Classification
/Date:
Tuesday 14th November 2017 / Meeting:Joint SSCB and SSAB meeting.
Report title: / Briefing Paper onDomestic Abuse
From: / Caroline Thwaites, Assistant Director of Community Safety & Partnership
Sharon Ogden, Safer Communities Manager
1.Recommendation
1.1It is recommended that members of the SSCB and SSCB Board;
Note the contents of the briefing paper as a prerequisite to the interactive session on the 14th November 2017 which provides;
-An overview of current activity and performance against the delivery of Southwark’s Domestic Abuse Strategy 2015-2020
-Details of key areas of development underway to further strengthen the partnership approach to domestic abuse
2.Background
2.1Partners have recognised domestic abuse, (DA) as a priority for many years and it is one of the council’s fairer future priorities. In March 2015, following extensive partnership consultation, Cabinet agreed the Domestic Abuse Strategy (DAS) 2015-2020. The domestic abuse provision commissioned in the borough specifically supports the delivery of the domestic abuse strategy. The approach is seen as innovative as it’s a co-ordinated community response which not only focuses on survivor support but also perpetrator programmes along with prevention and early interventions.
2.2The Strategy principles are:
To stop the normalisation of DA
A clear statement of intent that abuse is not acceptable
To support those who need it, in the settings where they feel most comfortable to seek it
Take tough action on those who perpetrate abuse
2.3Tackling domestic abuse and its long term effects is also a shared priority for both the Southwark Safeguarding Adults Board and the Southwark Safeguarding Children Board. The joint DA strategy was developed in collaboration with board members and the agencies they represent and it was adopted by both boards. A priority for the SSCB for 17/18 is the continuation of working with vulnerable parents, which includes domestic abuse and other complexities such as mental health and substance misuse.
2.4Domestic abuse is defined as any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, 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. The abuse can include, but is not limited to: psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional, (HM Government)[1]*
2.5This definition is not a legal definition so it is not underpinned by any legislative act. Instead domestic abuse is a pattern of criminal and non-criminal behaviours and acts and includes so called ‘honour’ based abuse, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage, and is clear that victims are not confined to one gender or ethnic group.
2.6A new domestic abuse offence of coercive and controlling behaviour was introduced in 2015. The maximum penalty for this is five years imprisonment and a fine. This aims to protect people by outlawing sustained patterns of behaviour that stop short of serious physical violence, but amount to extreme psychological and emotional abuse.
2.7The national picture
There were a total of 74,692 flagged Domestic Abuse Offences in 2016/17 and 23,606 Domestic Abuse violence with Injury offences. This accounts for approximately a third of all domestic abuse offences.
Domestic Abuse represents one in every ten recorded crimes in London
The Southwark picture
In 2016-17 there were 5,837 incidents and 2,876 domestic abuse offences recorded by the Police in Southwark
Southwark had a ate of 19 reported incidents per 1,000 population, the 10th highest in London
Although Incident and offence levels have remained relatively static over the last three years (since 2014-15). We have seen an increase in referrals to Southwark Advocacy and Support Service (SASS); the council commissioned service. 2016-17 saw a 26.7% increase (from 1,664 to 2109) in the number of referrals made to the service.
The increase in referrals (replicated in other local DA provision) is partly though to be due to the work the council ant its partners have carried out in implementing the DA strategy and in particular the borough wide DA awareness publicity campaign. This is seen as positive as it means that more people are accessing the help they need and achieving positive outcomes.
The Domestic Abuse Strategy 2015 – 2020
2.8This covers the DAS key areas and accompanied progress to date from the strategy which is currently in Year 3 of its delivery.
Prevention and awareness
2.9Aim to “get it right first time” by providing support and clear referral pathways for friends and families including the expansion of existing DA Champions in community, faith and work based settings.
Highlights
Through the ‘It’s OK to talk campaign’ and wider recognition of DA including the Community Champion programme we have seen continuous increase year on year in referrals to Domestic Abuse Service commissioned by the council and its partners
During 2016/17 there were 2,109 referrals made, (26% increase from the previous year)
91% of all referrals achieved reduced risk of harm three months after engaging with the service
During 16-17 Victim Support received 586 referrals to their IDVA provision along with Bede House Domestic Abuse project working with 229 clients
470 people have attended the half-day DA awareness training sessions and an additional 183 have completed a three-day intensive DA champion’s programme
2.10Establish a multi faceted education and support programme for young people.
Highlights
15 schools to date have completed the healthy relationships SHER programme
Since 2015 521 young people have benefited from the SHER Healthy Relationships school programme
During 2016-17 - 212 (91%), of the 241 who completed the post questionnaire have felt that this has increased their awareness about healthy relationships and recognition of triggers for unhealthy relationships
48 of young people received awareness training on DA, including 6 recently trained Young Champions
During 16/17 622 children were supported around safety and risk assessment by SASS.
