Freedom of information response
Domestic Abuse Strategy
By virtue of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, each tier one local authority has a duty to appoint a multi-agency Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board and to prepare and publish a strategy for accommodation-based support in its area.
The key duties are set out in s57 and s58 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 as follows:
57. Support provided by local authorities to victims of domestic abuse
(1) Each relevant local authority in England must—
(a) assess, or make arrangements for the assessment of, the need for accommodation-based support in its area,
(b)prepare and publish a strategy for the provision of such support in its area, and
(c) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)—
“accommodation-based support” means support, in relation to domestic abuse, provided to victims of domestic abuse, or their children, who reside in relevant accommodation;
“relevant accommodation” means accommodation of a description specified by the Secretary of State in regulations.
(3) A relevant local authority that publishes a strategy under this section must, in carrying out its functions, give effect to the strategy.
(4) Before publishing a strategy under this section, a relevant local authority must consult—
(a) the domestic abuse local partnership board appointed by the relevant local authority under section 58,
(b) any local authority for an area within the relevant local authority’s area, and
(c) such other persons as the relevant local authority considers appropriate.
(5) A relevant local authority that publishes a strategy under this section—
(a) must keep the strategy under review,
(b) must keep under review any effect of the strategy on the provision of other local authority support in its area,
(c)may alter or replace the strategy, and
(d) must publish any altered or replacement strategy.
58 Domestic abuse local partnership boards
(1) A relevant local authority in England must appoint a domestic abuse local partnership board for the purposes of providing advice to the authority about—
(a) the exercise of the authority’s functions under section 57, and
(b) the provision of other local authority support in the authority’s area.
MY REQUEST
1 - Please confirm whether you have appointed a Partnership Board and confirm the make-up of the same; and
2 - Please confirm whether you have written and published a strategy pursuant to s57 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021;
3 - If the answer to question (2) above is yes, please confirm the date it was published and provide a copy of the strategy;
4 - If the answer to question (2) above is yes, please provide details of how you are giving effect to the strategy with reference to the statutory guidance on the same;
5 - If the answer to question (2) above is no, please provide your anticipated timescales for publication of a strategy pursuant to s57.
1 - Please confirm whether you have appointed a Partnership Board and confirm the make-up of the same
Yes, the Board exists and has the following representation:
- Adult Social Care: Safeguarding
- Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children's Board
- Housing Safeguarding Team -housing
- Community Safety Partnership
- Southend Essex and Thurrock Domestic Abuse Board
- Essex Police
- NHS
- Public Health Team
- Children's Services
- SERICC (South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre)
- The Change Project
- Youth Offending Service
- Quality Assurance Child Protection Conferencing
- VAWG Co-Ordinator
- Thurrock Safeguarding Adults Board
- Thurrock Community Safety, Emergency Planning and Resilience
- Changing Pathways
- Wize Up
- MAPPA
- NELFT
- Inclusion Visions- Thurrock
2 - Please confirm whether you have written and published a strategy pursuant to s57 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021; YES
3 - If the answer to question (2) above is yes, please confirm the date it was published and provide a copy of the strategy;
https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/violence-against-women-and-girls/strategies-and-policies - updated October 2021 to reflect Local Authority duties under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021
4 - If the answer to question (2) above is yes, please provide details of how you are giving effect to the strategy with reference to the statutory guidance on the same;
We have given effect to the strategy, responding to the findings of the needs assessment through commissioning services or reviewing the following areas, as detailed in 2.4 of the strategy.
- Support around financial inclusion for victims supporting access to education, training and employment in preparation for moving on from the refuge.
- Support to increase staff knowledge and working practices around victims with physical and learning disabilities and mental health issues.
- Specialist drug and alcohol support for resident adults & children.
- Support to expedite the process of moving on from refuge to independent accommodation when safe to do so and to ensure support is continued once victims are settled.
- Implementation of trauma informed psychological support for resident adults and children.
- Specialist sexual violence counselling support
- Increase in capacity of the existing children's worker to support parenting work.
- Tutoring for resident children who as a result of moving into refuge have additional identified learning needs.
- Improve data collection and data sharing
- Improve provision to meet the needs of those residing in safe accommodation
- Review current safe accommodation options to increase accessibility for all
5 - If the answer to question (2) above is no, please provide your anticipated timescales for publication of a strategy pursuant to s57.
An amended version will be forthcoming from July 2023, following revision of the wider VAWG document, which includes the DA strategy within it.
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