Brighton & Hove Violence against Women and Girls Forum (VAWG)

Transcription

1 Brighton & Hove Violence against Women and Girls Forum (VAWG) 8 th June 2017 Hove Town Hall Present: CD CM DF EB ES FB GG (Chair) JR J-AW (Co- Chair) KA LB LJ MA MB ML MT MW NM NT SM ST Welfare Rights, BHCC Veritas Justice BSUH BHCC Housing Sussex OPCC Survivors Network RISE Partnership Community Safety, BHCC Brighton Oasis Project BHT Fulfilling Lives SCFT Partnership Community Safety, BHCC YAC BHT Threshold UoB Student Services Inspire- Brighton Women s Centre RISE Assessment and Treatment Service- Mill View Hospital Fulfilling Lives BHT Veritas Justice Please note: PowerPoint presentations are available on request. Please Luke.Martin@brighton-hove.gov.uk Item 1. Welcome and Introductions GG welcomed members of the Forum. Action n/a 2. Minutes of Last Meeting The minutes of the meeting held 9 th March 2017 were agreed with the following comments: Action: Add Domestic Homicide Reviews / Housing and Homelessness to forward planner for part 2 ( sharing effective practice ) and liaise with and GG to agree: Discharged - JR to update at this meeting. n/a 1

2 Action: Bring an update in part 1 ( Keeping up to date ) on the Big Lottery Women and Girls project to agenda for next VAWG Forum: Ongoing- to be put on the September agenda 3. Elections Gail Gray will be standing down as Chair, as she is leaving her post as CEO of RISE. JR provided an update on the advice from the Council s Democratic Services Team, who advised that the Vice Chair should act up and elections should subsequently be held. There was a discussion around chairing models. This discussion concluded that there were three options: continuing to elect a Chair and Vice Chair as currently is the case, having a retaining chair or seeking to recruit a chair as a volunteer role. It was agreed that JR would work with the outgoing Chair and the current Vice Chair to draw up proposals for these three options, to be considered at the September meeting. If required elections will thereafter be held. JR also suggested that would be a good time to review the forum s terms of reference. This was agreed. ACTION: Work with outgoing Chair and the current Vice Chair to put proposal together for chairing options to consider at the September meeting ACTION: Refresh the Terms of Reference for review at the September meeting JR JR 4. Update on DHR s JR provided a verbal update on current DHR s: A DHR is currently underway in Brighton & Hove, with this likely to be concluded in September The finalised DHR will need to be submitted to the Home Office for review, but there is currently a 5 month delay in areas receiving feedback and permission to publish. In East Sussex, two reviews have recently been completed. There will be events in Brighton & Hove to share learning from all these reviews, either to be delivered at the Forum or as stand-alone bite sized briefings subject to time frames. 2

3 3. Universal Credit CD provided an update on Universal Tax Credit; CD can be contacted at Advice Line Mondays 10-1pm and via CD highlighted the Rape Clause and exemptions of more than 2 children. UTC will replace means tested benefits for working aged people, as well as JSA for single job seekers making a new claim. UTC will be rolled out in Hove in October and Brighton in November. Existing claimants will stay on the legacy system until they make a new claim. Under the guidance for UTC a recent victim is somebody who has experienced abuse within the last 6 months and the perpetrator must not be residing at the same address. Sexual violence claims will only focus on an intimate relationship. Money can be paid directly to a Landlord or split between two people in a household if a victim notifies DWP of abuse or financial mismanagement. Additional information embedded below. Definition of form for support for guidance for 3rd personal-budgeting-s domestic violence DWchild born without youparties re 3rd child.pd upport-and-alternativ Universal Credit and domestic and sexual a JR update the forum that there is a discussion ongoing about providing training to the relevant welfare benefit teams around domestic and sexual violence, and also including information on domestic and sexual violence in a briefing produced by the welfare benefits team. ACTION: Liaise with welfare benefits team on planned work in relation to domestic and sexual violence. 4. Champions Network JR / gave a verbal update on the Brighton & Hove DVA, SVA and VAWG Champions Network. The cohort is still growing and an introductory session will run on Friday 23 rd June from 2pm-4pm at Hove Town Hall. 3

4 also tabled the new Champions Check for feedback to be rolled out in July DF raised an issue with the use of language health checklist. FB suggested calling it an organisational Health Check. ACTION: Amend the reference to Team / Organisation Health Check ACTION: Publish the finalised guidance and templates when available 5. Agency Round Table Representatives provided information regarding on-going work: Veritas Justice: Veritas has received funding from the PCC to deliver online Stalking Awareness training, this will be open to all Awareness raising sessions will be delivered at the University of Brighton for all students to attend Veritas will be delivering training for frontline police officers and call handlers within Sussex Police Veritas have seen an increase in male victims presenting ACTION: ST to send information on online training to when it is live ST Fulfilling Lives: Maintenance staff are to be given training on recognising and responding to domestic abuse SCFT: LJ has found SCARFs from the Police are increasingly helpful About to undergo writing practical guidance for staff at the Trust University of Brighton: UofB has received additional training on responding to SVA Additional training has been delivered by Veritas is due to deliver MARAC and RIC training UniSmart are now delivering theatre based sessions for new students on VAWG themes Partnership Community Safety Team; Pan-Sussex Stalking and Harassment working group has been established CAFCASS has produced new guidance on Family Court ACTION: Publish CAFCASS guidance in August DVA, SV and VAWG Newsletter 4

