Breaking the Silence Safer Westminster Partnership Domestic Abuse Strategy P a g e

Transcription

1 Breaking the Silence Safer Westminster Partnership Domestic Abuse Strategy P a g e

2 Foreword Our collective ambition is to reduce domestic abuse and its effects in Westminster. With one in four women in the UK experiencing some form of domestic abuse in their lifetime and one in seven children under the age of 18 having lived with domestic violence at some point in their childhood, this is a widely under-reported crime with disastrous consequences. There is no excuse for this crime which ruins childhoods, destroys families and threatens lives. We hope to go some way to breaking the silence that surrounds domestic abuse. Westminster s Your Choice gang programme has highlighted the intrinsic link between street gang associated violence and violence within the home. Young people that are causing trouble on our streets are subjecting their families to abuse, often as a consequence of long term violence in the home. The initial work of the Troubled Families programme and the findings of the Family Recovery Programme have shown the prevalence of domestic abuse in some of our most vulnerable families. Tackling this problem will strike at the very heart of some of the most complex problems facing our society. We must work to break this cycle through early intervention, swift justice and a clear message that domestic abuse, in any context, will not be tolerated. The effects of domestic abuse are far ranging. The consequences begin in the home, affecting families, communities and society as a whole. It harms families across generations, impoverishes communities and reinforces other forms of violence throughout our society. Our ambition for this strategy is to provide a safe and secure environment for victims of domestic abuse. This will be complemented by a programme of early intervention and education that domestic abuse in all forms is wrong and will not be tolerated. Working across the Safer Westminster Partnership we will break the silence that surrounds this terrible crime. Councillor Nickie Aiken Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Community Protection Westminster City Council Mike More Chief Executive Westminster City Council Commander Simon Bray Metropolitan Police Service Westminster 2 P a g e

3 Executive Summary Domestic violence and other forms of domestic abuse are widely underreported in our communities. At least one in four women in the UK will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, with Westminster having recorded just over 1,200 incidents of domestic violence in the last 12 months. Following engagement with providers, partner agencies and service users the Safer Westminster Partnership has agreed an investment of approximately 765,000 in domestic abuse services. These services will be built on the three principles of prevention, provision and protection. The aim of this Strategy is to ensure a whole systems approach by all partner agencies that ensures that those who experience domestic abuse receive a service that demonstrates: - Common understanding of the signs of domestic abuse and how to give an appropriate initial response; - Common assessment tools which include an assessment of risk and are underpinned by consistent training and workforce development; - Joined up interventions which are delivered in an integrated and co-ordinated manner and experienced as such by service users. Prevention We will encourage the early identification of potential victims, supported through information sharing, improved training and a whole systems approach to ending domestic abuse. We will: - Establish domestic abuse surgeries across Westminster, providing a face to face service with a range of providers, including victim support, housing, legal and children s services, to encourage early identification and swift referrals for victims of domestic abuse - Develop a thriving be-friending and survivor support network to provide informal support networks for victims Provision We will provide effective and accessible services, advice and support at the right time to protect victims of domestic abuse. This will support survivors of domestic abuse to make a long term change in their lives, ultimately freeing themselves from abusive relationships. We will: - Develop outreach IDVA provision to ensure that when victims of domestic abuse come into contact with a service no matter what that service they are supported and assisted to end the abuse 3 P a g e

4 Protection We will ensure Westminster is a safe place through swift, effective and safe justice and long term support for survivors of domestic abuse. We will: - Support the launch of a Domestic Violence Court supporting victims strong enough to go through the criminal justice process, placing safety at the heart of the system - Put in place a victimless prosecutions partnership agreement to tackle, identify and punish those repeat perpetrators of domestic abuse 4 P a g e

