Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy

Transcription

1 Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy

2 Contents Foreword 3 Forms and Definitions of Violence Against Women and Girls 5 Domestic Violence A National Profile 7 Current Legislation 9 The Local Profile 11 Our Services 13 Bromley Metropolitan Police Service Offences, Victim and Suspect Profiles 15 Support for Children and Young People 21 Our Strategic Ambitions Prevention 24 - Provision 25 - Partnership 26 - Protection 27 Governance and Delivery Structure 28 - The Domestic Violence and VAWG Strategic Group 29 - The Domestic Violence and VAWG Forum 29 - MARAC Steering Group 30 2

3 Foreword Responding to Domestic Violence and Abuse is a complex and multi-faceted issue that touches many people s lives in many different ways. Domestic Violence is like no other crime insofar as the perpetrator has intimate and constant access to the victim. Domestic Violence and abuse are experienced by adults and children from all backgrounds, and many domestic incidents remain unreported and often result in devastating consequences for long-term mental and physical health. Domestic Violence/Abuse crosses all ethnicities, sexual orientations, class and age, with the impact of abuse on the elderly and those with complex and multiple needs often poorly reported. Bromley has taken positive action to tackle domestic abuse and currently commissions various services including: 3 full time IDVAs (Independent Domestic Violence Advisors) A Sanctuary Scheme to provide assistance with home security A One Stop Shop offering free and confidential Advice Refuge provision for up to 42 women and their children Outreach Support for women in the Community Support Groups and work within Schools and Colleges A perpetrator programme A Freedom Programme and Keys to Freedom A full time IRIS (Identification and Referral to Improve Safety) Advocate/ Educator delivering domestic violence/ abuse training to GP s and Clinicians IDVA based within Kings College Hospital The Children s Programme has been supporting children whom have witnessed domestic violence and abuse against their mother In the following years we will be working towards an early intervention and prevention approach when tackling domestic violence and violence against women and girls. As a Local Authority we already recognise the importance of engaging with children and young people and we will continue to build on the good work we have already done in local schools and the wider community. Awareness around healthy relationships is key to breaking generational cycles of domestic abuse, we will achieve this by educating and reinforcing the message that abusive behaviour is never acceptable under any circumstances. Eradicating domestic violence and violence against women and girls has been and will continue to be a long term commitment 3

4 from Bromley Council. We will need a holistic community response and will continue to work with our statutory and voluntary sector partners to ensure we are tackling all forms of violence against women and girls. The Safer Bromley Partnership has identified domestic violence and violence against women and girls as one of the four key themes of the new Community Safety Strategic Assessment report. Bromley Council is committed to working towards eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls and we will work towards keeping victims and their families safe and prevent perpetrators reoffending. 4

5 Forms and Definitions of Violence Against Women and Girls The UN defines violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that is directed at a woman because she is a woman or acts of violence which are suffered disproportionately by women. This strategy covers the following forms of violence against women and girls: Domestic violence and abuse Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Forced marriage Honour -based violence Prostitution and trafficking Sexual violence including rape Sexual exploitation Sexual harassment Stalking Faith-based abuse Domestic Violence/Abuse - Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. This can encompass, but is not limited to, the following types of abuse: Psychological Physical Sexual Financial Emotional The introduction of the Serious Crime Act 2015 section 76 recognised the offence of controlling or coercive behaviour in intimate or familial relationships and as such is now a criminal offence that can carry a custodial sentence. Controlling behaviour is: a range of acts designed to make a person subordinate and/ or dependent by isolating them from sources of support, exploiting their resources and capacities for personal gain, depriving them of the means needed for independence, resistance and escape and regulating their everyday behaviour. Coercive behaviour is: an act or a pattern of acts of assault, threats, humiliation and intimidation or other abuse that is used to harm, punish, or frighten their victim. Female genital mutilation (FGM) - FGM involves the complete or partial removal or alteration of external genitalia for non-medical reasons. It is mostly carried out on young girls at some time between infancy and the age of 15. Unlike male circumcision, which is legal in many countries, it is now illegal across much of the globe and its extensive harmful health consequences are widely recognised. 5

