CC(3) DA25

Communities and Culture Committee

Scrutiny Inquiry : Domestic Abuse

Response from Ceredigion Domestic Abuse Forum

The following information details domestic abuse work over the last 13 months.

Ceredigion Domestic Abuse Forum April 2007- May 2008

There have been 7 Ceredigion Domestic Abuse Forum Steering group meetings during this period. The DAF have restructured and now have 3 levels of membership, the Steering group, task/sub groups and circulation list. The new structure began in April 07.

Increasing Women and Children/Young Peoples Safety

DARAG’s (Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment Group)

There have been 11 DARAG’s. They are to be reviewed by the police. They will now be known as Domestic Abuse MARAG 's.

This is Police lead with multi agency perspective on information sharing and managing the safety of victims and children.

Safety Equipment Project

There are 13 Piper Lifeline Alarms available for people threatened with domestic abuse managed by the DAF together with a Police Operational Order in place for every alarm installed. This can be further enhanced by the Police Bobby Van Scheme providing safety measures in homes.  There are also a number of pre-programmed mobile phones available.  The Police have a few Digital Alarms available for the very high risk victims.

Protocols

The Ceredigion LSCB Domestic Abuse Protocol for Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children living with Domestic Abuse. is nearly completed.

In Safe Hands in Ceredigion: What Staff need to know about reporting suspected abuse of a Vulnerable Adults includes a specific section on domestic abuse information.

Holding Abusers Accountable

Huge progress in police positive action with inclusion of Domestic Abuse being a separate item in the Ceredigion BCU Control Strategy.  Intelligence Priorities include: Identifying very high risk offenders of domestic abuse and identifying problem areas of domestic abuse.  Enforcement Priorities include: Repeat victims to be a priority, and partnership working with the Ceredigion DAF.

IDAP (Intergrated Domestic Abuse Programme)

Managed by the Probation, there have been several offenders from Ceredigion placed on the IDAP. The Women’s Safety Worker works closely with the partners or ex partners and there is close communication between the Women’s Safety Worker and the Ceredigion DAF co-ordinator. Unfortunately there is a waiting list for this programme and the Women’s Safety worker is part-time.

Prevention of Abuse

Domestic Abuse Awareness in Comprehensive Schools

The Domestic Abuse Co-ordinator and Tai Hafan School Liaison Officer facilitated domestic abuse awareness sessions in:

• Aberaeron 4 classes yr 9
• Newcastle Emlyn 1 class yr 8
• Penglais 7 classes yr 9
• Penglais 2 classes yr 9, 4 class yr 10, 4 classes yr 11, 3 classes yr 12
• Tregarron all of yr 7, all of yr 8, all of yr 9 and all of yr 10 and 6^th form yr 12 & 13 child care students
• Penweddig all of yr 8

Crucial Crew

The DAF co-ordinator, Tai Hafan School Liaison Officer, Aberystwyth Women’s Aid and Cardigan Women’s Aid were involved in facilitating awareness of domestic abuse during the Crucial Crew event held at the end of September. This year Crucial Crew was attended by year 7 pupils in 6 of the 7 secondary schools in Ceredigion. The 20 minute awareness session focused on 'Children’s Experiences’. Each pupil was given a small business card with the Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline and www.notyourfault.org on one size and a school year calendar on the other. Approximately 1000 pupils

Cardigan Secondary School Awareness Day

The success of Crucial Crew has led to Cardigan Secondary School organising a similar event looking a substance misuse. The DAF co-ordinator worked with Tai Hafan Schools Liaison Officer and WWA Regional Child Worker preparing a session around substance misuse and domestic abuse. The sessions were given to all yr 8 pupils in the school, along with the information card. Approximately 125 pupils.

Under the heading Prevention of Abuse this area of work within schools has been very successful in Ceredigion has become a multi agency rolling programme. All pupils receive information card with details of the website and WDAH number.

Freedom Programme

The Freedom Programme is running in both the south and north of the county facilitated by Cardigan and Aberystwyth Women’s Aid. It has been successful and is on the 3^rd programme.  Homestart are also running the Freedom Programme for the Homestart volunteers

Training

Four one day domestic abuse awareness training days have taken place for staff who have had no previous training or who would like a refresher course.

I day basic Domestic Abuse Awareness training for Homestart volunteers.

Presentation during the Sex and Relationships in Secondary Schools training on domestic abuse and Tai Hafan Spectrum Programme to secondary schools PHSE co-ordinators and schools nurses as part of the Healthily Schools Scheme.