5 Introduction Westminster s Domestic Abuse Strategy is built on the three pillars of prevention, provision and protection, developing a whole family, whole systems approach to tackling domestic abuse. Breaking the Silence will work to: Definition Ensure services are commissioned using a whole systems approach to tackling domestic abuse Prioritise services for victims in a domestic, family setting, ensuring services are targeted at Westminster residents Mainstream budgets to ensure the long term sustainability of services, delivering value for money through effective commissioning Impact assess all partners policies for any contribution they may make in respect of domestic violence The definition of domestic abuse adopted, at the time of writing this strategy, will be informed by the current Home Office definition of domestic violence (2004): Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse [psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional] between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality This strategy will however also seek to adopt the principle that teenage relationships should be considered as an extension of adult domestic violence and will frame our services accordingly. This is in line with the Safer Westminster Partnership s response to the Home Office consultation on the definition of domestic violence. Scope Given Westminster s unique location and the Council and partners role in managing the day to day running of a global city, it is important to clarify the scope of this strategy from the outset. This strategy will not cover the ongoing work of managing the domestic abuse associated with the Night Time Economy (NTE), including stranger rape; rather this will be covered through the NTE working group of the Safer Westminster Partnership. The lead agency for this work is the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). With an explicit focus on a family setting to tackle the cycle of domestic abuse, trafficking and prostitution will not fall within the scope of this strategy, where it does not occur within the family home. There is recognition that with finite resources we will be focusing our efforts on those families in Westminster that are most in need of our support. There is, however, extensive work both nationally, and locally to tackle human trafficking and prostitution led by the MPS. We are working with colleagues in partner boroughs to secure European funding to support additional trafficking services and are working closely with the 5 P a g e

6 Mayor s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) to support improved commissioning for prostitution and trafficking prevention services. The West End Commission will also be focusing on those sexual and violent offences associated with the pressures of the night time economy. Those premises believed to house trafficked women and causing a nuisance to the neighbouring area through anti-social behaviour and noise are continually tackled through a partnership approach between the Metropolitan Police Service and the Council s licensing services. The strategy will address both male and female victims of domestic abuse, providing a port of call for all victims no matter what their gender. We will commission services based on evidenced need however with the recognition that the majority of domestic abuse victims are female. The strategy recognises that there are some groups in our community where there is clear evidence of particular vulnerability to domestic abuse including within Black and Minority Ethnic communities, older people, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people and those with a disability. We will work to ensure that all mainstream services are effective in identifying domestic abuse amongst these groups, and will commission some specialist training and consultation to ensure this is the case. Newly commissioned services will work alongside mainstream provision that provide the majority of domestic abuse services. Police, Probation, Children s Services, Adults Services, Housing, Health and a range of voluntary organisations provide domestic abuse services which will be complemented through this new strategy. 6 P a g e

7 Part One National Context At least one in four women in the UK will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. Every year around 400,000 women are sexually assaulted and 80,000 women raped. A 2007 FORWARD report estimated prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in England and Wales to be at least 66,000 in 2001, with 24,000 girls under the age of 15 being at risk 1. Nationally, the Forced Marriage Unit dealt with 1,600 separate incidents of possible forced marriages in 2008, and also intervened to help victims in 420 immigration cases. The Westminster Picture In 2011/12, Westminster recorded a little over 1,200 incidents of domestic violence, 21 st highest out of the 32 London Boroughs in the MPS area. Croydon currently has the most at around 2,300, with the Richmond the least at just under 570, while our tri-borough partners in Hammersmith and Fulham had around 1,000, and Kensington and Chelsea 670 recorded offences. The map below shows all domestic violence offences against Westminster residents during NB: It is important to recognise when conducting commissioning based on existing data that domestic violence incidents are significantly under reported and therefore it is often difficult to draw concrete conclusions from trends or statistics in this field. 1 FORWARD (2007) A statistical study to estimate the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in England and Wales 7 P a g e

