Agenda item

To approve the 2021-2024 Domestic Abuse Strategy and to allocate New Burdens funding for 2022-2024

Resolved:-

1.1           That the 2021-24 Domestic Abuse Strategy as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.

1.2           That approval be given to carry forward the projected underspend of £150,000 Domestic Abuse New Burdens Funding for 2021-22 as a reserve and that it be used to partly fund the interventions in 2022-23 (£62,500) and 2023-24 (£87,500).

1.3           That approval be given to allocate New Burdens funding, outlined in Table 1 of the Cabinet report, of £907,042 in 2022-23 and £932,042 in 2023-24 to support the delivery of the strategy, ensuring that Sandwell fully complies with the new statutory duty for the delivery of specialist support to domestic abuse victims and children in safe accommodation, subject to the confirmation of the funding allocation for 2023-24 from central government.

1.4           That approval is given to award grant funding totalling up to £223,609 (£205,737 in 2022-23 and £17,872 in 2023-24) to Black Country Women’s Aid (BCWA), as detailed in Table 2 of the Cabinet report, from New Burdens funding for a range of interventions which will assist in delivering the Domestic Abuse Strategy and the statutory duty for domestic abuse.

Approval was sought for the 2021-2024 Domestic Abuse Strategy and for allocation of New Burdens funding for 2022-2024.

Reason for Decision

There was a new statutory duty for the provision of specialist support for victims of domestic abuse and their children in safe accommodation from April 2021. This duty formed part of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and required that a safe accommodation needs assessment was undertaken which would inform a safe accommodation strategy.

The proposed programme of investment included allocation of New Burdens Funding to: -

•       the provision of refuge accommodation and community-based support for victims of domestic abuse that was currently funded by the council and would therefore support the financial savings to be achieved by the budget strategy;

•       interventions that commenced in 2021-22 funded by the first year of New Burdens funding;

•       new interventions as identified by the domestic abuse needs assessment.

Alternative Options Considered

The alternative option was to not approve the Domestic Strategy 2021-2024 and proposed allocation of New Burdens funding for 2022-2024. However, this would jeopardise efforts to meet the Council’s statutory duty for the provision of specialist support for victims of domestic abuse and their children in safe accommodation outlined in Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Agreed:-

(1)     that the 2021-24 Domestic Abuse Strategy as now submitted be approved;

(2)     that approval be given to carry forward the projected underspend of £150,000 Domestic Abuse New Burdens Funding for 2021-22 as a reserve and that it be used to partly fund the interventions in 2022-23 (£62,500) and 2023-24 (£87,500);

(3)     that approval be given to allocate New Burdens funding outlined in Table 1 below of £907,042 in 2022-23 and £932,042 in 2023-24 to support the delivery of the strategy, ensuring that Sandwell fully complies with the new statutory duty for the delivery of specialist support to domestic abuse victims and children in safe accommodation, subject to the confirmation of the funding allocation for 2023-24 from central government:

(4)     that approval be given to award grant funding totalling up to £223,609 (£205,737 in 2022-23 and £17,872 in 2023-24) to Black Country Women’s Aid (BCWA) as detailed in Table 2 below from New Burdens funding for a range of interventions which will assist in delivering the Domestic Abuse Strategy and the statutory duty for domestic abuse: