Communities and Culture Committee

Scrutiny Inquiry : Domestic Abuse

Response from Rhyl & District Women’s Aid

Information from Rhyl & District Women’s Aid Ltd. for Submission to the Communities & Culture Committee Inquiry into Domestic Abuse.

Rhyl and District Women’s Aid have been established since 1979 in the Rhyl and surrounding areas of North Denbighshire providing a wide variety of services to women and children experiencing domestic abuse (emotional, physical, sexual, financial and psychological).

Our service provision has changed and evolved over the 29 years we have been in existence in response to the needs of the women, and their children who access our service. Whereas in the beginning the main service provided was refuge this has changed over the years as women look at other ways to remain in their homes, and not uproot their children from school, friends and family.

Services we currently offer include:

Refuge with space for 4 families. Staff provide on site support during the day and are accessible by telephone outside of office hours.
A Children’s Worker works alongside Refuge workers to ensure a supportive and responsive service is provided to the children who reside in the refuge with their mother.
Two move on properties run in partnership with Tai Clwyd and Clwyd Alyn Housing Associations.
In the process of acquiring two dispersed properties (refuges in the community) for women - or men - with high support needs (drug/alcohol or mental health) again on partnership with Tai Clwyd and Clwyd Alyn Housing Associations.
We run the Freedom Programme for women in our refuge or in the community.
Resettlement support is provided for 6 months to women leaving the refuge. This is funded by Supporting People money.
We have a Children’s Outreach Worker who works with children and young people in schools, women who have been referred by another support agency as well as providing ongoing support to children/families who have left the refuge. She is also responsible for running the Seasons For Growth Programme. This worker attends the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board and is the groups representative on the Domestic Violence Forum in Denbighshire.
We have a part time Outreach Worker who continues the support to women when Resettlement ends, attends the MARAC and deals with any subsequent referrals, facilitates the Freedom Programme and runs the Women’s Group.
We are involved with the GIFT (General Intensive Floating Support Team) scheme in Denbighshire which provides support for people in temporary housing. This is done in partnership with Denbighshire County Council, CAIS, NACRO and Tai Hafan Housing Association.
We have an office/ Drop In facility centrally located in the town of Rhyl which is close to many transport links and other support services. We are open 9am - 3.30pm Mon-Thurs and recently decided to open 11.30 - 2.30pm on Fridays.

Service Provision Problems.

Lack of core funding. None of our 6 full time posts are core funded and large amounts of time are spent trying to maintain the current staffing level. The uncertainty can at times cause low morale amongst workers.
Funding for new posts, such as the dispersed properties in the community do not adequately reflect the increased work load of other workers such as the funding/ finance worker.
Children’s work has never been properly funded and should reflect the need to address the diverse needs of children and young people who live with domestic abuse.
Although the offices are central they are located at the top of a steep flight of steps and are therefore not ideal for women with small children or anyone with a disability. However the rental market dictates what we can afford and without adequate funding/ subsidies we will not be able to move somewhere more accessible.

Thank you for your time, and for the opportunity to share with the Committee some of what we do.