Domestic Violence and Abuse
Commissioning Briefing – Strengthening the impact of services
Our Vision
Our vision is to prevent domestic violence and abuse by challenging behaviours and attitudes and intervening early to prevent it. Where adults and children are at risk or are experiencing domestic violence or abuse, appropriate support will be made available to them to enabling them to deal with their situation, including providing them with a safe and secure environment in which to live.
For our residents and communities:
· Every woman in Newcastle has access to safe, effective and timely support and interventions to reduce the risk to them and their children to reduce the harm caused by domestic violence or abuse
· Women and children have access to appropriate services which meet their aspirations and abilities, gives them choices, enables them to make positive changes in their lives and to stay safe
For our services:
· Services support pathways from early intervention through to safeguarding women and their children who are at a high risk or domestic violence and abuse
· Services providing support are of high quality, offer excellent value for money and are focussed on achieving the best possible outcomes for women and their children
· Services work in partnership with other stakeholders
For local leadership
Strategic partners have a shared approach to meeting the needs of this client group and support the agenda of the Newcastle Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership.
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Contents
1. Introduction page 3
Background and context
2. Policy and partnership context page 3
Key policy, outcome and partnership drivers at a national and local level and associated risks and opportunities
3. Summary of needs analysis page 6
Population projections, analysis and evidence base
4. Current service provision page 11
Information regarding current domestic violence and abuse services and a review of the current contract mix
5. Where we want to be and commissioning proposals page 13
Commissioning priorities for domestic violence and abuse services and information about how our plans will be implemented
6. How these plans contribute to the Council’s four priorities page 22
How our commissioning plans will deliver the four priorities of the Council.
7. High Level Risks and Benefits page 23
Assessing the high level impact of the proposals
8. Cross cutting issues page 23 Proposals which link across other sector briefings
9. Phase 1 Procurement Activity page 23
10. Feedback from consultation page 25
A summary of the feedback on our proposals
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About this document
This briefing is about services delivered to women and children affected by domestic violence and abuse and forms part of Newcastle’s commissioning plans.
Where we refer to statutory agencies, they are in general, specifically named and when we talk about ‘providers’, we mean those organisations in the voluntary and community sector who we commission or fund to provide services.
About Domestic Violence and Abuse
The Safe Newcastle Domestic Violence and Abuse Strategy Delivery Group (DVA-SDG) has adopted the following definition of domestic violence as set out by the Home Office and which became effective from 1 April 2013:
"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 can encompass but is not limited to the following types of abuse: psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional.
Controlling behaviour is: a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour.
Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim.
This definition, which is not a legal definition, includes so called 'honour’ based violence, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.”
About Newcastle
Newcastle is home to over 279,100 people with a further 90,000 travelling into the city each day to work. It is a modern European city, with a welcoming community, energetic business sector and vibrant culture; that creates a great place to live, study, visit and work. It is also a city where inequalities in health, wealth and quality of life, leave too many people without the ability to participate in society in ways that others take for granted.
1. Introduction
Each year over one million women nationally will suffer abuse and fewer than one in four will report this to the police. Domestic violence and abuse is one of the most critical issues for the city with over 5,000 incidents being reported to Northumbria Police annually, this accounts for almost 25% of all violent crime. Currently, Newcastle has higher levels of women who are at a high risk of domestic violence and abuse when compared to our neighbouring authorities.
Domestic violence and abuse has a profound impact on individuals, families and whole communities in Newcastle. Costs to Newcastle public services are estimated to be £33.6 million per year.
The impact of domestic violence and abuse on children and young people can be devastating. Newcastle has high numbers of children with child protection plans in place and high levels of children accommodated as a result of violence in their homes.
Evidence shows that both nationally and locally, women are mostly victims of domestic violence and abuse and most perpetrators are men.
2. Policy and partnership context
2.1 National Context
Reducing and preventing domestic violence and abuse and sexual violence is a Government priority with cross–party support. In 2010-11 the Government committed to adopting a strong leadership role to tackle violence against women and girls. Their vision is for a society in which no woman or girl has to live in fear and to achieve this society needs to:
· Prevent violence from happening by changing attitudes and behaviours which foster violence and intervene early;
· Provide adequate support where violence does occur;
· Work in partnership to obtain best outcomes for women and their children;
· Take action to reduce the risk to women and their children, and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice
At a national level the policy context is dynamic with unprecedented change, including but not limited to:
· the Troubled Families programme which aims to turn around lives of 120,000 of England’s most troubled families;
· the Munro Review of Child Protection which sets out proposals for reform which, taken together, are intended to create the conditions that enable professionals to make the best judgments about the help to give children, young people and families;
· a focus on early intervention to prevent episodes of crisis;
· the Domestic Homicide Review process required by law;
· the impact of Welfare Reform on those experiencing domestic violence and abuse;
· the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Clinical Commissioning Groups.
Alongside policy changes, we have also seen developments in legislative change:
· Definition of Domestic Violence: A new cross government definition of what constitutes domestic violence was announced in September 2012. The new definition includes young people aged 16 and over and strengthens awareness of the impact of coercive control or threatening behaviour. Safe Newcastle welcomes this change as we have long campaigned for and recognised the growing numbers of young people who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse in their intimate relationships.
