Sir Roger Gale
Member of Parliament for Herne Bay and Sandwich (including West Thanet)
 

At the 2017 General Election, the Prime Minister made a Manifesto commitment to review funding for refuges. The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy for 2016-20 set out our determination to provide support for refuges and other accommodation-based services, helping local areas ensure that no victim is turned away from the support that they require at the time of need. We also committed to reviewing the locally-led approach to commissioning of domestic abuse services.

 

To meet these commitments, in January 2018 the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, began a full review of the funding and commissioning of domestic abuse services in England. The team has worked closely with sector partners, drawing on their data, expertise and knowledge. As a result the review complements wider Government work on tackling these devastating crimes and supporting victims and will be reflected in the new Domestic Abuse Bill.

 

Government and MPs like myself who have worked closely with our local refuges (Oasis and others  in Thanet and Canterbury) understand that victims and their children will live in a variety of different forms of safe accommodation and will need support to stay safe and rebuild their lives in all of these. This includes outreach support to remain protected in properties with enhanced security measures, in emergency or temporary accommodation, in dispersed accommodation and in the traditional refuges. While refuge plays a critical role in supporting those victims at high risk of serious harm, the proposals deliberately keep the definition of ‘accommodation-based’ wide to include the full range of safe accommodation in which victims and their children may receive support. This is designed to help local authorities meet the needs of a diverse group of victims and their children and of those at lower and medium risk to prevent their needs from escalating.

 

The Secretary of State announced last week that, for the first time ever, a legal duty will be placed on local authorities to deliver support to survivors of domestic abuse and their children in safe accommodation. He wants to safeguard provision of support, clarify expectations of governance and accountability and ensure needs assessments are undertaken. He will now need to ensure that this initiative has the support of the Treasury and that the necessary resources are made available so that it works on the ground as well as on paper. With that proviso we ought to be on course to help to at last guarantee that more victims and their families, both in North Thanet and nationwide, better overcome grim experiences and move forward to live full and independent lives in the security that they deserve.