To support the delivery of the local authority statutory duties in the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, the county council receives funding (previously from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) as a grant, and from 2025/26 this is included in the Local Authority Settlement).
Some of this funding is passed to the tier two local authorities (the six district councils) as they hold the housing function and are better placed to commission some of the support in safe accommodation.
The county council also works with its local partners to consider and prioritise the funding allocated to address the support needs of domestic abuse victims and their children in safe accommodation.
The following activity commenced during the previous strategy, and these will continue and develop, where appropriate, under the new strategy to provide support as part of the response for victims/survivors:
- The ongoing expansion of the Places of Safety model
- Support in Refuge accommodation (Stroud Beresford Women’s Refuge)
- Domestic abuse support in safe accommodation through Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service (GDASS)
- Domestic abuse training within the housing sector
- Domestic Abuse Housing Champions Network
- Strategic activities relating to meeting the council’s statutory duties, for example, development and refreshes/reviews of the needs assessment, strategy and delivery plan, and commissioning activity
- Operational activities relating to meeting the council’s statutory duties, for example, consultation work and project work to inform strategic decisions
- Pilot of a therapeutic support service for adult victims/survivors of domestic abuse in safe
accommodation (Healing and Empowerment)
- Pilot of a therapeutic support offer for children and young people accessing domestic abuse safe
accommodation
- Funding for a pilot of short stay supported accommodation for those who have experienced domestic abuse and/or Violence Against Women and Girls and have experience of multiple disadvantage (Respite Rooms)
- Supporting district council Domestic Abuse
- Housing Association (DAHA) accreditation
Further consideration will be given as to how this funding will be used in future years to continue to strengthen the local approach to support within safe accommodation.