6 Forced marriage - A marriage conducted without valid consent of one or both parties, where duress is a factor. Honour based violence - HBV is violence committed to protect or defend the honour of a family and/or community. Women, especially young women, are the most common targets, often where they have acted outside community boundaries of perceived acceptable feminine/sexual behaviour. In extreme cases the woman may be killed. Prostitution and trafficking - Women and girls are forced, coerced or deceived to enter into prostitution and/or to keep them there. Trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation and exploitation of women and children for the purposes of prostitution and domestic servitude across international borders and within countries internal trafficking. Sexual violence including rape - Sexual contact without the consent of the woman/ girl. Perpetrators range from total strangers to relatives and intimate partners, but most are known in some way. It can happen anywhere in the family/household, workplace, public spaces, social settings, during war/conflict situations. Sexual exploitation - Involves exploitative situations, contexts and relationships where someone receives something (e.g. food, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, affection, protection money) as a result of them performing and/or another or others performing on them, sexual activities. Violence, coercion and intimidation are common, involvement in exploitative relationships being characterised in the main by the person s limited availability of choice resulting from their social/economic and/or emotional vulnerability. Girls involved in or connected to gangs are at risk of sexual exploitation by gang members. Sexual harassment - Is unwanted verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. It can take place anywhere, including the workplace, schools, streets, public transport and social situations. It includes flashing, obscene and threatening calls and online harassment. Stalking - Repeated (i.e. on at least two occasions) harassment causing fear, alarm or distress. It can include threatening phone calls, texts or letters; damaging property; spying on and following the victim. Faith-based abuse - Child abuse linked to faith or belief. This includes a belief in concepts of witchcraft and spirit possession, demons or the devil acting through children or leading them astray (traditionally seen in some Christian beliefs), the evil eye or djinns (traditionally known in some Islamic faith contexts) and dakini (in the Hindu context); ritual or muti-murders where the killing of children is believed to bring supernatural benefits or the use of their body parts is believed to produce potent magical remedies; and use of belief in magic or witchcraft to create fear in children to make them more compliant when they are being trafficked for domestic slavery or sexual exploitation. 6

7 Domestic Violence A National Profile In March 2010, the Mayor launched London s first strategy to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls, The Way Forward: taking action to end violence against women. This was highlighted as an example of good practice at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in February A new, three year plan, was developed in 2013 and, in common with Bromley s approach, pledges to reduce the prevalence of VAWG and improve confidence of victims by working with partners to: Focus on prevention and create a culture based on equal rights and respect Hold perpetrators of VAWG to account Ensure that women and girls have access to protection, justice and support to rebuild their lives What is Violence against Women and Girls? The UN defines violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that is directed at a woman because she is a woman, or acts of violence which are suffered disproportionately by women. This includes physical, sexual and psychological/emotional violence, economic abuse, and sexual exploitation. Violence against Women and Girls can take place at home, work, or in public places, such as on the street or public transport. However, it is clear that men and boys can also be victims of gender-based violence, and domestic violence, and all elements of support are also applicable and available to them. Nationally, violent crime figures show that despite a long downward trend in violent crime, domestic abuse remains a widespread problem which affects more than 8.5% of women and 4.5% of men every year. Two women are killed every week in England and Wales by a current or former partner. Domestic Abuse costs society an estimated 15.7 billion per year. Domestic abuse has a significant impact on a wide range of services including housing, criminal justice and social services provision. In England the estimated total costs of domestic violence are 5.419bn which comprises of: 1.6bn for physical and mental health costs 1.2bn in criminal justice costs 268m in social services costs 185.7m in housing and refuge costs 366.7m in civil legal costs 1.8bn in lost economic output The Office of National Statistics 2013/2014 states that: 7

