To approve the final draft of the Domestic Abuse Strategy for Herefordshire 2021-2024, in accordance with the requirements of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

The cabinet member health and adult wellbeing introduced the report. The draft strategy was produced in October 2021. A significant consultation process had taken place since then and the version before this meeting was the final version for approval.

The cabinet member highlighted that:

·       The information gathered through the consultation and ongoing engagement would inform future service delivery;

·       Production of this strategy was a statutory duty under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and it would be regularly updated;

·       A multi-agency local partnership board had been formed, had positive engagement from key partners and representation from people with lived experience of domestic abuse, the board was responsible for monitoring and measuring progress on outcomes;

·       A grant had been provided by the government to deliver the duties in the Domestic Abuse Act and the services to be commissioned would be subject to a separate decision;

·       Changes to the document included increased focus on outcomes and further detail on the challenges posed by rurality.

The cabinet member stressed the need to raise awareness and understanding about the devastating impact of domestic abuse on victims and their families, recognising that domestic abuse is not only physical violence but can also include being emotionally controlling or coercive control and economic abuse.

Cabinet members discussed the report and noted:

·       A strong determination to address domestic abuse;

·       The important of clear governance when lots of different agencies were involved;

·       The difficulties of short-term funding which may it hard to plan;

·       Links with the community safety partnership.

The chairperson of the adults and wellbeing scrutiny committee thanked the executive for the positive response to the recommendations made by the committee when it reviewed the draft strategy. The committee had noted:

·       the potential around increased integration with Talk Community and a holistic approach including support within communities;

·       that the assumption that the victim survivor should leave the home needed to be challenged;

·       the importance of education and information about the different types of abuse.

Group leaders and representatives presented the comments and queries from their groups. There was general support for the strategy and it was noted that:

·       the strategy would need to be promoted and the council would be working with key partners to raise awareness through their channels as well as through the council’s various media and social media contacts;

·       the implementation of the strategy was critical;

·       the links between animal abuse, child abuse and domestic abuse were now recognised in the document and working in partnership with the animal sector would help to identify potential abuse.

It was resolved that:

a)             The final draft of Promoting Safety: Herefordshire’s Strategy for Addressing Domestic Abuse 2021 – 2024 be approved for implementation;

b)             The responses to the recommendations made by Scrutiny Committee in appendix 4 of this report are approved; and

c)             Approval of updates to the strategy and the associated needs assessment, be delegated to the Director for Community Wellbeing in consultation with cabinet members during the lifetime of the strategy.