lead. This stereotype leads to poor identification by police and other statutory services.

Beth said: “Viewing cases of HBA through a cultural/gender-based lens may mean atypical survivors are dismissed. Given that we know data on stereotypical cases is limited and if we do not have statistics on HBA in atypical cases, how can we confidently say that the prevalence is in stereotypical communities?”

Beth explained how both ‘stereotypical’ and ‘atypical’ HBA is poorly understood and affected by bias. In the case of stereotypical communities, there is both bias to, and reluctance of flagging HBA in stereotypical communities, while ‘race anxiety’ occurs for both ‘stereotypical’ and ‘atypical’ communities, with this poor understanding among professionals acting as barriers to support for survivors and those at risk.

Beth shared that understanding the parameters and characteristics of HBA, outside of a cultural or gender-based lens is pivotal to better identification, discussing HBA in gang culture, where the community is not stereotypical, but contains all the elements of what ‘honour’ is.

Beth explained: “This is where a statutory definition for HBA, like the one proposed by frontline organisations addressing the issue through the #Push4Change campaign, is vital. This definition doesn’t lean into stereotypes and focuses on the act as any form of abuse and the motivation as any perceived shame or perceived divergence from community norms, which means the definition is supportive of atypical cases.”

HBA through a WEIRD lens

The event concluded with a powerful and emotive presentation by Dr Roxanne Khan, based on her new book ‘The Psychology of Honour Abuse, Violence, and Killings’. Looking back on the cases of Victoria Climbie, 25 years ago, the ‘honour’ killings of Shafilea Ahmed and Banaz Mahmod, 22 and 20 years ago respectively, and Sara Sharif, two years ago, Dr Khan asked: ‘Why is it happening, the same story again and again?

The issue, she proposed, was the focus on cultural and not psychological factors, with most psychological studies done by Western academics of European heritage, mainly in the United States

She said: “It’s been developed from a very WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic) perspective, which isn’t representative of the global population – most of the world isn’t WEIRD. When trying to understand HBA cultural factors are overemphasised, and psychosocial factors are overlooked. This means that we are building interventions that simply don’t fit and abusers weaponise stereotypes and assumptions.”

Using the example of the sister of Banaz Mamod, Payzee, being advised by a therapist to write a letter to her father – one of the men who was convicted of her sister’s murder – in prison, Roxanne highlighted the problem of ignoring the distinct elements of HBA, before summarising them.

• Phase 1 – Control (control and shape behaviour)
• Phase 2 – Punish (punish dishonourable behaviour)
• Phase 3 – Blame (protect perpetrator/blame victim)

At the centre of this model are the enforcers who instigate and enable abuse, and the motivation, to protect ‘honour’ and prevent perceived shame. Dr Khan highlighted how the wider community can be forced to support the abuse for fear of themselves being targeted should they refuse.

She referenced coercive control being described as “death by a thousand cuts’ then encouraged attendees to consider what collective coercive control may feel like, explaining that those experiencing HBA suffer three-fold, from the abuse itself, from self-hate and then from WEIRD, racist services that do not meet their needs when seeking help or justice.

Dr Khan ended by imploring attendees to amplify stories of those who have been lost to ‘honour’ and who can’t speak their truth. She said: “I hope this book encourages us to have uncomfortable conversations about the cracks in the system and racism in HBA education and training, and that we keep talking about victims and survivors, in the hope they might know that they are cherished and loved.”

Following a Q&A session with speakers, chaired by Professor Louise Almond, Afrah closed the event by thanking attendees, who were frontline workers, students, teachers and other sector professionals, for attending and taking steps to better understand HBA and harmful practices.

Afrah concluded: “Fifteen years ago, Savera UK was told that these issues were not present here and did not need addressing. Understanding has improved and we have evidence that it does in fact happen here – last year we saw 300 people referred to our service – but there is still a long way to go. It is still groundbreaking to be here talking about this, and it is only by coming together like, committing to learning and taking action that we can bring the change in society, services and government that is needed to end HBA and harmful practices.”

On Friday 4th July 2025, the Conservative MP for Leicester East, Shivani Raja, submitted a written question to the Secretary of State, asking if the Home Department plans to create a statutory definition of ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA).

It is a question that has been posed on numerous occasions by peer groups in our sector who have agreed a statutory definition and are campaigning for it to be added to the statute book through a targeted campaign #Push4Change.

In February this year, the Minister for Safeguarding and VAWG hosted a roundtable on HBA which was attended by specialist sector organisations and government departments to discuss what a statutory definition could look like, with Home Office officials then working through next steps, yet there is still no statutory definition, or clear actions to create one.

Responding to this latest question, submitted by Shivana Raja MP, the under-Secretary of State, Jess Phillips, responded, saying: “The Government is tackling ‘honour’-based abuse through its landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. Key to this is ensuring that HBA is well understood by frontline professionals, Government agencies, and impacted communities. Currently there is a definition of HBA used by the criminal justice system, but we recognise there is more that can be done to raise the level of consistency of understanding regarding HBA in Government and across statutory services. The Home Office is considering this alongside other measures to prevent HBA from happening, support victims and bring perpetrators to justice. More detail will be set out in our forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.”