8 There were 8.5% of women and 4.5% of men who reported having experienced any type of domestic abuse in the year 2013/2014 (that is, partner/ex-partner abuse (non-sexual), family abuse (non-sexual) and sexual assault or stalking carried out by a current or former partner or other family member). This is equivalent to an estimated 1.4 million female victims and 700,000 male victims There were 6.8% of women and 3.0% of men who reported having experienced any type of partner abuse in the last year, equivalent to estimated 1.1 million female victims and 500,000 male victims Overall, 28.3% of women and 14.7% of men had experienced any domestic abuse since the age of 16, equivalent to an estimated 4.6 million female victims and 2.4 million male victims Among both men and women intimate violence was higher for younger age groups. Women aged between 16 and 19 and between 20 and 24 were more likely to be victims of domestic abuse (11.3% and 12.5% of the respective population) compared with those aged between 45 and 54 and between 55 and 59 (4.7% and 2.7% respectively) Women were more likely than men to have experienced intimate violence across all headline types of abuse asked about. For example, 2.2% of women and 0.7% of men experienced some form of sexual assault (including attempts) in the last year Research by the NSPCC highlights the impact domestic abuse on children living in the family with 1 in 5 children witnessing domestic abuse. A third of children witnessing domestic abuse also experience another form of abuse. SafeLives estimate that 62% of children living with domestic abuse are directly harmed by the perpetrator of the abuse, in addition to the harm caused by witnessing the abuse of others. There is a growing amount of research that highlights the long term effects of domestic abuse on children, this includes aggressive, anti-social, fearful and/ or inhibited behaviour. As a result, young people that witness abuse in the home are more likely to develop long term problems such as depression, trauma related symptoms and be violent in their own adolescent and adult relationships. The abuse of children often starts prior to them even being born. The Department of Health in 2004 reported that in 30% of cases domestic violence either starts or will intensify during pregnancy. Domestic abuse has been identified as a prime cause of miscarriage or still birth. In March 2013 the Home Office introduced a new official definition of domestic violence, this was expanded to include 16 to 17-yearold. Increased awareness amongst young people in this age group, in particular those that have experienced domestic violence and abuse has encouraged more young people to come forward and get the support they need. Older victims of domestic violence experience abuse for twice as long as those aged 61 and under. Nearly half have a disability yet older victims are hugely under represented among domestic abuse services. In research conducted by SafeLives they found that older victims are less likely to attempt to leave in the year before 8

9 accessing help and more likely to be living with the perpetrator after getting support. Research shows that: Only 27% of older victims will attempt to leave in the year before accessing help compared to the 68% of those under 60 years old 32% of older victims will continue to live with the perpetrator after getting support compared to 9% of those under 60 s 48% of older victims also have a disability for a third of those, this is a physical disability Victims aged 61 and over are far more likely to experience abuse from an adult family member (44%) than those under 60 years old (6%) Statistics from the Crown Prosecution Service provided the number of domestic violence cases referred to the CPS by the Police, the number of prosecutions and the number of convictions. The latest statistics show: Over 88,000 cases were referred to the CPS by Police. Around 65% were charged 93% of defendants were men 84% of victims were women Domestic abuse-related crime forms 8% of total crime and 11% of all sexual offences, 33% of all recorded assaults with injury and 49% of all recorded harassment crimes in England and Wales In , there were 78,000 prosecutions for domestic abuse offences. The conviction rate for domestic violence offences in England and Wales was 75% 64% of all harassment and stalking prosecutions and 77% of all restraining order breaches in England and Wales in were domestic violence related (CPS, Violence against Women and Girls crime report , July 2014) 9

10 Current Legislation In the United Kingdom there is a wide range of legislation that is aimed at protecting people from abuse. These include: Clare s Law: The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme gives members of the public a right to ask Police where they have a concern that their partner may pose a risk to them or where they are concerned that the partner of a member of their family or a friend may pose a risk to that individual. If an application is made under the scheme, police and partner agencies will carry out checks and if they show that the partner has a record of abusive offences, or there is other information to indicate that there may be a risk from the partner, the police will consider sharing this information. DVPO: Domestic violence protection orders fill a gap in providing protection to victims by enabling the police and magistrates to put in place protection in the immediate aftermath of a domestic violence incident. With DVPOs, a perpetrator can be banned with immediate effect from returning to a residence and from having contact with the victim for up to 28 days, allowing the victim time to consider their options and get the support they need. Non Molestation Orders: The Family Law Act 1996 Part IV provides for non-molestation orders. A non-molestation order is aimed at preventing a partner or ex-partner from using or threatening violence against the victim or their child, harassing or pestering them. Occupation Orders: The Family Law Act 1996 Part IV also provides for Occupation Orders. An Occupation Order regulates who can live in the family home and can also restrict the perpetrator from entering surrounding areas. Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004: This introduced the requirement on all local authorities to carry out Domestic Homicide Reviews where a domestic homicide has taken place. The Serious Crime Act 2015 s.76: Recognised the offence of controlling or coercive behaviour in intimate or familial relationships and as such is now a criminal offence that can carry a custodial sentence. The Protection from Harassment Act 1997: Harassment is both a criminal offence and a civil action. This means that someone can be prosecuted in the Criminal Courts or take action against the person in the Civil Courts. 10

