If you’re searching for domestic abuse support in Mansfield and Ashfield, or looking for a healthy relationships workshop for young people in Nottinghamshire, this is exactly the kind of work we do — and exactly why we do it.

This week, our Community Engagement Worker, Donna, spent the day with young people at Inspire & Achieve Foundation in Mansfield Woodhouse, running an awareness-raising session on healthy and unhealthy relationships. It’s one of many sessions NIDAS delivers across the Mansfield and Ashfield area, working directly with schools, youth groups and community organisations to help young people recognise the signs of abuse before they ever need our support in a crisis.

Starting With a Simple Question: What Does Love Mean to You?

Every good conversation about relationships has to start somewhere accessible — and for this group, that starting point was a stone.

Each young person was given a stone to decorate, representing what love means to them. It’s a small, creative exercise, but it does something important: it gets young people thinking about their own definition of love and connection before the conversation turns to what happens when that definition gets distorted.

Red Flags vs Green Flags: Naming the Difference

From there, the session moved into a direct discussion of red flags and green flags in relationships — practical, relatable signs that help young people recognise:

• What healthy respect, trust and communication actually look like (green flags)
• Common warning signs of controlling, jealous, or manipulative behaviour (red flags)
• Why “unhealthy” and “abusive” aren’t automatically the same thing — and where that line actually sits

 

Using the Power and Control Wheel to Explain Where the Line Is

One of the most useful tools in this kind of session is the Power and Control Wheel — a well-established model used across the domestic abuse sector to map out the different tactics that can appear in an abusive relationship, from isolation and intimidation to financial control and emotional manipulation.

Donna used the wheel to help the group understand a question that comes up a lot in this work: what actually makes a relationship abusive, rather than just unhealthy or difficult?

It’s a distinction that matters, because recognising the pattern early — in a friend’s relationship or their own — gives young people the language and confidence to act on it.

Why This Work Matters in Mansfield and Ashfield

NIDAS is Nottinghamshire’s specialist domestic abuse service, and a core part of what we do is prevention and education work with young people across Mansfield, Ashfield, and the wider county — not just crisis support once abuse has already happened.

Sessions like this one give young people the tools to:

• Recognise red flags in their own relationships or a friend’s
• Understand the difference between a difficult relationship and an abusive one
• Know that support exists locally, and know how to reach it

If you’re a parent, teacher, youth worker or young person based in Mansfield, Ashfield, or across Nottinghamshire searching for support around healthy relationships, coercive control, or domestic abuse — you’re in the right place, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Bring a Session Like This to Your Group

We regularly deliver awareness sessions, workshops and talks for schools, youth organisations, community groups and events across Mansfield, Ashfield and the wider Nottinghamshire area, covering topics including:

• Healthy vs unhealthy relationships
• Red flags and green flags
• Coercive control and the Power and Control Wheel
• Domestic abuse awareness for young people

Want a session like this for your school, youth group or organisation in Mansfield, Ashfield, or elsewhere in Nottinghamshire?

Get in touch with our team at 📧 [email protected]  We’d love to come and talk to your group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does NIDAS offer domestic abuse support in Mansfield and Ashfield? Yes. NIDAS is Nottinghamshire’s specialist domestic abuse service, providing free, confidential support to anyone affected by domestic abuse across Mansfield, Ashfield, and the wider county, including specialist services for women and children.

Does NIDAS run healthy relationships workshops for young people? Yes. NIDAS delivers awareness-raising sessions and workshops for schools, youth groups and community organisations, covering topics such as red flags and green flags, healthy vs unhealthy relationships, and coercive control, using tools like the Power and Control Wheel.

What is the Power and Control Wheel? The Power and Control Wheel is a widely used model in the domestic abuse sector that illustrates the different tactics — such as intimidation, isolation, and financial control — that an abusive partner may use to maintain power over the other person. It’s often used in education and awareness sessions to help people understand what abuse can look like beyond physical violence.

What’s the difference between an unhealthy relationship and an abusive one? Not every unhealthy relationship is abusive, but abuse is often rooted in a consistent pattern of power and control, rather than isolated conflict or disagreement. NIDAS’s awareness sessions help young people understand this distinction and recognise the signs.

How do I book NIDAS for a session at my school or youth group in Mansfield or Ashfield? Email [email protected] with details of your group, and our team will be in touch to arrange a session.

NIDAS is Nottinghamshire’s specialist domestic abuse service, supporting anyone affected by domestic abuse with free, confidential help, emotional support, safety planning and practical guidance. If you or someone you know needs support, call 01623 683 250, email [email protected], or visit nidas.org.uk.