2.11Greater support for LGBT, people with disabilities and those from diverse communities who suffer abuse, through establishing a range of awareness raising programme.
MOPAC have recently commissioned GALOP to provide LGBT DA provision in the borough. This was previously provided by Metro
Early identification & support
2.12Achieve a greater balance between criminal justice, health and community support for those affected by DA and establish an integrated support service for complex cases of DA, as part of our approach to commissioned services
Highlights
Independent Domestic Violence Advocates, (IDVAs) are co-located with key partner agencies such as housing, MASH, Police and Change, Grow, Live (the Adult Drug Treatment service provider) to strengthen partnership working.
Through the IRIS Programme – GP based referral programme to SASS a total of 22 surgeries are engaging with training with 112 clinical staff and 106 reception staff have now received training.
2.13Work with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to establish a consistent pan London approach to addressing DA
Highlights
Through additional IDVA provision funded by the Mayor’s Office established referral routes into local provision to increase capacity and ensure consistency of DA approach.
Contributed to MOPAC’s refreshed VAWG strategy due to be announced shortly, which has involved working to ensure that there is a core pan London approach to DA which also fits with the needs of Southwark locally
Enforcement
2.14Take action against persistent perpetrators by establishing a multi agency enforcement approach.
Work is underway to establish a multi-agency enforcement approach to perpetrators through both the Home Office VAWG transformation programme detailed below and the proposed Project Drive (see 4.7 below).
2.15Improving the criminal justice process including lobbying for DA specialist court in Southwark.
Close partnership working with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on DA
Domestic violence (DV) court pilot at Croydon and Camberwell Magistrates’ Courts.
- Current domestic abuse provisionin Southwark
Below details the key domestic abuse provision in Southwark. For a more comprehensive local, regional and national list of services these are accessible on the Southwark Safeguarding Board website[2]
Southwark Advocacy and Support Service (SASS)
3.1Recent years have seen council officers leading on focusing on implementing a collaborative, outcomes based commissioning approach to reconfigure and streamline DA services in the borough. This led to a new DA service contractbeing awarded in April 2012 and again retendered in 2014. The current contract for delivering this service started on 1st July 2015, it is known as Southwark Advocacy and Support Service (SASS). The service is currently delivered by aregistered charity; Solace Women’s Aid (SWA) and isinstrumental in helping to deliver the DAS (for further details of the services SASS provide pleasesee Appendix 1). This is a referral based service and relies on the consent and voluntary engagement of victims and perpetrators.
3.2Joint working protocols and co-location are in place between SASS and key service areas including the Police, Housing and Children’s Social Care in order to ensure co-ordinated working practices and a focus on safety and managing risk. In order to ensure officers and practitioners are fully equipped to deal appropriately with presenting signs of abuse there is a comprehensive training offer in place.
Victim Support
3.3Victim Support also provides a DA service across Southwark funded through the Mayor Office for Policing & Crime, (MOPAC). They provide both an IDVA (Independent Domestic Violence Advocate) and Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA) service for clients in the borough. This involves one to one emotional and practical support for victims of domestic abuse and sexual crime.
Bede House
3.4Bede runs the Starfish project which supports people that are experiencing domestic abuse. Support is provided by two qualified IDVAS and one support worker. Bede also deliver the SHER (Safe, Healthy and Equal Relationships) programme in schools in the borough funded by the Mayor’s Office
Hospital Based DA IDVA provision
3.5Hospital based IDVA provision in the borough is provided by a Victim Support. Two IDVA are co-located five days a week at Kings College Hospital.
3.6REACH provide IDVA provision at St Thomas's A&E and MOZAIC are a service based in GSTT maternity services and have been .They provide support, advice and risk assessment for maternity service users and also training around DV and how to respond and refer victims to support services. There are 2 full time IDVA's funded partly by the trust.
3.7Solace provide 4 youth IDVAs (seconded to Redthread) in the four major trauma centres across London; St George’s hospital, St Marys hospital, Royal London hospital, Kings hospital.
MARAC Performance data
3.8The Domestic Abuse MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Forum) is a forum where information relating to high-risk domestic abuse victims (those at risk of murder or serious harm) is shared between local agencies to minimise risk. By bringing relevant agencies together at the MARAC, a risk-focused, co-ordinated safety plan can be drawn up to support the victim and any children. In Southwark the MARAC meets monthly, is chaired by the local Detective Inspector of the local Community Safety Unit.
3.9Table 1 below outlines MARAC performance data. Southwark has seen a continuous increase in referrals over the last three years and also an increase in repeat referrals*. In terms of this increase this is a trend which is being seen both nationally and regionally.
3.10SafeLives also have a repeat referral recommended range between 28- 40%. Current 16/17 figures for Southwark illustrate the MARAC is operating in this range.