11 The Local Profile Located in South-East London, Bromley is the largest London borough in the City. Although Bromley is relatively prosperous, the communities within Bromley differ substantially. The Northeast and Northwest of the borough contend with similar issues (such as deprivation) to those in inner London Boroughs we border such as Lewisham, Southwark and Greenwich, while in the South the borough compares more with rural Kent and its issues. Bromley is ranked 217th out of 354 Local Authorities in England in terms of deprivation. Population Bromley has a population of 320,100 (2015 estimates) Bromley has the lowest average population density in London, with 60% of the borough being protected Greenbelt or Metropolitan Open Land The number of older people in Bromley has increased from 16.2% of the population in 2011 to 17.7% in estimates show that 14.9% of the population are made up of BME groups The BME group experiencing the greatest increase is the Back African Community (3.8% of the population) Employment 78.7% of Bromley s working age population is economically active The unemployment rate in Bromley has decreased from 9,300 in 2008/09 to 7,600 in 2009/10 There is higher unemployment in Penge and Cator, Crystal Palace and the Crays Mental Health Bromley has a high prevalence of Common Mental Health Problems such as depression and anxiety In Bromley there are 157 people per 1000 of the adult population with any neurotic disorder such as mixed depression and anxiety The Community Mental Health Profile for Bromley 2012 has highlighted that Bromley is significantly higher than the England average for the percentage of people with depression In 2010/2011 there were 1900 referrals to Bromley Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. This represents an increase of 87% in referrals since

12 Substance Misuse and Alcohol Rates of alcohol related crime rates in Bromley are lower than the national average and have been falling, there is a gap in information relating to alcohol related domestic violence as there are currently no national figures In 2013 there were 107 alcohol related deaths in Bromley In 2012/2013 the crude rate for alcohol related recorded crime in Bromley was 6.6 per 1000 population The highest proportion of substance misusers in treatment in Bromley are in the 40 to 49-year age group, in contrast to the national picture, which is 35 to 44 years The population in treatment is predominantly male (64.8%) and of White British ethnicity (82.6%) The substances most commonly misused by those in treatment in Bromley are opiates (44%) and alcohol (41%) Housing and Homelessness Approximately 71% of dwellings in Bromley are owner occupation, 13% are private rented sector and 14% social rented housing supplied through Housing Associations More than 3000 households present an imminent risk of homelessness each year One third of homelessness is due to eviction from private rented accommodation and 39% is due to family and friends no longer being able to accommodate Domestic Violence Information about domestic violence and violence against women and girls is largely focused on domestic violence and mostly linked to Police reporting. Our statistics and data on the wider issues of violence against women and girls is very limited at this time and one of our recent key actions was to ensure that we had robust mechanisms in place to capture a wide range of data to enable accurate mapping of the prevalence of VAWG in Bromley and implement modifications to our VAWG services if needed. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 places a statutory requirement on local authorities to monitor the level of domestic abuse in their communities and establish partnerships in order to reduce the problem as well as work together with other agencies to highlight the issue and coordinate a response. The LBB has a long history of committing to tackling domestic abuse and has recently agreed that domestic violence/abuse is one of the four key priority areas outlined in the Safer Bromley Partnership Community Safety Strategic Assessment Report Domestic violence and abuse are experienced by adults and children from all backgrounds, and many domestic incidents remain unreported and often result in devastating consequences for long-term mental and physical health. Domestic violence/abuse crosses all ethnicities, sexual orientations, class and age, with the impact of abuse on the elderly and those with complex and multiple needs often poorly reported. 12