8 Sexual offences in Westminster have fluctuated in recent years from a high of 592 offences in 2006, declining to 521 offences in 2009, before rising again to 577 offences by 2011; within this, offences of rape have followed a similar pattern although recent numbers have been slightly higher than 2006 (128 offences) and have been maintained over the last two years (133 and 132 offences respectively). When contextualising sexual violence and abuse Westminster, as in many regards, is unique owing to the pressures of managing the night time economy in the West End. Westminster has the highest level of sexual offences per 1,000 residents compared with any other borough in London; however for the calendar year % of sexual offences and 40% of rapes were against Westminster residents, highlighting the number of offences which occur in borough to non-westminster residents 2. A FORWARD report estimated that in % of all Westminster maternities were to women with FGM, representing 109 cases. This is estimated to have risen very slightly to 4.63% in 2004, totally 125 cases. 11 Westminster residents have visited one of the three African Well Women s clinics in and around the area for the three year period between The MPS has recently started recording Honour based violence (HBV) related offences, with none in Westminster in 2008, 24 cases in 2010/11 and 21 cases in 2011/12. In 2010/11 and 2011/12 the MPS reported 7 offences in each year of forced marriage. The Poppy Project, based in Lambeth provides accommodation and support to women who have been trafficked into prostitution or domestic servitude. For the period March 2003 March 2010 they have had 1496 referrals, with 703 from London, and 112 from Westminster (7.5% of the total). Policy Context Tackling domestic abuse is a top priority for Westminster City Council and its partners. In March 2012 the Home Office published Taking Action; Call to End Violence against Women and Girls. This document updates on the policy context since the publication in November 2010 the cross-government approach Call to End Violence against Women and Girls. Since then the landscape of Violence against Women and Girls has changed. The riots in Summer 2011 shed light on the issue of gang violence, prompting the Government s Ending Gang and Youth Violence report, which announced an investment of 1.2m to support girls under 18 suffering sexual abuse and victims of rape, through their involvement in gang violence. This money will be used to fund 13 Young People s Advocates across the country. Consultations on Violence against Women and Girls legislation have recently closed, with the potential to change the Government s definition of domestic violence and investigate whether a specific criminal offence would help agencies combat forced marriage. 2 These figures are based on initial classifications, which are subject to change, and therefore do not reflect official figures. 8 P a g e

9 In July 2010 the Safer Westminster Partnership agreed to prioritise violence against women and girls and serious youth violence and since then the partnership has made significant strides in tackling serious youth violence in Westminster. This has enabled a reallocation of monies to tackle domestic abuse. Now is the right time for Westminster to have a coordinated approach, putting additional investment into a wider service offer for victims of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse cuts to the very heart of local authorities role in protecting our most vulnerable residents. Of the 120,000 troubled families that the Prime Minister has pledged to turn around before the next election, an estimated 80% have been in contact with the Police or NHS in relation to domestic violence (4Children, The Enemy Within, 2012). One in seven children and young people under the age of 18 will have lived with domestic violence at some point in their childhood, equivalent to at least 260,000 of London s children and young people (Refuge and NSPCC, Meeting the needs of children living with domestic violence in London, 2011). Violence in the home can lead to violence in other areas on the street, in our schools, on our estates - and by tackling violence in the home and breaking the silence which often surrounds this area we will help some of Westminster s most troubled families. There has been excellent progress in tackling Violence against Women and Girls in Westminster to date. Yet we recognise we can, and must, do more. The Violence against Women and Girls sub-group of the Safer Westminster Partnership has developed an excellent Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference, recognised nationally as an example of best practice. Building and mainstreaming our independent advocacy offer has safeguarded the sustainability of provision. The Westminster Domestic Violence Forum has led an award winning programme of preventative engagement work, raising awareness about domestic abuse and healthy relationships in schools and a tri-borough training package on identification and categorisation of risk for all partners will be rolled out in 2012 across Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea. Westminster s flagship Family Recovery Programme has supported over 150 families, many of whom suffer problems with domestic abuse in the home. 9 P a g e

