Agenda item

To consider the allocation of grant funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to support victims and their families experiencing domestic abuse in Wiltshire.

Report to follow.

The Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection, Leisure, Libraries, Facilities Management and Operational Assets introduced the report outlining how Wiltshire Council intended to spend a grant allocation of £832,348, from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in 2022-23. He explained that it was anticipated that funding would also be in place for 2023-24 but had not yet been confirmed. A Public Health specialist in the Vulnerable Communities Team and a Public Health consultant then provided background information about the demand for domestic abuse support services and how the council had spent the grant for 2021-22. They then elaborated on proposals to spend the money allocated for 2022-23. Key points included:

• Wiltshire Council has a statutory responsibility for the provision of support to victims of domestic abuse and their children residing in safe accommodation.

• The Institute for Public Care at Oxford Brookes University had undertaken a needs analysis in June 2021 which helped to inform Wiltshire Council’s strategy for the procurement and commissioning of services. The study identified that some groups, such as men and people from ethnic minority backgrounds were more likely to be hidden victims of domestic abuse.

• A perpetrator strategy was being developed to work with individuals committing abuse to make them less likely to reoffend.

• Grants were awarded by central government on an annual basis and had to be spent in accordance with strict timeframes and guidelines. To make the best use of the available funding within these parameters there was a strong emphasis on different agencies working together and contract variations were agreed with existing suppliers.

• Local authorities received the grant funding simultaneously, so the recruitment of specialists was highly competitive. Due to the challenges in recruiting additional staff, training was provided to upskill the existing workforce.

• There was a strong focus on prevention and making people feel safe in their own homes, so the use of safe accommodation was seen as a last resort.

• As funding was awarded on an annual basis, it was not possible to commission services over the longer term. However, staff were able to build upon the experience of the first year of the project and there was anecdotal evidence of better outcomes for people using the service.

• Outcome data showing the impact of the 2021-22 funding would be available towards the end of 2022.

The committee were then invited to consider the outline proposals for the spending of the funding allocated for 2022-23 ahead of the final report being sent to Cabinet for approval on 11 October. During the discussion the following points were raised:

• Members thanked the cabinet member and Public Health officers for the update.

• Given the short-term nature of the funding, members asked whether lessons could be taken from the project to improve service delivery even if the grants were not renewed in future. In response, the Public Health consultant explained that there were lessons that could be taken forward, such as improving the pathway for people with complex needs by making sure they received help from a core group of staff rather than having to go to multiple agencies for support.

• It was confirmed that the military did not provide direct funding for the scheme but that the council worked closely with the military. Given the size of the military population in the county, as well as the unique pressures faced by military personnel, some staff were designated specifically to work with military families.

• Leader of the Council, Cllr Richard Clewer, reported that respite care was provided by the military at the Cotswold Centre and stated that the council was working to strengthen these links even further, including by working with the Army Welfare Service to signpost vulnerable individuals.

• In a response to a question about the proportion of male victims that were in same sex relationships, the public health specialist explained that the majority of male victims were in heterosexual relationships, but it was possible that men in same sex relationships were harder to reach. She then reassured members that there was an engagement worker specifically for people in harder reach groups to develop a better understanding of why some victims are less likely to seek support. 

• It was noted that the greatest increase in reporting had been from older people coming forward. There has also been an increase in the reports of parents being victims of abuse from their children.

• When asked about whether the victims that came forward reflected the demographics of the county, the public health specialist clarified that 76 percent of victims were female and most were between the age of 26 and 35. She then offered to share further statistics with the committee.

Resolved

1. To note how Wiltshire’s Domestic Abuse External Grant for the provision of support for victims and their families was allocated in 2021-22.

2. To note the outline plans regarding how the grant in 2022-23 will be allocated, with this to be determined by Cabinet on 11 October 2022.

3. To note the specific challenges and work ongoing to support victims of domestic abuse within hard-to-reach groups.

4. To schedule a future update on outcomes from the Domestic Abuse External Grant and other domestic abuse work in 2022-23.