2026 European Coercive Control & Children Conference
Our 2026 European Coercive Control & Children Conference is officially scheduled for 10–11 February 2026 and will be delivered virtually via Zoom Events!
This two-day gathering will unite practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and advocates from across the European region—creating opportunities to build connections and hear from a range of partners from across Europe about implementing the Safe & Together Model and domestic abuse–informed practice.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Safe & Together Model—a framework that has revolutionised child protection for tens of thousands of professionals across more than a dozen countries and transformed how systems worldwide keep children safe with protective parents while effectively intervening with parents who perpetrate abuse.
Since its founding in April 2006, the Institute has grown from a small, locally focused initiative into a global leader in systems change. While much work remains, this event will be a moment to both reflect on the Model’s impact over the past two decades and look ahead to its future goals.
10 February will include masterclasses from 10:00 to 16:00, and 11 February will be the main conference from 09:30 to 16:30. Join us in advancing child and family well-being at this groundbreaking gathering that will bring together leading practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and advocates to address one of the most pressing child protection issues of our time. This premier event will focus on innovative approaches to identifying, understanding, and responding to coercive control in families, with particular emphasis on protecting children and supporting protective parents.
Our presentations and workshops will highlight work in the following categories:
Domestic Abuse–Informed Practice: You’ll learn about practice that impacts child safety and well-being in the context of domestic violence, frameworks and practice models that are parallel or complementary to the Safe & Together value system, and/or practices that grew out of implementation of the Safe & Together Model. Connect with practitioners from across sectors who are pioneering new approaches and forming cross-system partnerships.
Family Law: Building on Safe & Together’s work in the family law space globally, we’ll look at how we can transform the way family law understands and responds to domestic abuse and coercive control. This will be an opportunity to hear from legal professionals, child protection workers, and advocates who are transforming how the justice system responds to coercive control.
Multi-Agency Teams: Embedding a Perpetrator Pattern–Based Approach: Building on our collaboration with multi-agency partners, we’ll explore how the Safe & Together Model is reshaping various sector responses to domestic violence and where we go next. This includes moving from fragmented, deficit-focused approaches to integrated trauma- and violence-informed responses grounded in clear behavioural analyses of harm. Network with system leaders, practitioners, and researchers who are breaking down silos between services.
David Mandel, CEO and founder of the Safe & Together Institute, will be delivering a powerful keynote reflecting on two decades of global systems change. From its start in one small jurisdiction in one country to becoming an internationally recognised movement for improving responses to domestic abuse and child safety, the Safe & Together Model has changed the way hundreds of thousands of professionals act, think, and collaborate, impacting millions of children and helping to keep them safe and together with their protective parents. This session will celebrate the collective achievements of the past 20 years—born from partnerships with practitioners, agencies, advocates, and survivors across more than a dozen countries. From research results to impacts on diverse sectors to a growing network of 500 Certified Trainers, David will share key milestones and results.
This keynote will not just be a retrospective. David will outline the future of the Institute, spotlighting the Institute’s growing commitment to local collaborations, digital transformation, and its continued thought leadership in areas like credible experts, men’s behaviour, trauma, and domestic violence perpetration. Whether you’ve been with the movement since its inception or are just discovering it, this keynote is a chance to align with a future where children’s safety, survivor partnership, and accountability for perpetrators as parents are not just values but realised changes and the benchmark for global best practice.
The convergence of the Safe & Together Model’s 20th anniversary with the urgent need for innovative responses to coercive control makes this a pivotal moment in family safety and well-being. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner, emerging leader, or system changemaker, this conference will equip you with cutting-edge knowledge, practical tools, and a powerful professional network to amplify your impact.
Speakers to be announced soon!
Early bird pricing ends 1 December 2025! Secure your place in this transformational gathering and join colleagues from across the European region who are committed to keeping children safe and families together.
Please note: VAT will be applied at checkout. Login credentials via Zoom Events will be shared on 1 February 2026.