10 Part Two Current Service Provision In 2011/12 the investment to tackle Violence against Women and Girls was 443,500. This will increase to 765, in 2012/13. This investment does not cover much of the mainstreamed, statutory provision, rather refers in the main to the additional specialist resources funded by the Safer Westminster Partnership. The majority of current services are provided through a variety of mainstreamed provision by the Council and key partners. These include the Police, Probation, Children s Services, social care services, mental health services, drug and alcohol teams, Community and Acute Health services, Housing and the voluntary and community sector. A detailed description of the roles and responsibilities regarding domestic abuse for each of these agencies is available in Appendix Two. Based on findings from a comprehensive needs assessment conducted in 2010 for the Safer Westminster Partnership, the following information sets current service provision and allocated spend in the different areas of domestic abuse. Domestic Violence Current Investment 3 : 443,500 (2011/12) The largest majority of VaWG services provide support for survivors of Domestic Violence. There are currently over 20 organisations available to Westminster residents, predominately made up of well-established voluntary sector organisations. More than half of the Domestic Violence services are women only services, including the Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy Services. There is a noted shortage of face to face services for high risk male victims within borough. The services currently funded by the Safer Westminster Partnership focus primarily on short-term intervention for high-risk cases. There is also refuge housing provision provided across London for women fleeing domestic violence. This strategy is being developed alongside the commissioning of a new refuge provider. Current providers are not well represented when it comes to providing additional services to survivors such as creative activities, stress management skills or self-defence training. Sexual Violence and Abuse, including Stalking Current Investment: 10,000 (2011/12) 3 This figure is across a number of agencies. Where N/A is aligned to an area this does not indicate that no council funding goes into providing services in this area but rather that it comes through other funding streams not within the scope of this strategy; for example Westminster s contribution to London Councils Grants Scheme. This investment does also not cover policing resource, for example services invested to tackle prostitution and trafficking in Westminster. 10 P a g e

11 There are half the number of services available to survivors of sexual violence and abuse outside the home compared with those for survivors of domestic violence. There are currently three providers that operate within Westminster, meaning residents are likely to have to travel out of borough to access services. Key provision in this area includes Havens and Rape Crisis Centres. Female Genital Mutilation Current Investment: N/A There are three African Well Women s clinics in and around Westminster, one based at University College Hospital. These clinics provide a one stop shop service (information, counselling, surgery) with all the services available being quick to access with staff able to speak the language of those communities most affected. Overall, there are 10 providers offering services in this area and in addition an Independent Domestic Advisor is currently operating in the maternity service across the Imperial area. Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence Current Investment: N/A Organisations offering services to those at risk of forced marriage and honour based violence are almost exclusively charitable organisations. The main exception is the Forced Marriage Unit, which is part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Forced Marriage Unit has also drawn up professional guidelines which includes potential warning signs of when people are being faced with forced marriage. There are 13 services available for victims of forced marriage and honour based violence, with only Victim Support based in Westminster. The current services available are quick to access providing a good mix of counselling, advocacy, outreach and training. There are a number of services available to people potentially affected by Forced Marriage or Honour Based Violence, however they are all based in surrounding boroughs, making physically accessing services more difficult for people. Trafficking, including trafficking for prostitution and domestic servitude Current Investment: N/A There are 15 services operating across Westminster in this area, with three of the services based within Westminster. These services are a mix of specialist and more general providers, with almost all being charities. Prostitution Current Investment: N/A The Mayor s Office for Policing and Crime in 2012 are conducting a research piece across five London boroughs, set to inform commissioning from late Westminster City 11 P a g e

