Agenda item

The Board considered a report which presented the new 2017-2021 Doncaster Domestic Abuse Strategy.  In particular, the Board was asked to consider how it could contribute towards the delivery of the Strategy and support the following three key strategic outcomes:-

·         Communities and families no longer experience domestic abuse;

·         Families who are vulnerable to or experience domestic abuse are identified earlier and receive effective support to stay safe; reduce repeat victimisation and recover; and

·         People who use abusive behaviour are challenged and provided with effective support to change or face the consequences of their actions.

During discussion, Jacqueline Wilson highlighted the significant funding pressures that domestic abuse services were currently facing.  She reported that an application by the Doncaster Children’s Services Trust for Wave 2 of the Department for Education Innovation funding, for the project known as ‘Growing Futures’, had unfortunately been unsuccessful, as the Department was not confident about the project’s sustainability.  She added that it was hoped that it would be possible to maintain a reduced Domestic Abuse Navigators programme in the future, with help from Doncaster Council.  Members acknowledged that there was currently very limited core funding available for tackling domestic abuse, and yet this issue had significant cost implications for a wide range of organisations.

Dr Rupert Suckling pointed out that the key issues highlighted in the Strategy all linked in with the Doncaster Place Plan.  He felt that this raised a number of questions, such as whether domestic abuse was within partners’ sights when looking at joint commissioning arrangements, for example.

In welcoming the Strategy, Damian Allen commented on a number of points, including the need to look at how services could be delivered differently and having regard to the resources that went into the commissioning pot, together with reviewing the wider commissioning arrangements to ensure that domestic abuse was tackled effectively.  He added that the different models of working could be brought to this Board at an appropriate point in the future. 

Dr David Crichton felt that this was a good example of a situation where there was a need to tackle the problem at its root, rather than constantly throwing money at it.  He suggested that by taking steps to help build resilient communities, this might in turn help to prevent domestic abuse from occurring further down the line.  He added that this work tied in with the Place Plan, which was based on a more preventative approach.

RESOLVED to endorse the content of the new Strategy and support the 3 key objectives and strategic issues identified below:-

1)           Need to build community resilience, capacity  and challenge cultural acceptance, expressed as the social DNA and mind-set in Doncaster;

2)           True joint commissioning, with shared principles across boards and commissioners to tackle DVA along with multiple needs in families;

3)           Long term investment to tackle DVA with whole place approach which will have wider public health benefits and support reduction of ASB;

4)           Challenge services to ‘think’ and ‘work’ whole family and what this means in practice, challenging the systemic issues and conflicting philosophies and approaches to practice; and

5)           Research and evaluate the impact of silo working to develop effective multi-system and agency working to address individual needs.