3.11During 2016/17 Southwark had 2 Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR’s) which is lower than some peer boroughs (e.g. Lewisham), and although can not be directly linked to the MARAC indicates that the process is working with risk being reduced.
Table 1
Financial Year / Total number of cases discussed / Total number of Repeat* cases / Total number of children in the household / Number of victimsaged 16-17
14/15 / 387 / 128 / 454 / 0
15/16 / 458 / 124 / 496 / 2
16/17 / 517 / 176 / 584 / 9
17/18 (YTD)**
April- Sept / 259 / 74 / 263 / 4
*Southwark’s definition of repeat referrals is anyone who has previously been discussed ata MARAC.
Women’s Refuge
3.12The Southwark refuge is a core part of the service offer which the council commissions to support people who are at risk of domestic abuse. The refuge provides a place of safety and support for single women and women with children. The service provides a space “above and beyond” that offered through the council’s temporary accommodation services.
3.13The current commissioned service consists of 26 units for women and their children spread across four safe houses in three sites. Six units are self contained, four are accessible to people with physical disabilities, and twenty have facilities which are shared by the individuals in these. The service employs four full time specialist refuge workers and a part time service manager.
- Key areas of development
4.1There are a number of areas currently under development which support the delivery of the strategy along with responding to local needs. These areas also correspond with those identified in the recent Ofsted DA Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI).
Vulnerable parents and children:
4.2As part of the Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) readiness preparations work on Domestic Abuse early in the year, a data matching exercise was undertaken involving SASS clients who have children who are known to children’s social care. The analysis showed that there was a group of high risk DA survivors who have children on child protection plans and who, for a variety of reasons, were not engaging with existing support services. Many of the survivors were women with multiple needs. SASS currently operate a three contact attempts policy after which they send back to the referrer and frequently no further action to engage the survivor is taken.
Project Mia
4.3After a successful submission, Southwark was awarded monies through the Home Office Violence Against Women & Girls, (VAWG) Transformation Fund to develop a new model for this cohort. This involves putting in place bespoke dedicated support which places high emphasis on researching, planning and resourcing tailored engagement approaches. The model will be based on the learning from the “My Sister’s Place” project which was developed in Middlesbrough, and the Pause project, which is current being delivered in Southwark. Both have a successful track-record in engaging with a similar group of survivors. The programme will introduce therapeutic support for children, to ensure the effects of witnessing abuse are addressed and its long-term effects minimised.
Working with perpetrators
4.4A key principle of the DAS is to take tough action on those who perpetrate abuse. As part of this strand, recognising this is a challenging area Southwark were successful in being awarded monies by the Home Office VAWG Transformation Fund along with Lambeth and Lewisham. The proposed programme will involve developing and implementing a multi-agency response to the way perpetrators, and those who display harmful sexual behaviour are held to account and offered opportunities to change. Where this approach fails, perpetrators will face the consequences of enforcement and disruption.
4.5The project will start with early intervention and prevention work with young people exhibiting harmful sexual behaviour and, escalating to interventions and risk management around our most high-risk and prolific VAWG nominals who have been identified through the Metropolitan Police Service Dauntless Plus project.
4.6In addition to a perpetrator intervention programme, there will be a support service, which will make active contact with the victim to offer support risk management and safety planning.
Project Drive
4.7Southwark is being considered alongside Lambeth and Lewisham for the Drive project, funded by MOPAC for a three year period. This is a new response to domestic abuse that aims to reduce the number of child and adult victims of domestic abuse by deterring perpetrator behaviour. Drive provides a case manager who acts as a single point of contact for perpetrators. Liaising closely with local police and support agencies, case workers deploying a two-pronged approach to disruption through the criminal justice system and/or support for unresolved personal issues to stop domestic abuse. The case manager will work closely with all statutory agencies including the Police, Probation and Children’s Services to maximise the impact of the criminal justice system, developing and agreeing strategies to limit the opportunities for the perpetrator to continue abusing. The service has been developed to knit together existing services, complementing and enhancing existing interventions. The Drive Project pilot focuses on priority (high-risk or serial) perpetrators, as this group carries the greatest risk of serious harm and engage poorly in available services.
Tender Education Programme
4.8Tender deliver projects using arts to educate children and young people about healthy relationships, with the aim of preventing domestic abuse and sexual violence in their lives. Tender work in primary and secondary schools. The work in primary schools is delivered in an interactive, age-appropriate format and they employ a specific focus on healthy friendships. Alongside empowering children with the skills to recognise and develop respectful, healthy relationships with others, they are also equipped with an awareness of their rights and how to seek support if they feel unsafe. Through funding via MOPAC Southwark will have access to pilot this programme in one secondary, one primary and one targeted group (PRU, SEN etc).