12 Council is participating in this research. In relation to the upcoming Olympics, the Metropolitan Police Authority s report in 2009 highlights three main areas regarding this issue that will affect London boroughs. These are increased demand for prostitution from site workers, visitors, and athletes; an increase in sex trafficking (linked to increase in prostitution); and an increased consumption/abuse of alcohol, which is likely to contribute to higher reporting of domestic violence incidents, and possibly also of rape and sexual assaults. Areas for improvement Following extensive engagement with providers and partners operating in this area, analysis of current service provision informed by the Westminster picture of Violence against Women and Girls and the national policy framework, areas for improvement were identified 4. The strategy has been informed by, and will, in turn, feed into existing strategies that operate to prevent domestic abuse 5. Based on the current service and the 2010 needs analysis the areas identified as requiring investment and/or service change were: Prevention - Primary prevention promoting healthy relationships, seeking to prevent domestic abuse in the first place, with a particular focus on schools and colleges - Secondary prevention supporting victims of domestic abuse to access services quickly with the appropriate support to ensure there is no repeat of domestic abuse when it first occurs - Improved training schemes for front line professionals, ensuring these are consistent and comprehensive across all core services Provision - Reducing repeat victimisation - Development of renewed communications strategies and improved information sharing between agencies to increase referrals - Improving the accessibility of interventions across client groups, in particular ensuring a consistent response to particular forms of domestic abuse, for example honour-based violence, forced marriage, FGM, domestic servitude and domestic trafficking - Investing in provision for medium and low risk victims, male victims of domestic abuse, adolescent victims and perpetrators Protection - Improving the justice journey for victims including long term support for survivors of domestic abuse and the establishment of a domestic violence court - Multi-Agency commitment to victimless prosecutions and targeted enforcement and sanctions for perpetrators 4 A diagram of all stakeholders consulted is available in Diagram The strategies influencing this strategy are Health and Wellbeing Commissioning Board, Safer Westminster Partnership Strategy , work programmes of the Local Safeguarding Children s Board and Local Safeguarding Adults Board and the Your Choice Strategy and Commissioning Plan 12 P a g e

13 It was recognised throughout the course of the consultation that there was also the need to develop a robust and evidenced based outcomes framework to evaluate the strategy. This analysis will evidence the need for long term sustainable provision, ensuring sound, informed and improved commissioning. 13 P a g e

14 Part Three Prevention, Provision and Protection Prevention Guiding Principle: To encourage early identification of potential victims, supported through effective information sharing, improved cross-agency training and a whole systems approach to ending domestic abuse. Outcomes: Reduced levels of domestic abuse Improved early intervention Service change: Domestic Abuse Surgeries established in Westminster A thriving be-friending and survivor support network Teachers, front line professionals and students attending domestic abuse training to spot the risks of domestic abuse Increase in referrals to existing and newly commissioned domestic abuse services Increasing effective information sharing across agencies is crucial to early intervention and the prevention of domestic abuse. Increasing referrals to existing services, through effective information sharing and supporting routes out of abusive relationships will be central to our approach. We will establish Domestic Abuse Surgeries. These locations will provide access to key services in one place, supporting low, medium and high risk female and male clients. The surgeries will offer critical first point of contact information, advice and support. The services available will include IDVA, ISVA, Victim Support, housing support, legal advice and benefits support. Coordinated and consistent training and risk assessment across agencies is crucial to identifying those people most at risk of domestic abuse. We will carry out an audit of current training provision and assessment tools across partner agencies and review the need for changes to ensure a consistent approach. We will deliver joint risk assessment training across multi-agencies in Westminster to support early identification of domestic abuse victims and prevent them becoming high risk cases. Training of front-line professionals is crucial to delivering a comprehensive, targeted and appropriate service for victims of domestic abuse. Through a training needs assessment we will work with partners to develop a programme of training needs to support the integration of domestic abuse services into mainstream provision as well as through specialist services. This will ensure consistent and comprehensive delivery of training across all core services, specifically in relation to improved case management for the more specific types of domestic abuse; FGM, Forced Marriage and Honour-based violence. Sometimes survivors of domestic abuse will not want to be referred to a formal agency but rather would welcome a supportive friend who has gone through a similar experience. Building on the work of the Phoenix Survivors Group we will support the development of a self-sustaining be-friending service to support victims out of abusive relationships. Working with survivors will also be crucial to designing our services going 14 P a g e