13 Our Services Refuge Provision Bromley Women s Aid provides seven refuges, six funded by the borough, and one internally funded. They assist about 240 women per year, and 460 children. One of the refuges is specifically to support women who have no recourse to public funds (i.e. foreign nationals who have restricted visas). The Safer Bromley Van The Safer Bromley Van is managed by Victim Support, it provides free home security and crime prevention assistance, and has been in operation since May 2004; work is carried out by a qualified lock fitter. Referrals come from Safer Neighbourhood Teams, the One Stop Shop, Women s Safety Officer, Social Care, IDVAs, Age Concern, and housing providers. While this is a universal service, it also specifically provides support to victims of domestic violence, who constituted approximately 40% of clients in 2015/206, with the aim of reducing homeless applications as a result of domestic abuse. In cases where the perpetrator has left or been removed from the home, additional security can be fitted within five days in order to make the client feel safer and therefore reduce the likelihood that they will need to approach Housing Options for assistance. Counselling Bromley Women s Aid provides support groups and training for victims of domestic violence, since The Keys to Freedom programme is a twelve-week course, which aims to educate participants about domestic abuse, equip them with skills to raise their self-esteem and assertiveness, and teach them about the warning signs of abusive behaviour, and how to respond to them. Schools Programme Bromley Women s Aid has been delivering the schools programme in Bromley for more than 2 years. The Healthy relationships programme delivers education, awareness and preventions sessions in primary schools in Bromley. The programme aims to improve children s knowledge of what a healthy relationship is, how to stay safe and who to talk to if they feel frightened. The Domestic Violence Intervention Project DVIP deliver the Perpetrator Programme, which has been designed for domestic violence perpetrators who want to address their behaviour. The programme is not an anger management or counselling group. It is specifically designed to address intimate partner violence, drawing upon a wide range 13

14 of approaches. DVIP s facilitators work to create a safe but challenging environment whilst offering support for personal change. They address issues of masculinity, sexual respect, the instrumental and systematic nature of intimate partner violence, and intimacy to name but a few. One-stop-shop Bromley Women s Aid runs a one-stop shop of support services for victims of domestic violence at a discreet location. The one-stop shop is a multi-agency drop-in advice service, which receives support from the homeless families unit, Victim Support, local family solicitors, and Bromley Metropolitan Police. Bromley One-Stop Shop has been in operation since 2003, and has, in that time, given advice and support to over 5,000 individuals. Clients are able to access advice and information with no obligation to take action, and in complete confidence unless there are concerns regarding safeguarding children or vulnerable adults. The one-stop shop is advertised through leaflets and posters distributed to partner agencies, schools, health services, and community groups, and until receipt campaigns and adverts in the media. The premises are in a community building so clients can approach it with no fear of being seen to be accessing the service. Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates Victim Support runs the Domestic Abuse Advocacy Project, and provides assistance to people who are deemed to be at high risk by the Police through Independent Domestic Abuse Advisors. The 2 IDVAs located at the Police Stations primary role is to support victims through the criminal justice system and to represent the views of the victim at MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference). A third Independent Domestic Abuse Advocate is placed within the community, and works with medium and high-risk victims who are not engaged with the criminal justice system, as well as delivering prevention workshops to young people. The Children s Group Work Programme The Children s Group Work Programme has been supporting children whom have witnessed domestic violence and abuse against their mother in the London Borough of Bromley since September Specific groups are offered based on the ages of the children requiring support. Groups are also offered to mothers who have experienced domestic violence and abuse. Tackling Troubled Families The service adopted in phase one of a three year programme the national criteria and chose a local target of domestic violence/ abuse. The service is in phase two and works under this programme to turn families around by adopting a whole family outcome plan, putting the whole family at the centre of service planning. These outcomes are now measured and more detail is available to support the evidence of interventions in relation to the 6 national criteria of which domestic violence is one. 14

15 Bromley Metropolitan Police Service Offences, Victim and Suspect Profiles The tables below provide basic demographic information on domestic violence/ abuse offenses and victim and perpetrators information. Data supplied by Bromley Metropolitan Police Service for the year 2014/2015 shows that of the 2,289 reported offences: 581 offences were Common Assault 578 offences were Assault with injury 176 of grievous bodily harm 41 Offences recorded as other violence This shows that over 60% of all offences recorded by the MPS in Bromley were physical offences with 12.7% of those being of the more serious offence of grievous bodily harm. There were 421 cases of Harassment recorded in the year 2014/2015 and this would account for just over 18% of the recorded domestic violence/abuse cases for Bromley MPS. 15