Presentation to CSP updating work of DAF

Presentation to Care Society went well and was delivered during their team meeting

Domestic Abuse training for GP’s Registrars and Further training events will be arranged later in the year.

Domestic Abuse Awareness

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women/White Ribbon Campaign:  The Ceredigion DAF, supported by the multi agency forum and media coverage, took part in a Dyfed Powys awareness raising event with the release of three white and one purple ribbon outside Penmorfa and the distribution, throughout Ceredigion, of white ceramic ribbons supporting the end of violence against women. Police were issued white ceramic ribbons by Unison and officers were given the ribbons to wear to show their support of the White Ribbon Campaign.

Christmas Domestic Abuse Campaign: A joint Public Christmas Domestic Abuse Campaign between the Domestic Abuse Forum, Police, Ceredigion Division and funded by SMAT, raising issues around domestic abuse especially at this time of year. Posters were distributed throughout Ceredigion and police increased their profile in the town centres at hotspots and high incident areas to reassure victims and send a clear message to potential perpetrators that domestic abuse will not be tolerated.

Display & Leaflets Awareness Stands

50+ Age Concern awareness day

Carmarthenshire DAF conference

Perpetrator Project

The co-ordinator and specialist health visitor have completed the 6 day training course 'Working with Perpetrators’. The aim is to establishing a multi agency project in Ceredigion. Some perpetrators from Ceredigion have been able to access a programme through Move to Change run by Carmarthenshire DAF.

So far funding has not been secured to progress with this and we are awaiting the outcome of a bid submitted by Carmarthenshire DAF to establish a Dyfed Powys Project which will offer consistency.

Supporting and Informing Children/Young People

Both Women’s Aid groups provide support for children/young people who have witnessed or experienced domestic abuse. Homestart Ceredigion also provide support to families with under 5’s in the home who are also living with domestic abuse through group work and one to one basis.

Although this provides some support there are gaps in service provision for children and young people in terms of specific support and counselling.  

It is hoped that with the Domestic Abuse inclusion in the Ceredigion Children & Young Peoples Plan under Core Aim 3 & 6. this will go some way to addressing some of the gaps identified.

Other areas

Ceredigion Health has a Staff Domestic Abuse Policy and the Antenatal Pathway is being implemented.

Funding

Unsuccessful in bid to Victims Fund 2007/2008 for a grant to produce a Ceredigion Domestic Abuse website, another bid was been submitted to CVC Circuit Riders, that too was unsuccessful. A bid submitted to CSP for Ceredigion DAF website was successful though.

Successful in bid to Police fund for domestic abuse resources for school sessions.

Bids submitted by Women’s Aid/ DAF for IDVA funding in non SDVC areas were unsuccessful and bids to the HO for Perpetrators Programme and Dual Domestic Abuse/Substance Misuse worker was also unsuccessful

Supporting People have agreed to finance the continuation of the monitoring costs of the piper lifeline alarms.

A bid submitted to the Ceredigion SMAT for the Christmas Domestic Abuse Campaign was success.

Awaiting outcome of bid submitted to the Basic Command Unit for GPS mobile alarms.

Funding to achieve some of the aims included in the All Wales DA Strategy is proving as always very difficult.

Supporting People fund both Women’s Aid groups in Ceredigion and provide funding for Floating Support, they have recently agreed to finance the on-going monitoring costs of the Ceredigion Domestic Abuse Forum Safety Equipment Project. And have agreed changes for Cardigan Women’s Aid to reduced the number of bed spaces in their refuge from 6 to 5 and this has freed up approximately £18k which and have allocated another £19k to enable the group to provide Floating Support to 14 women within the community.

Areas of concern

Child Contact issues are still a major problem in Ceredigion, there is no supervised contact centre only a supported contact centre which is run 2 monthly.

Lack of specific services for children and young people including counselling, direct therapeutic counselling.

Community Perpetrators Programme.

No IDVA’s in post

Lack of move on accommodation from refuge.

Lack of disabled access in refuge.

Women with no recourse to public funds are putting a strain on the Women’s Aid groups in Ceredigion.

Rurality and Language are a big factor in Ceredigion and this further compounds the issues of isolation for some people living here.

The most prominent concerning issue is around funding or lack it. To take forward the strategy more fully, funding is essential to maintain the current services and establish new services to enable Ceredigion the same opportunities as other parts of Wales.