15 forward to make sure the services are appropriate and built on the experience of those victims who have survived domestic abuse and wish to help others. Early intervention to raise awareness of healthy relationships from an early age is crucial to supporting the long term reduction of Violence against Women and Girls. Growing against Gangs school support programme is being rolled out across Westminster s schools through the Your Choice Gang Programme and the Borough Schools Domestic Violence Prevention Project (BDVPP) continues to work with local schools to highlight the dangers of abusive relationships. We will look to build on these successes through an enhanced education programme for teachers, front-line professionals and young adults to spot the risks of domestic abuse and encourage referral to the appropriate services. This training will particularly consider the risk to specific communities of forced marriage and honour-based violence and the role of teachers and support staff in picking up signs of this abuse early and knowing where to turn if they expect a young person is in danger. Informing residents, survivors and the Westminster community of Breaking the Silence will emphasise the message that domestic abuse in Westminster will not be tolerated. Through a researched and evidenced-based communications programme this message will be communicated to residents, building on the excellent links within community groups, faith organisations and the voluntary and community sector across Westminster. 15 P a g e

16 Provision Guiding Principle: To provide effective and accessible services, advice and support at the appropriate time to protect victims of domestic abuse Outcomes: Improved long term support Improved support for high risk victims Improved service provision and value for money Service change: A strategic partnership developed with the Westminster Domestic Violence Forum to leverage in national funding, support speedier procurement and deliver value for money Outreach IDVA posts in place Increase in referrals to Rape Crisis Centre To increase the number of repeat victims referred to the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) in line with best practice tracking and monitoring of cases Westminster becoming a Safe and Secure Domestic Abuse pilot borough New provider for Refuge provision in Westminster Our current Independent Domestic Advisory Service provides support to high risk victims of domestic violence. Through an expansion of this service we will develop a focus on working with women with children aged 0-19 to match our current youth provision. We will build on relationships with health providers to provide information, and access for women in maternity services or at the point of crisis through Accident and Emergency Departments. When victims of domestic abuse come into contact with a service no matter what that service - there needs to be the provision in place to support those victims. Often victims of domestic abuse do not wish to engage formally with domestic abuse services; rather, they come into contact with our services at different points, whether this is Children s Centres, the local school or their local GP. Supporting a whole-family approach to domestic abuse will work to tackle those families where violence in a domestic setting is deemed acceptable from an early age. A number of families who have gone through the Family Recovery Programme have experienced domestic violence in the home and of the thirteen young people who are currently the subject of interventions through the Gang Multi-Agency Partnership process seven have experienced domestic violence in the home. We will work with the Family Recovery team to develop a bespoke service, recognising the impact of domestic abuse on the relationships between all family members. We will also be working to influence the development of the Troubled Families national initiative to reflect the importance of domestic abuse. Long term support is crucial to providing survivors of domestic abuse with the ongoing assistance they need should they be not ready or able to leave an abusive relationship. The 16 P a g e