16 16

17 Data supplied by Bromley Metropolitan Police shows that: Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy The highest numbers of suspects are in the age range of between 21 and 30 years old (32%) this mirrors the highest victim age range of between 21 and 30 years old (30.7%). This trend follows through from 11 years old to 60 years old as the table below shows. Age Range Suspect % Victim % % 11.5% % 30.7% % 22.5% % 21.0% % 7.5% The Independent Domestic Abuse Advocacy Project has 2 full time Independent Domestic Violence Advisors placed within the Bromley Metropolitan Police Community Safety Unit. The Domestic Abuse Advocacy Project increases victim safety and works to improve conviction rates for domestic abuse crimes by providing dedicated support, advocacy and advice to victims from their first point of contact with the police and to victims in the community. Data supplied by the Domestic Abuse Advocacy Project for the period 2015/2016 shows that: Very high risk (14 plus) Medium (10-13) The Bromley Domestic Abuse Advocacy Project received 297 new referrals from which a total of 267 engaged with the service. A total of 89% were identified as medium risk and 11% were defined as very high risk. 97% of service users accessing the service were female. 17

18 The table below details the percentage average of each referral source. The service received referrals from 14 different organisations. The majority of referrals were from Bromley Police, which reflects the fact expected that two of the three IDVAs currently deliver the service from Bromley Police Station. A breakdown of referral sources and totals is outlined, as: Police 178 VARC 4 Self Referrals 33 Other VS schemes 7 Bromley Hospital 1 One Stop Shop 10 Social services 5 Health care team 1 Bromley MARAC 8 Other Agencies 20 18

19 As shown in the table above: IDVAs based at Bromley Police Station and the community based IDVA have supported the 267 victims, (including 5 men) of domestic abuse in response to their needs and level of risk. 37% received intensive support with more than 6 individual sessions. 41% were seen 4 to 5 times receiving medium risk level support and 16% had a contact average of 2 to 3 sessions as their risk levels reduced. The table below details type of contact for all 267 clients. 19

20 During the period April 2015 to March 2016 the project supported 33 clients in court. Of the total cases that went to court 23 were found guilty and 10 not guilty. The project therefore contributed to achieving a 70% guilty rate. The domestic violence advocates are also present at the Bromley One Stop Shop. The One Stop Shop (OSS) is a project that is run by Bromley Women s Aid and is a free and confidential service for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. In the year 2015 to 2016 the One Stop Shop provided 315 both female and male victims of domestic abuse access multi agency advice. The OSS has now made it possible for clients unable to attend in person to access support and advice via telephone and . The OSS has proved to be a crucial as a first point of contact to accessing further support and advocacy. 20

21 Support for Children and Young People The Bromley Children s Group Work Programme has been supporting children who have witnessed domestic violence and abuse against their mother in the London Borough of Bromley since September Of the 29 mothers that have attended the Children s Group Work Programme, 72% felt that their child s behaviour had improved. Specific groups are offered based on the ages of the children requiring support. Groups are also offered to mothers who have experienced domestic violence and abuse. Since September 2014 there have been 545 attendances at the Children s Group Work Programme relating to 81 individuals. 343 of these attendances related to 52 individual children. Year and Calendar Quarter Number of Attendances 2014 Q Q Q Q Q % of the mothers that attended the programme also felt that their understanding of how domestic violence and abuse had affected their child had improved Q Q1 67 Total

22 improved understanding of how to stay safe. The Domestic Violence Advocate project delivers prevention and awareness raising workshops with young people aged 16 to 18 years old in the local community. For the year 2015/2016 the Community IDVA delivered the following training and awareness workshops: Bromley Women s Aid have developed and delivered a Healthy Relationships Programme to primary schools for children in years 3 to 6. The programme is delivered in one hour sessions within the children s classroom with the teacher present. In the year 2015/2016 the programme was delivered to 17 of the 85 primary schools in the London Borough of Bromley. A total of 84 one hour sessions were delivered to 1720 pupils. Feedback collected from 1513 children that took part in the programme told us that: 98% of children reported to have an improved understanding of healthy relationships. 99% of children reported to have an 250 participants from Bromley College attended the Domestic Abuse and staying safe workshop which was facilitated over two days with 5 groups of 50 participants. Facilitates monthly one to one sessions with young people at the One Stop Shop Delivered 1 hour domestic abuse awareness sessions to young parents on the Strengthening Families Course. Developed a drop in service at the Community Vision and Family Centre for young people and adults. 22