· Stalking: The new offences of ‘stalking’ and ‘stalking where there is a fear of violence or serious alarm and distress’ were enacted on 25th November, 2012. These give additional powers and greater clarity to the police to identify and address stalking. The new offences will also offer greater legal protection for those experiencing domestic violence and abuse and give additional resources for professionals supporting them.
· Criminalisation of Forced Marriage: Forcing someone to marry will become a criminal offence in England and Wales. The legislation will not be introduced until the 2013-14 parliamentary session. The maximum sentence for the offence has yet to be decided. Breach of a Forced Marriage Protection Order (FMPO) will also be criminalised.
2.2 Local Context
At a local level there are a number of drivers influencing our commissioning priorities.
Looked after children
Newcastle has higher rates of Looked after Children (LAC) when compared to national and most regional averages as well as the average rate for our comparator authorities. According to the Department for Education, at the end of March 2012, the rate of LAC in Newcastle was 101 per 10,000 children, compared with 78 for North East authorities and 59 for England average.
At the end 2012-13, around 90% of the children who were the subject of a Child Protection Plan were under a category of abuse of either emotional abuse or neglect (42% emotional and 48% neglect). There is an associated link between children being the subject of a Child Protection Plan under a category of emotional abuse and domestic violence and abuse.
Of the 218 ‘child protection conferences’ held in the period 2011-12, some 43% of cases identified that domestic violence and abuse was a factor in the reason for the conference; data from 2012-13 shows this proportion to have increased further.
Police and Crime Plan
From April 2013 the five year Police and Crime Plan (PCP) for Northumbria will be implemented. In Newcastle the PCP will be delivered through Northumbria Police's Delivery Plan and the Cutting Crime, Protecting Communities Plan. Its priorities are:
• Putting victims first;
• Dealing with anti-social behaviour;
• Domestic and sexual abuse;
• Reducing crime;
• Community confidence.
Northumbria Police
The Northumbria Police Protecting Vulnerable People’s Unit (PVP) has domestic violence as part of its remit. The officers within the PVP have received specialised domestic violence training.
The PVP work alongside Newcastle Victim Support Independent Domestic Violence Advoacy Service (IDVA), which ensures that those experiencing domestic violence and abuse are appropriately referred to local agencies which can provide support to them and any children they have. This allows for the IDVA service to support the individual after referral into Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and throughout the legal process, should the case go to court.
Northumbria Probation Trust
Northumbria Probation Trust works to protect the public, reduce reoffending, support victims and rehabilitate offenders. The Trust supervises adult offenders serving community orders and released from prison on licence, including individuals convicted of domestic violence related offences.
The Trust offers a range of services including offending behaviour programmes such as the Community Domestic Violence Programme (CDVP) which aims to eliminate the physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and financial abuse of a partner. Offenders work towards a number of specific goals, which should change their offending behaviour and reduce the risk they pose to their victims.
Domestic Violence Homicide Review (DHR)
Safe Newcastle’s first DHR was established in March 2012 in line with the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act (2004) implemented in 2011 and according to the Home Office’s Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance for the Conduct of Homicide Reviews. A second DHR was established in February 2013.
Action planning from DHRs will outline service improvements.
Newcastle Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership
The Newcastle Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership brings together key agencies who provide services and responses to those experiencing domestic violence and abuse, including but not limited to the Council, Sure Start, and the voluntary and community sector.
The objective of the Partnership is to increase the safety of victims and survivors of domestic violence and abuse, ensure the safety of children who have experienced and/ or live with domestic violence and abuse, develop and implement a strategic plan that encompasses all aspects of domestic violence and abuse, share best practice and ensure all the partner agencies have a coordinated approach to meeting the Partnership’s objectives.
The Partnership reports to the Safe Newcastle Board and ensures its work priorities are aligned to other relevant strategic partnerships such as the Newcastle Safeguarding Children’s Board and Health and Wellbeing Board.
The Domestic Violence and Abuse Partnership has two subgroups which sit under it:
· The Children and Young People’s Domestic Violence Subgroup leads on a work programme for the Partnership looking at the impact of domestic violence and abuse on children as victims, witnesses and perpetrators.
· The DARE Strategic Group provides strategic oversight and steer for the Domestic Abuse Recovery Education (DARE) Programme. DARE is a therapeutic, group work programme for children and young people aged 4 – 16 who are recovering from having lived in homes where domestic violence and abuse occurred.
Both of these subgroups also support the work of Newcastle’s Safeguarding Children’s Board.
Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)
Northumbria Police coordinates the Newcastle MARAC, which enables statutory agencies to work together to manage and protect high risk cases; regular attendees are Northumbria Probation Trust, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, Your Homes Newcastle, the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle City Council and representatives from the voluntary and community sector as appropriate. The Newcastle MARAC currently reviews approximately 50 such cases every month – an increase from 30 a month in 2008 when the Newcastle MARAC was established (see section 3.9 for further data and outcomes of MARAC arrangements).
Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVC)
The SDVC was implemented in Newcastle in 2009. It is based on a partnership approach to domestic violence and abuse by the police, prosecutors, court staff, the probation service and specialist support services for those experiencing domestic violence and abuse.
Agencies work together to identify, track and risk assess domestic violence and abuse cases, support those experiencing it and share information better so that more offenders are brought to justice.