Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

 

Councillors A Khan and P Akhtar, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities have been invited to the meeting for consideration of this item along with the following representatives:

 

Inspector Gary Osbourne, West Midlands Police

Kimberley Evans, Fry Housing

Rosie Kaur Gakhal, Safe and Supported Partnership

Sarah Marsden, Fry Housing

Martina Palmer, Refuge

Susan Parkes, Barnardos

 

The Committee considered a Briefing Note which provided an update on the implementation and performance of Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) services in the City which commenced on 29 September, 2014. The Briefing Note particularly focused on:-

 

  • Features of the service that have made a tangible change to service

  delivery

 

  • Development areas across the term of the contract

 

Commissioned DVA services commenced on 29 September, 2014 and replaced existing contracts. The current contract is for a period of four years and includes the Single Point of Access (SPA) service for Coventry, which aims to provide a “one-stop” contact point for victims of domestic violence. The contract consists of four providers, each providing a specific element of the service model:-

 

  • Refuge – Helpline/single point of access and victim community-based

  support

 

  • Safe and Supported Partnership (SSP) – Victim supported

  accommodation

 

  • Barnardo’s Defuze – Children and young people’s service

 

  • Fry Housing Trust – Perpetrator service

 

Representatives of all four providers were present at the meeting.

 

The Briefing Note indicated that delivery funding total £1,187,700 for 2017/18 and is shared across local agencies.

 

In terms of performance, the following changes that have made a difference since the start of the contract were detailed:-

 

  • A clear single point of access for victims and professionals to request

  support

 

   • Improvements to information sharing protocols across partner agencies

    to ensure that victims and children are not missed and receive

  appropriate and timely support

 

  • Improvements to case management processes through the Refuge

    IMPACT database; a single case management database that enables

  multi-agency working to deliver a seamless service in Coventry

 

  • Increasing the number of supported accommodation from 40 to 54 units

 

  • DVA services are represented on the DVA Operations Group (a

 

  meeting of key stakeholders including social care, the police,

safeguarding leads, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust and

Coventry and rugby Clinical Commissioning Group)

 

• A perpetrator programme that has seen a growing number of people

across the service

 

The services have been running for 2 years, 6 months. It was anticipated that across the term of the contract there would be areas of support that would need to be developed or adapted, hence the focus on a flexible service model.

 

Areas currently being progressed include:-

 

  • Developing a process for victims requiring supported accommodation

    with no recourse to public funds who do not have children

 

  • Establishing prioritisation criteria for perpetrator service

 

  • Eliminating duplication of paperwork being completed by providers for

  the same case (e.g. risk assessment) 

 

  • Raising awareness and understanding of DVA services by partner

  agencies across all levels including roles and responsibilities

 

• Making links with the Law centre on complementary services provided

 for victims requiring legal support or advice

 

The Committee noted that Coventry Haven, a non-contracted support provider for domestic violence and abuse services, is still active in the City and provides a valuable service to people in Coventry.

 

The Briefing Note highlighted performance data, governance arrangements and details of a Perpetrator Programme.

 

The Committee questioned officers and representatives of the service providers on aspects of the Briefing Note including:-

 

  • How the Coventry Haven fits into service provision

 

  • How “success” is evaluated

 

  • Communication between service providers and social workers

 

  • Setting of KPI’s and the collation of performance data (The Committee

    requested that they be provided with a synopsis on the performance

  data available and how the contract is monitored)

 

  • The perpetrator scheme

 

RESOLVED that the Committee:-

(1)  Notes and welcomes the progress of the services and outcomes achieved

 

(2)  Notes the governance arrangements in place regarding monitoring and how the service links to statutory services

 

(3)  Requests officers to work with partner agencies to support the lack of provision for those victims with no recourse for public funds

 

(4)  Requests that officers, working with partner agencies, raise the issue of introducing legislation that makes the attendance on perpetrator courses mandatory

 

(5)   Requests that officers provide information regarding Domestic Violence, including statistical information, and how to report incidents, to be placed on the Council’s website

 

(6)  Recommends that the Cabinet Member:-

 

(a)  Highlights the success of the partnership working on this issue with the Local Government association, with a view to replicating this practise across the country

 

(b)  Considers the Committee’s offer of Scrutiny providing support when setting the KPI’s for the new contract

 

(c)  Refers the report regarding the awarding of the new contract to Scrutiny before final approval