23 Our Strategic Ambitions Responding to domestic violence/ abuse is a complex and multi-faceted issue that touches many people s lives in many different ways. In the following three years we will be working towards an early intervention and prevention approach, to achieve this approach we will need an holistic community response to ensure we are tackling all forms of violence against women and girls in Bromley. Where incidents of domestic abuse do occur, we will look to bring the perpetrators to justice. Although the focus of this strategy is on supporting women and girls, there is a requirement to address the needs of men and boys who may be affected by these serious violence crimes. We will seek to ensure that services are able to meet individuals needs in a sensitive and consistent manner. This will be carried out in line with relevant legislation. Our strategic ambitions focus on meeting the needs of all victims that experience domestic abuse. The London Borough of Bromley s ultimate goal is to put all practical measures in place to work towards the elimination of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls. The overarching themes of our strategic ambitions will be: PREVENTION To change attitudes and prevent violence by raising awareness through campaigns, safeguarding and educating children, early identification, intervention and training PROVISION To assist victims/survivors to get on with their lives by providing effective provision of services, advice and support PARTNERSHIP Develop a coordinated multi agency approach by ensuring that the response to domestic abuse is shared by all stakeholders PROTECTION To provide and effective criminal justice system by working towards effective prosecution, supporting victims and providing perpetrator interventions. 23

24 Early intervention and prevention is paramount to tackling DV/VAWG, we will achieve this by ensuring that all partner agencies provide frontline and relevant staff with domestic abuse training so they can spot the signs of abuse and intervene as early as possible. We will ensure that key strategic boards and the workforce promote awareness and understanding of domestic abuse and make sure it is everybody s business. We will review our use of technology/media campaigns to improve awareness and counter acceptance of domestic abuse within our communities. The commissioned services will continue to engage with children and young people in schools and the wider community. Awareness around healthy relationships is key to breaking generational cycles of domestic abuse, we will work towards achieving this by educating and reinforcing the message that abusive behaviour is always unacceptable. We will establish public awareness campaigns to raise the profile of Domestic Abuse to the wider community. This will be achieved in a number of ways including the use of social media (Twitter/Facebook/ Instagram) and using various DV/VAWG campaigns such as the White Ribbon Campaign and UN International day for the elimination of violence against Women and Girls. Buy in from partner agencies will be essential to ensure success. We will continue to challenge gender inequality and negative cultural attitudes towards the various strands of the VAWG agenda including FGM, Forced Marriage, honour based violence and cultural attitudes towards domestic violence/abuse. 24

25 We will work with Children Social Care and Children s Early Intervention Teams to provide support, advocacy and deliver age appropriate work in a range of educational, youth and Community settings. Through the Bromley DV/VAWG Forum we can ensure that all partners share information about their services and referral pathways. Various agencies will have the opportunity to deliver presentations outlining the service they provide, referral criteria, referral pathways, and service user feedback if available. Data collection will be used to carry out evidenced based assessments for the early identification of emerging themes and gaps in services. We will seek funding streams from both internal partners and external funders to ensure we continue to provide dedicated domestic abuse and outreach services to ensure the needs of all victims are being met. Ensure that all local domestic violence services are aware of the Domestic Violence Intervention Programme (DVIP) that is available to men that are perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse. Bromley has a large aging population, under reporting of domestic abuse and seeking support is nationally a growing problem amongst the over 60 s. We will ensure we have adequate training and specialist services to support the older and vulnerable members of the our Community. 25