17 Domestic Abuse Surgeries will be there to provide a place that survivors can return to as and when they are ready to take up support and services. Violence in the family home is unacceptable and we will work with those families for whom violence is a way of life through family conferencing and tailored intervention. We will invest in a tailored research project to analyse the success of accredited perpetrator programmes. Domestic abuse comes in many forms, ranging from controlling behaviour and associated isolation to physical violence. Learning from existing perpetrator programmes we will work with Police and Probation services to develop a clear view of perpetrator interventions. We will work to support victims of domestic abuse through the Council s housing policy. The Single Persons Housing Pathway will offer housing and support to single women who previously received limited statutory housing assistance. A re-commissioned women s refuge service will include for the first time outreach support for women living in the community who are no longer in an abusive relationship but who remain vulnerable due to the abuse they previously experienced. We will develop a flagship service for chaotic homeless women with complex needs at a local hostel and will ensure that timely DVrelated support is offered to the women by training up the project manager as an IDVA. We will seek to support and pilot, where appropriate, London-wide housing allocation schemes to support domestic abuse victims into safe and secure accommodation. It is crucial that provision is uniquely tailored to reflect specific forms of abuse and the communities and ages most affected by these crimes. Through the Your Choice Gang programme we have funded support for a cohort of young girls to undergo intensive support to exit a life of gang violence. We will learn lessons from this programme to provide services that are appropriate to need and deliver real results. A thriving Voluntary and Community Sector in Westminster and across London currently provides a range of services to help prevent Violence against Women and Girls and Domestic Abuse. We will seek to develop a formalised bidding arrangement with a preferred consortium of providers; the Westminster Domestic Violence Forum (WDVF), to attract national funding, support speedier procurement processes and deliver value for money in service provision. 17 P a g e

18 Protection Guiding Principle: Ensuring Westminster is a safe place through swift and effective justice and protection and long term support for survivors of domestic abuse Outcomes: Improved conviction rates and victim experience A number of victimless prosecutions pursued Increase in sanction and detection rates Increased use of injunctions to protect survivors Service Change: The establishment of a Domestic Violence Court Cohort of priority and prolific offenders identified in partnership with the MET Police Victimless prosecutions partnership agreement in place Embarking on the court proceedings process can be a daunting journey for anyone. Supporting victims of domestic abuse every step of the way through the judicial process will help justice be served. The support requires a system that is built around the victim, ensuring swift and safe justice, effective information sharing and specially trained court staff and magistrates. Westminster will establish a Domestic Violence Court, held at Westminster Magistrates Court. This will be developed in partnership with the Court Service, Metropolitan Police Service and ADVANCE and with the assistance of the Westminster Domestic Violence Forum. Given the success of Priority and Prolific Offenders (PPO) schemes already in operation in Westminster in areas such as serious youth violence, we will look to expand this model to tackle, identify and punish those repeat perpetrators of domestic abuse. Often in the most serious of cases victims are so intimidated that they do not wish to give evidence. This programme will therefore be supported by a council-wide and partner commitment to assist in victimless prosecutions. Westminster needs to continue to develop its approach to targeting and managing perpetrators of domestic abuse. We will work with leading experts to develop a clear view of the effectiveness of existing perpetrator programmes. This study will also consider the role and effectiveness of family conferencing, to support a whole-family approach to ending and tackling domestic abuse. 18 P a g e

19 Conclusion The implementation of this strategy will be owned by the Violence against Women and Girls sub-group of the Safer Westminster Partnership. The Violence against Women and Girls sub-group will work closely with key partners, such as the Health and Wellbeing Board, Metropolitan Police Service and the Westminster Domestic Violence Forum to ensure the successful partnership delivery of the strategy. A rigorous outcomes framework and detailed action plan, both owned by the Violence against Women and Girls sub-group, will provide the basis for evaluation of the strategy. Regular progress and delivery against the key objectives will be reported to the SWP, ensuring we will be able to judge the success of interventions. Appendix 1.1 Timetable Appendix Mainstream Provision mapping Appendix 1.3 Acronym Guide Appendix 1.4 Consulted Partners 19 P a g e

