Agenda item

Report of Rachel Chapman, Consultant Public Health

The Board considered a report and received a presentation from Rachel Chapman, Consultant Public Health which informed of the results of the Domestic Abuse Needs Assessment; the updated Domestic Abuse Strategy and progress in delivery of the requirements of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

The report indicated that at their meeting on 12^th July 2021 the Board had received a report on the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 which set out the wide range of provisions and responsibilities in the Act to protect victims and children, including the establishment of a Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board as a statutory board of the Local Authority.

Under the duties set out by the Act, a needs assessment for domestic abuse support for victims and children in Coventry had been carried out. The needs assessment incorporated a comprehensive engagement exercise which included surveys completed by 71 survivors and 51 practitioners, multiple focus groups and more than 30 interviews with stakeholders. The intelligence from this was supplemented with data from multiple sources and a literature review. While the initial focus of the needs assessment was on accommodation-based support, the information gathered enabled analysis of current needs across the wider agenda of domestic abuse.

The Executive Summary contained the key findings and 23 recommendations across the following areas: criminal and civil justice system; perpetrators; health services; safe accommodation for victims and families; support for victims and their children; housing; and individuals with no recourse to public funds or language challenges. A copy of this summary was set out at an appendix to the report.

The Board noted that a series of actions have been developed in response to the needs identified with lead agencies nominated to take the work forwards. Delivery of the action plan will be monitored by Domestic Abuse Steering group, reporting to the Local Partnership Board. A copy of the action plan was attached at a second appendix to the report.

The current Coventry Domestic Abuse Strategy 2018-2023 was reviewed in light of the findings of the needs assessment. The current 4P framework of Prepare, Prevent, Protect and Pursue supported a systematic multi-agency approach to tackling Domestic Abuse and fitted well with the needs assessment findings. The strategy had been extended to 2025 to enable delivery of the action plan. The needs assessment, action plan and strategy extension had been approved at by full Council.

The City Council had received Government grant funding of £849,930 in 2021/22 to “fulfil the functions of the new statutory duty on Tier 1 Local Authorities relating to the provision of support to victims of domestic abuse and their children residing within safe accommodation”. The funding for future years was dependent on the new burden assessment. The report detailed the additional provision that had been commissioned using the grant.

The presentation summarised the main parts of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and highlighted the current rates of domestic violence in Coventry and the West Midlands. Progress to date was outlined along with details about the Needs Assessment. The four priority areas of the Domestic Abuse strategy were highlighted along with details of the services commissioned from 2019 and the new services commissioned in 2021/22. The presentation concluded with details of the various Working Groups.

RESOLVED that the results of the needs assessment, the updated Domestic Abuse Strategy and the action plan be noted.