Afrah Qassim, Savera UK CEO and Founder, said: “This question is timely and vital. In the past year, as a specialist service helping survivors and those at risk of HBA and harmful practices, we have seen a 46% increase in referrals, yet we know that this is just the tip of the iceberg, as many cases go unidentified, due to lack of understanding and ability to recognise them.

“A statutory definition of HBA would facilitate better identification through shared understanding across all professional sectors, improved protection of survivors and those at risk through improved statutory guidance. It would also drive for more research, improved data collection and more consistent reporting, which would allow more informed decision making and appropriate allocation of resources to specialist services. We stand with our sector peers and urge the government to prioritise the creation and agreement of a statutory definition for HBA, as it will save and change lives, and help us work toward our vision of a world without HBA and harmful practices.”

Last week, we were shocked to read a GB News article that stated “the only reason Britain has female genital mutilation or a forced marriage problem is because of immigration”.

The narrative presented in the article is both concerning and inaccurate, as it conflates ‘honour’-based abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) with specific cultures and faith. Let us be clear, no culture and no faith or religious text promotes or permits these practices. They are abuse and violations of human rights.

There are some who use culture and faith to excuse these practices, but many more who oppose and actively work to end them.

While there is prevalence in some groups where cases of FGM, forced marriage and HBA are identified, there are also cases that emerge from outside of these groups. As a frontline charity, working to end these forms of abuse, we see cases in broad sections of society, including white communities.

The article also fails to address the historical roots of practices such as FGM and position it as something that has been “brought into” Britain by immigrants. In fact, in the second half of the nineteenth century, doctors performed ‘clitoridectomies’ (Type 1 FGM) on women, which is the removal of the clitoris, as a way of suppressing and controlling female libido, with the most prominent advocate of this practice being the English gynaecologist Isaac Baker Brown. There were also numerous male British and American medics who also supported this practice.

The narrative of this article is dangerous, inaccurate and designed to misinform and stir up hate and division, and demonise whole communities and cultures. What is actually needed to address these issues in an educational way to allow better identification and more effective response, and recognise them as human rights violations rather than saying that culture and religion/faith are the problem, because our cultures are beautiful and not an excuse for abuse. 

To learn more about HBA and harmful practices like FGM and harmful practices, visit the Savera UK Learning Hub

About Savera UK

Savera UK is a Merseyside-based national charity working to end ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and harmful practices. It aims to eliminate all such practices for good, through safeguarding, advocacy, education, and engagement, awareness-raising and campaigning for policy, attitude and behaviour change. It also provides direct intervention services to survivors and those at risk, regardless of age, culture, sexuality, gender or ethnicity. Savera UK’s vision is ‘a world without ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices’.

Our two strategic objectives are to:

1. Improve the lives of people who have experienced/are experiencing ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices.
2. Improve attitudes, behaviours and systemic responses around ‘honour’-based abuse and harmful practices.

About the Project

Savera UK have been successful on obtaining 4-year funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, to develop and implement our current and new Training and Education project. This includes delivering training and education programmes with the aim to equip professionals with appropriate skills and resources to shape their response to HBA and harmful practices. We also aim to improve knowledge and understanding of HBA and Harmful Practices among young people and the community and how those at risk and under threat can seek appropriate support.
As the project moves into a new phase, we are commissioning an external evaluator to measure the project’s impact, effectiveness, and learning outcomes. We are inviting proposals from experienced individuals or organisations with expertise in evaluation, particularly in the field of safeguarding, cultural competency, and training and education.

We are seeking an external evaluator who can:

• Design and implement an evaluation framework to assess outcomes and impact
• Engage with diverse participants including young people, professionals and community groups
• Use both qualitative and quantitative methodologies
• Provide a final written report with key findings, insights, and recommendations
• Demonstrate sensitivity to the complexities of HBA and harmful practices
• Work collaboratively and flexibly with Savera UK’s project team

Project Timeline:

The project started November 2023 and be completed by Oct 2027 , with the evaluation to be completed and launch finding by December 2027/Jan 2028

Project Evaluation budget:

£8k

Essential Criteria:

• Relevant Education and experiences in evaluation
• Specific or equivalent evaluation experiences in community-based education/training projects
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
• Familiarity with trauma-informed and culturally competent approaches
• Excellent communication and report writing skills
• Ability to work within the project timeline and budget

To Apply

If you are an individual consultant or evaluation organisation interested in this opportunity, please send:

• Your up-to-date CV (individuals) or organisational profile
• A proposal outlining your approach, methodology, relevant experience, timescales, and total cost
• Evidence of professional liability insurance (if successful)
• Two professional references
• Complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. Click here to download the form

If you’d prefer to view the invitation to tender as a PDF, you can download it here.

*Applicant must live and work within the UK

Submit to: [email protected]

Applications are now closed

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview