10.1. Needs assessment: Overarching areas of development
Ongoing improvement of police response to domestic abuse
Consistent training for all professionals
Awareness raising that improves knowledge and understanding but also challenges societal attitudes
Consider the response to victims of domestic abuse who present with experiences of multiple disadvantage
Domestic abuse and wider deprivation and societal inequalities
Response to victims from underrepresented and protected characteristic groups
Early identification and intervention collection across all agencies
Placed-based approach to addressing domestic abuse, recognising the diverse communities across the county
Domestic abuse and suicide risk
10.2. Needs assessment: Themed areas of development
Accommodation-based support
Exploring opportunities to increase the Target Hardening and Sanctuary Scheme during recommissioning DAHA Accreditation
Improve consistency in responses from homeless services across the county
Further collaborative work with neighbouring authorities on the Managed Reciprocal Scheme
Whole housing approach
Provision of more accommodation
Increase capacity of DA safe accommodation
Development of services that over barriers related to:
No recourse to public funds
Experiences of multiple disadvantage
Specialist support for protected characteristic groups
Community-based support
Engagement with protected characteristics groups (consideration of ‘by and for’ approach)
Capacity broadening the range of support offered, for example, more group work programmes, system focus to consider ways to improve overall response to victims accessing services and support, for example, quicker police response times
Increased focus on economic abuse
Increasing referrals from multi-agency partners across the system
Exploration of options for longer term/step-down support that is victim focused, with increases in practical support
Multi-agency engagement and increasing referrals
Consideration of ‘by and for’ Services
Perpetrators
On-going awareness raising of available perpetrator interventions and how to identify perpetrator behaviour
Continued development of PRG and ensuring accessibility of services
On-going rollout of the MATAC model (and future funding to support this)
Development of an out of court disposal model
Children and young people
Increased public awareness of domestic abuse and impact on children and young people
Therapeutic support to children and young people witnessing domestic abuse at home
Trauma-informed child-led approach that provides holistic support to children
Development and oversight of Operation Encompass
Training for professionals on domestic abuse and the impact on children and young people
Increase capacity for specialist domestic abuse support for children and young people, including considerations for broadening the scope when recommissioning the existing 13-19 offer (currently STREET), and exploring the needs of children witnessing domestic abuse in the home
Vulnerable adults
Improved understanding of links between domestic abuse and adult safeguarding
Stalking
Development of stalking perpetrator services
Clear pathways of support are in place
Increased training and awareness of stalking
Honour based abuse/forced marriage
A need to improve local understanding
Increased community engagement that aims to reduce stigma of reporting
Child to parent abuse
Agree ownership of child to parent abuse agenda strategically
Consideration around full pathway for child to parent abuse including risk assessment, support services and training
Review local provision and consider options to address gaps
