Agenda item

To consider the attached report.

 

The Committee considered a report that reviewed Domestic Violence in Havering.

 

The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse was defined as:

Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour,  violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This could encompass any of the following types of abuse:

·       psychological

·       physical

·       sexual

·       financial

·       emotional

The Council’s community safety team co-ordinates the Domestic Violence Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and, in conjunction with Housing and Adult Social Services, commissions a number of services to support victims of domestic violence and their families break the cycle of domestic abuse, through the legal process to prosecution of the perpetrator.

 

Domestic violence in Havering – the facts

The Committee was informed that Domestic violence was prevalent in Havering and had a significant impact on the Council’s Living Ambition Vision to provide Havering residents with the highest quality of life.  Domestic violence was under reported in Havering which follows national trends as detailed in the breakdown of domestic and sexual violence in Havering as of 25 March 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Domestic and sexual violence

 

Havering	12 months to January 2014	12 months to January 2013
Domestic violence	1,329	1,245
Rape	77	54
Other sexual	129	134

 

·         For domestic violence this represented an increase of 6.7% in Havering and a Met-wide increase of 8.7%.

 

·         For rape in Havering this represented a 42.6% increase, compared to a Met-wide increase of 22.8%.

 

·         Other sexual offences across the borough saw a 3.7% decrease, compared to a 0.7% increase across London. 

 

(Source: Metropolitan Police March 2014)

 

The Committee was informed that victims of domestic violence have access to the following services in Havering:

 

Refuge

Havering Women’s Aid provided refuge accommodation for women fleeing domestic violence and abuse.  Currently there are two refuges in Havering.  Refuge one was based in an existing refuge building owned by Havering council.  This refuge consisted of 23 bed spaces.  Refuge two was a newly converted building owned by Old Ford Housing Association.  The building consisted of fourteen self-contained flats, varying from a bedsit to one, two and three bedroom flats and has forty bed spaces.  In 2012-13, one hundred and ten families were supported in refuge accommodation. In the first three quarters of 2013-14, eighty families had been supported in local refuges. 

 

Advocacy and support group service

Havering Women’s Aid was commissioned to provide a minimum of 204 two hour drop-in sessions in the borough.  In addition to the drop in, the service is supported by an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor who provides two hours support to victims. 

 

Floating Support

The floating support service provided emotional and practical help, advice and information to women and children experiencing domestic abuse who want to remain within their own home.  In 2012-2013 the service provided 11,960 hours of floating support to one hundred and thirty one families. 

 

Victim Support Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA)

The Community Safety team and the Home Office jointly funded the IDVA post.  The IDVA supports domestic abuse clients through the criminal justice process and refers high risk cases of domestic violence to the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference.

 

Maternity Service IDVA

The Maternity Service IDVA contract based at Queens Hospital and commissioned by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), ended in March 2014.  There was currently no plans by the CCG to re-commission the service – which potentially had implications for vulnerable pregnant women, especially, as pregnancy is often a time that domestic violence commences for the first time.

 

Age UK Havering Safe at Home Service

The service, which was commissioned by the Council and was provided by Age UK, provided a ‘target hardening’ (securing of windows and doors) service, and remained free to victims of domestic violence.  For the year to date forty-six homes of domestic violence victims had been target hardened. 

 

East London Rape Crisis Centre

Havering, along with Newham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Barking & Dagenham had contributed £20,000 each to funding the Centre.  The service provided free confidential specialist help for women and girls who had been raped or experienced any other form of sexual violence.   The service was for women and girls aged 14 years and above.  In 2012-13, ninety-five Havering clients were referred to the service.

 

Specialist domestic violence worker in the Tier 3 team

A specialist domestic violence worker based in the Council’s Tier 3 team within the Children’s, Adults and Housing directorate, employed by Havering Women’s Aid.  The role was to ensure the effective co-ordination of domestic abuse cases which had been identified by the Tier 3 team and to provide practical and emotional support for victims and their children. 

 

Independent Domestic Abuse Programme (IDAP)

IDAP was a group work programme specially designed for men who have been abusive to spouses, partner and ex-partners.  It was designed to challenge offender’s patterns of thinking that underpin and maintained their violent and abusive behaviour. 

 

Women’s Safety Officer – Probation

The Women’s Safety Officer provided contact and support to spouses and partners of men who are undertaking the IDAP.  The Officer supported forty one victims of domestic violence in 2012-13.  Probation had identified a lack of funding as the main risk to the continuation of the post.

 

 

 

MARAC

The Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) safeguards adult male and female victims of domestic violence and their children, manage offender behaviour and safeguard staff working with families.  Since 2009 there has been a significant increase in the number of cases heard at MARAC.

 

The 2013 figures represent a 14.90% increase on the previous year.  Referrals were being received from a wide range of agencies, however, this year there had been no MARAC referrals from Education, Drug services, secondary acute trust and the voluntary sector.

 

Pan London Domestic Violence Projects

A number of pan London domestic violence projects were available to Havering victims of domestic violence, funded by the London Borough Grants Scheme, organised by London Councils, to which the Council contributed funding to each year.  These include:

 

• Thyme domestic and sexual violence project for female offenders
• Women in Prisons advice line
• London Violence Against Women and Girls consortium – provide preventative projects in schools, advice & counselling, domestic & sexual violence helplines, specialist refuge provision and support on harmful practices.  To date the consortium had provided training for 11 professionals. 
• Rights of Women help line provides free legal advice
• DViP family safety project works with domestic violence perpetrators and their families
• Tender Education & Arts – provided workshops in schools on themes such as domestic and sexual violence, promotion of healthy relationships and warning signs.  The project had worked in Gaynes School, Sander Drapers and Brittons.  Work was due to commence in one primary school and one out of school setting. 
• GALOP Domestic Abuse Project – support gay men and women experiencing domestic violence through advocacy, counselling and practical help.  Twenty staff attended a recent professionals training event. 
• Sign Health supports deaf victims of domestic violence
• Women’s Aid
• Eaves Housing for Women – provided support and emergency accommodation for trafficked women.
• Ashiana – provide support and emergency accommodation for women and children particularly from South Asian and Turkish communities.  The service had provided workshops on healthy relationships and counselling for local girls and women. 
• Women’s Resource Centre – provide support and advice around sustainability, management and training for voluntary and community organisations working in the area of sexual and domestic violence services, including how to better meet the needs of men and boys.
• Pan London Domestic and Sexual Violence Help Line – two hundred and forty three Havering women had called the help line. 

 

All London Councils projects were subject to funding.  The current projects are funded from 2013 to 2015. 

 

Counselling provision through Relate, Women’s Trust and Phoenix Counselling

The Charity Relate had a network of counsellors trained for domestic violence referrals.  The organisation does not receive funding from the council and the majority of clients self-refer or were recommended by other agencies.  Most referrals are self-funded with the exception of a few that are funded through children’s social care.  For year 2012-13 Relate counselled one hundred and thirty nine adult clients.  This figure increased to one hundred and ninety clients in 2013-14.

 

The Committee noted the update.