26 Develop governance arrangements for VAWG with clear structures and lines of accountability, monitoring processes. These will be embedded at strategic and operational level. The Bromley Domestic Abuse and VAWG Forum will work towards providing a fully integrated approach ensuring that services are meeting local needs. The Forum will also provide a platform for sharing best practice, highlighting new and innovative approaches to tackling VAWG at a community level. We will work towards good quality intervention with hard to reach communities. Some sections of society can experience additional barriers to accessing support services this can include: Women and girls from black and minority communities, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, older and disabled people. Community engagements with all sectors of the Community including those that do not at present have a history of reporting abuse. We will ensure that all diverse community groups have the opportunity to be a part of the Bromley DV/VAWG Forum and VAWG Strategic Group. Encourage networking and joint working between agencies to support the needs of victims of domestic abuse and all strands of violence against women and girls. We will achieve this by ensuring all relevant statutory and voluntary agencies have adequate representation at meetings/ forums as requested. Take a partnership approached to improving success rates of intervention with families that are resistant to support services by using Innovative thinking and engagement from the appropriate services. Make early detection of domestic abuse a priority with GP s, midwives and health visitors by ensuring that adequate levels of appropriate domestic abuse training for frontline staff is being delivered. Information sharing arrangements between agencies which encourages cases to be discussed in the early stages to improve the identification of abuse and the quality of support given. 26

27 Ensure that perpetrators of violence against women and girls are held accountable according to the law and are provided with assistance to change their abusive behaviour in order to prevent them from causing harm or violence to their current, past or future partners. The establishment of a domestic violence court in Bromley would provide better support for victims and witnesses and minimize the time period that it takes to process a case from charge to a judicial outcome. Specialist domestic violence courts provide dedicated rooms for victims and witness and video evidencing facilities as well as prosecutors and Magistrates who have received domestic abuse training. Ensure the continued funding of a dedicated perpetrator programme. increase awareness and the number of referrals to the Perpetrators Programme, include this work as part of assessments within Children s Services & encourage perpetrators to address their Behaviour. 27

28 Governance and Delivery Structure The Bromley VAWG Strategy and it recommendations will be managed through the VAWG Strategic Group. The VAWG Strategic Group will include representation from: The Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group Kings College Hospital Princess Royal University Hospital Children s Services Social Care Adult Safeguarding Bromley MPS Bromley MASH Public Health Troubled Families Probation Services Educations Services Victim Support Bromley Women s Aid DVIP The Chair of the DV/VAWG Forum The Chair of the MARAC Steering Group Actions and recommendations set out in the Delivery Plan will be shared across Key Agencies and monitored on a quarterly basis and reported to the Safer Bromley Partnership. 28

29 The Domestic Violence and VAWG Strategic Group The DV/VAWG Strategic Group will be a sub-group of the Safer Bromley Partnership and works on its behalf to lead on the effective monitoring, scrutiny and governance of the multi-agency responses to domestic violence and violence against women and girls. The strategic group is the direct link between the DV/VAWG Forum/ MARAC Steering Group and the Safer Bromley Partnership. The DV & VAWG Forum and the MARAC Steering Group report to the DV & VAWG Strategic Group Partner agencies will nominate a senior management level representative from their respective agencies to attend the DV/VAWG Strategic Group The DV/VAWG Strategic Group will lead on the effective monitoring and scrutiny of partner agencies domestic violence and abuse and VAWG service delivery and establish methods for organisational improvement and learning. The Domestic Violence and VAWG Forum Share best practice Establishing referral pathways with various statutory and voluntary agencies Raising awareness of new and innovative approaches to tackling VAWG Updating the Forum of legislative changes, MOPAC updates and other vital information Having guest speakers from various agencies to raise awareness of their services Generally, work towards providing the most holistic approach to supporting victims/survivors of domestic violence/ abuse and perpetrator support via the DVIP perpetrator programme. 29

30 MARAC Steering Group To monitor volume of cases reviewed at MARAC, breakdown by referring agency, repeat cases and number of children. Analyse changes in referral patterns and encourage multi agency referrals Report on attendance issues Monitor equality of access to MARAC inc minority groups, disability, LGBT Review any breaches of confidentiality of serious operational issues Ensure all MARAC documentation is up to date and effectively implemented Report on quality of research, engagement and quality of responses to victims 30

31 31

32 This document was produced by: London Borough of Bromley Civic Centre Stockwell Close Bromley BR1 3UH November 2016