20 Appendix 1.1 Timetable May 2012 and ongoing Launch of Breaking the Silence: Domestic Abuse Strategy Consultation programme with schools and key partners developed Initial service specifications drawn up for the main service changes proposed under the new strategy; Domestic Abuse Surgeries and prevention programmes Case studies to be gathered to show examples of domestic abuse of all kinds, amongst all audiences Review of existing provision to children in refuges, to enable us to develop team around the families within this context but also to consider if wider resources for children are required. Training audit commenced (inclusive of training needs for FGM, FM and HBV) Service specification completed for the Domestic Abuse Surgeries and prevention programme model developed Ideas Exchange / summit to launch the strategy and get feedback / buy-in from industry and government stakeholders. This will be supported by trade and other media coverage. Re-commissioning of the Refuge provision to be completed and contract awarded June 2012 Development and consultation of the formalised relationship with the Westminster Domestic Violence Forum (WVDF) Specifications for training provision drafted, out for tender Specifications for the development of the Phoenix Survivors Group/ developed alongside the creation of a mentoring/befriending service for domestic violence victims Development of the specification of the outreach elements of the IDVA service, extension of existing contract Put in place resources required to improve the service offer to families and children in refuges July 2012 Cohort of the most prolific perpetrators in Westminster agreed Victimless prosecutions partnership protocol developed and PPO model established to tackle the most prolific and violent offenders in Westminster Press team publicising Westminster s potential involvement in a White Ribbon Day torch relay raising awareness of domestic abuse issues in the lead-up to the Olympics and using the opportunity to push our domestic abuse strategy Domestic Abuse Surgeries provision up and running and prevention programme commencing August November PR / Public affairs campaign to raise awareness of Westminster s new DA strategy and the key message will be Domestic Abuse will not be tolerated in Westminster. This will include case studies (actors) published online and through media Draft specification for IDVA provision and family support workers to procure a new service (amalgamating provision currently provided through ADVANCE and Action For Children). Training provider appointed, inclusive of FGM, FM and HB to support case management Implementation of the mentoring/befriending service (linked to improvements to the phoenix Group) 20 P a g e

21 Appendix 1.2 Mainstream Provision Mapping Agency Police Probation Children's Services Community and Acute Health Services Drug and Alcohol Teams Housing Mental Health Services Voluntary Organisations Roles and Responsibilities Sanction and detection of any criminal acts relating to domestic abuse Supervision of offenders in the community and provision of reports to the criminal justice courts to assist in their sentencing duties. Protection of vulnerable children and young people who are likely to suffer significant harm as a result of domestic violence, such as care proceedings and child protection procedures. Spot purchase perpetrator services Family Recovery Programme Identification and referral to support services Provision of critical intervention at point of crisis Statutory service for drug and alcohol users providing counselling and other services to reduce dependency on drugs and alcohol Refuge provision and housing related support Housing advice and assistance to those fleeing Domestic Abuse Provision of temporary accommodation and resettlement into longer term accommodation where appropriate Signposting to additional support services specific to their experience of domestic abuse Recognising, helping and supporting people with mental health problems Signposting to additional support services specific to their experience of domestic abuse Provision of a range of services both within borough and pan London 21 P a g e

22 Appendix Glossary of Acronyms DVIP FGM FM HBV IDAP IDVA ISVA MARAC MPS MOPC PACT PPO SWP VaWG WDVF YUVA Domestic Violence Intervention Project Female Genital Mutilation Forced Marriage Honour based violence Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme Independent Domestic Violence Advocates Independent Sexual Violence Advisor Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference Metropolitan Police Service Mayor's Office of Policing and Crime Partner Abuse Consultancy and Training Priority and Prolific Offenders Safer Westminster Partnership Violence against Women and Girls Westminster Domestic Violence Forum YUVA Programme for parents with abusive children 22 P a g e

23 Appendix 1.4 Consulted Partners Adults Services Central London Community Healthcare Children s Services Children, Young People and Community Protection Policy and Scrutiny Committee Family Recovery Programme Health and Wellbeing Board Housing Mayor s Office for Policing and Crime Metropolitan Police Service Probation Safer Westminster Partnership Survivors Violence against Women and Girls sub-group Westminster Domestic Violence Forum Westminster Equalities Partnership 23 P a g e