5 Fulfilling Lives (LB): Currently working with RISE and Brighton & Hove Mental Health and Wellbeing Service to upskill staff in complex needs cases Currently developing a training day on complex needs and domestic abuse to be delivered within the DVA, SVA and VAWG Training Programme in November 2017 BOP: Successful in Tampon Tax bid, to deliver additional services on working with sex workers and will shortly be recruiting Survivors Network: Currently working with Sussex Police to roll out vicarious trauma and self care training Currently building a multi-lingual pool of volunteers SN are holding an event with the University of Sussex on supporting survivors of SVA at the Brighthelm Rape Crisis is currently building an online service for vistims of SVA nationally ACTION: FB to send link to for event on 28 th September when live 6. J-AW proposed that the Forum thank GG for all her hard work as chair. This was unanimously agreed. Part 2 Sharing effective practice Housing 7. Working with Complex Cases Kirsty Anderson, Domestic Violence Lead, Shore House, BHT KA provided an introduction to the service offered by Shore House, Brighton Housing Trust; Shore House provides support for complex cases, a majority of which are dual diagnosis The service offers 24 hour support for those with complex needs requiring high levels of support, for up to 18 months The service is mixed gender Referrals are generally received through acute mental health wards, forensic services, early intervention and homeless teams All residents have a Psychiatrist and Care Co-ordinator The service is empowerment focused and offers group work in the form of structured group timetables The service offers stabilisation The service offers 1 support worker to 4 clients and is commissioned by the CCG Residents must have a local connection ACTION: Send information to on Shore House to circulate FB KA 5

6 8. Housing and the Local Authority Ruth Robertson, Information Officer, Housing Options, Brighton & Hove City Council RR provided an introduction to the service offered Housing Options, BHCC; RR highlighted a focus on sustainability, early intervention and raising resilience with clients A new Trail Blazing scheme has been launched- a whole extra piece of work that targets early intervention. Where first signs of troubles that could affect accommodation later down the line e.g. stalking Simon Gail from JustLife Temporary Accommodation Group has been exploring the issues around TA RR highlighted that a victim of DVA does not have to have a local connection to present as homeless RR highlighted that victims can ask for an advanced loan if they are on Universal Tax Credit, which should cover the cost of rent for delay period RR has offered to come to services to talk to clients about housing and will provide outreach and home visits ACTION: To send information on pathways 9 Refuge Provision Meggan Watson, RISE MW provided a PowerPoint presentation embedded below; RISE offer a refuge provision for self-identified females, ranging from bed sit to 3 bed units Support includes working with the effects of domestic abuse, financial advice and children s work The licence agreement is for 6 months, but can be extended in extenuating circumstances Male children are accepted up to the age of 18 The service also has an adapted flat for those with additional needs The service has 15 self-contained units The service has a soft play area for children, shared lounges and laundry facility RR VAWG housing.pptx 10. Small group discussions of issues arising from the presentations: what works well, what are the challenges and what ideas do people have to develop housing responses locally? What works well in housing? Working with young people to do planned moves (YAC) Support for young people 6

7 Capacity to do outreach (Housing Options) Positive relationship between refuge and housing That in comparison with other areas Brighton & Hove has a wealth of resources Increased understanding/commitment to prevent homelessness PIE involved in commissioning What are the challenges in housing? Assessment of TA Being placed out of area High thresholds for complex needs cases No legal obligation on children of opposite sex sharing a room Making mutual exchange safe The duty to single people with no dependents Minority groups and lack of positive responses e.g. Trans* If a child were abused in the home but the perpetrator no longer resides there the LA have no duty to rehouse Educating that being housed in emergency accommodation does not automatically entitle you to a local authority property What ideas do you have to develop housing? Managing expectations Early intervention Educate professionals not working directly in housing what their role is within a multi-agency context ACTION: EB to forward figures on LA accommodation across the city 11. Themes for future Forums EB The themes for future forum meetings were noted and agreed. Quarter 2: Young people and DVA, SVA and VAWG Quarter 3: Strategic Assessment Quarter 4: Marac development ACTION: Schedule future speakers for forum meetings 12 Any Other Business and Close: The next meeting will take place on Thursday 14th September am 12.30pm at Hove Town Hall Agenda and papers available at 7